24 July 2010

Brew Dog latest massive brew! 55%abv!!

Me Ol' Uncle Brian let me know about this one -Good on ya 'ol mate!
The fellas at BREWDOG have done a superb effort by trumping that pesky German brewery Schorschbräu once again with thier latest limited edition brew THE END OF HISTORY. Check out the vid below...



The End of History from BrewDog on Vimeo.


Big kudos to BREWDOG these guys just keep going from strength to strength.

01 July 2010

Canberra trip!

Just over a week ago the Fam and I took a trip down to brilliant -5c Canberra to catch up with the oldies. After we got settled the missis and I went out on the Friday night to check out the Wig and Pen brewpub in Civic (Canberra city) ... We had to line up and wait it out with the friday night crowd in the brisk Canberra air which wasn't to long... while waiting I was thinking to myself what a great thing for a Aussie craft brewpub to have people lining up to get in there!! This is definitely a good sign of things to come as more and more people discover PROPER BEER! When we got in the place was packed of people enjoying their brews with friends and work colleges alike! What welcomed us at the bar were  traditional British style Hand Pump taps alongside (great stuff!) several regular taps... No trouble in ordering pints at all the only prob was landing a place to sit!

So we pulled up at the bar and enjoyed the following brews

Venom Pale Ale -Massive Hoppy Brew (my favorite of the night!)

Kiandra Gold Pilsner -Czech Style Pils (would be great on a hot day)

Brewers IPA - Great 'ol skool IPA

Wig and Pen Pale Ale -Off the pump tap -Magic in a Pint!

A barley wine -No pints allowed -fair enough at 9-10% ABV it knocks yer socks off!



The most interesting brew of the night though was a dark and mysterious brew called "Olde spiced ale"- which is run through the fantastic signature Wig and Pen Randall. The Randall was filled with Truffles, Star Anise,Juniper Berries, Kumquats, Nutmeg and Cinnamon.Wow!...
It was a great punchy maltly brew which perfectly suited the cold Canberra night really well. The spices really warmed me up as the liquid goodness glided down my gullet.-Fantastic stuff!

Get down,over or up to Canberra to try this amazing brew before it dries up-- it is really worth it!
The Wig and pen Randall is an awesome combination of science and brewmanship which needs to be seen to be believed(and drank from of course!) Big thanks and kudos to head brewer Richard and the crew at the Wig and Pen for creating such an amazing beer experience!!



What I really enjoy about this place and many other Craft brew pubs around the world is the universal atmosphere the people are there to enjoy good beer/good times and not mess about and cause shit-Just goes to show what great people are who enjoy PROPER BEER!



On the following Saturday Arvo I took a quick trip out to Zierholz Brewery-Restaurant in Fyshwick to pick up a souvenir Stein glass and revisit one of my favorite brews Hopmeister. An amazing brew which I believe is a beaut blend of traditional German brewmanship and big hop infused American style ales. Great balanced maltiness teamed up with a great hoppy bite at the end..I came across Zierholz when I was down in Canberra a few months back for my birthday looking for a Keg of Craft beer goodness to share with the relos.  Zerholz head brewer Christoph looked after us back then with an German style ale which was an excellent session brew didn't blow anyones hop head off at the party but was excellent in quality and just great beer! It ran out pretty darn quickly!-Great by the stein!!

Again great peps at the Zierholz establishment on a busy Saturday Arvo including Wig and Pen head brewer Richard Watkins who I got to meet and chat to for a bit while he was sampling one of Christoph's latest creations-- great bloke!
If you find yourself at Zierholz Check out their superb tasting paddle and go from there.


Hope to see a PROPER colab brew by these guys say..Venom-meister 2IPA  ; ) ??
One can only dream...

And who said Canberra was boring?? They need a good smacking around the chops with some hops!

13 June 2010

Baird Beer: The Carpenters Mikan Ale


This is a PROPER BEER I have wanted to try for ages-- Ever since I saw it on DH's jibeer site!
Mikan basically translates to Mandarin in Aussie english. I obtained this fantastic sesonal brew through SLOWBEER in Melbourne via their awesome online shop, After being advised by Baird's Head Brewer Chris Poel (thanks mate!) that a shipment of Baird Beer goodness had left Japan and will be hitting Aussie Shores about one and half mouths ago.
It's been a little while since I had my last Baird beer in Japan and I can tell you I have been eagerly waiting the return of their amazing ales to my pint!



Pours a dark orange/light amber colour and produces a foamy head that dissipates to a thin lacey head-Great ale qualities there....
On the nose big hoppy citrus aroma and a hint of Mikan/Mandarin peel..
Good balance on the mouth feel very much a smooth American pale ale feel and a slight sour tingle taste from the Mikan juice and good hoppy bitterness that really rounds it off.
Lightly carbonated which gives it a great feel going down ya throat!
Very refreshing after a days work.

High drinkability but at 6.1%ABV just watch yourself!

I could easily drink this stuff all the time, But i reckon it would better suited to the warmer months served with some Fried Gyoza Dumpings with chili oil/yuzu soy sauce!

Highly recommended to all PROPER BEER drinkers out there get it while you can as it is only a once a year seasonal brew!!!

I really believe that Bairds is really putting Japan on the map as a craft beer haven with all their fantastic beers and great craft beer taprooms rather than that silly super soda brew that Japan known for.

If you're lucky enough to be in Japan check out the fantastic Baird Taprooms in Tokyo or the original (I'm yet to visit) Taproom in Numazu in picturesque Shizuoka ken.
Otherwise check out Tanakaya  in Tokyo and see my good mate Yoshitsugu-san as he stocks a good range of Bairds beers amonst other great PROPER BEER!

Thanks to the guys at slow beer for making this beer available in Australia and taking care of my PROPER order !!
And big thank you also of course to the Baird Beer Crew for producing this amazing ale including the carpenter himself and his mate who supplied the mikans for this brew!

10 June 2010

EPIC Armageddon IPA !!

Now this is what I really call PROPER BEER MATE! This beast is hands down my favorite IPA so far on my life long journey to find the perfect PROPER beer....
This bloody fantastic brew  at 6.66%ABV ( I cant praise it enough it really is THAT GOOD!) hails from "across the pond" so to speak brewed in the beaut harbour side city of Auckland New Zealand at Epic Beer Brewery!

Now I came across this beer purely through the internet-- watching the fantastic BEERMENTV episode of matching beer with good 'ol fish and chips late last year! (see below) After seeing that I had to seek it out! And I found it! Woo HOo!


It pours a wonderful hazy orange light amber color--but even before that-the awesome smell of the hops hits ya once you pop the cap!!
Carbonation is perfect for this style of beer. Thin creamy layer of lace on the top!

Okay... I'm starting to settle down now ...on the nose the Massive BIG Hop aroma smacks ya around the chops (in the face) ...Maaate I love this aroma sweet hoppy citrussy and sour fresh hop flower oils bursting through like no other beer.

On the sip BANG those hops are definitely still there aye!! The first mouthful is very bitter and floral at same time yet the hops (if you are a hop lover like me ; ) keep you coming back for more and more. Goes down quite smoothly as the pint warms up.

Also I would like to note even though it might seem odd I really enjoyed the taste of my burps after having a pint or two of this beautiful hoppy 60/80 IBU nectar sent from the EPIC beer gods of NZ!!

Quick point--New Zealand is one of the world leading hop growing exporters!-- Exporting to such many beaut renowned craft brewers all around the globe.

And as a result of being so close to one of the world's best hop growing regions you can really taste the freshness of the NZ hops in this IPA

Whenever I hit my favie bottle-lo if I can't make a decision and the missis wants to get going I will always grab a long neck or two of this stuff --you absolutely cant go wrong.

Here is the original BeermenTV episode where Todd enjoys a EPIC IPA with his fish and chippie!





Also goes great with home made pizza! (made with beer dough-of course!)



I really have to thank Luke Nicholas and the Epic Brewing Crew for making a ground shaking fantastic IPA that really got me inspired about the great NZ craft beer scene and addicted to  crazy hoppy beers/IPAs as a whole.

Look out for their new Stout and Oak aged Armageddon IPA  (I Hope they make it 'ere- otherwise NZ here I come!!!)

05 June 2010

BREWDOG 5AM SAINT

Here is BREW DOG'S 5am saint -- I wish I had got up and reviewed it at 5am for pure fun and authenticity but as much as I enjoy this brew... I am not that silly.

This beer came as a surprise as i didn't expect it to be as hoppy as I thought it would be --which is great ! On the pour it pours a amber slightly tanned colour and perfect carbonation producing a (excuse the pun) good head!


Big aromatic mix of citrus NZ/US hops on the smell very inviting along with some sweet maltiness that reminded me of some of  the United States brewer SOUTHERN TIER imperial range of beers.

Very smooth going down bigg complex hoppy flavour and a perfect malt balance to keep the hops in tow.
Gives you that great hop hit with out wiping you out with the bitterness.  Could easily be an IPA in sheep's clothing but at 5% ABV it is highly sessionable and of course enjoyable.

And as a result this bad boy (at the moment) has knocked PUNK IPA off the the PROPER BEER throne as my favorite BREWDOG brew ! After I'd finished this tester I started searching around the net for case of the stuff!
The BREWDOG crew have done really well to produce this barbecue matching beer with character.

If you see it in the grog shop definitely give it a go!

01 June 2010

Moo Brew Pale Ale

Okay here we have a beer from a Craft brewery in Tasmania...I always wanted to try Moo Brew's beers and stumbled across this one the other day at my favorite bottle shop here in the Newie area Warners At The Bay.

It pours a very fizzy frothy head that took about a good seven minutes to die down and settle very carbonated! The colour of the beer is a dark yellow orangy haze much like coopers red but with no sediment or floaties. 4.9% ABV

On the nose it doesn't have much a bit of malts and a very slight hop aroma.


It has a very fizzy wine like mouthfeel and taste that might appeal to some but unfortunately not this PROPER BEER blogger! It does taste very champagne like and white whine flavors dominate this beer. I was really expecting a hoppy pale ale or at least a easy drinking ale not this over fizzed lolly water!

I found it over carbonated and gassy for my liking and not what I associate with a pale ale. As it warms up though It does get abit smoother but still too fizzy wine like.  I think Moo Brew where trying to go for a Coopers red style Sparkling Ale with wine flavours/notes but in my eyes failed.

The hops are there but again too balanced and underwhelming and hidden by the fizz.
For the price I think you would be much better off getting a coopers red for a much more enjoyable beer.

I really wanted to like this beer but it had nothing there to save it apart from its ability to maintain carbonation for a prolonged period of time.
I have heard good things about Moo Brew's stouts so I'll give them a go soon.... look out for a future review!

28 May 2010

abstrakt AB:01 Vanilla Bean Infused Belgian Quad!

Now after all the hop monsters and the Penguin.. I've been having lately its great to settle down with a good Belgian style of beer to settle me palate (and me guts-owww  :)....
Here we have BREWDOG'S abstrakt AB:01 from their new abstrakt "limited concept" line of beers which I think is a great way of experimenting with other styles of beer and also adding their own signature BREWDOG touch.
Pours a lovely dark honey amber colour with a beaut head of foamy Belgian goodness!!





On the nose floral notes and abit of fruit... can't smell the vanilla yet but here comes the first swig...

Very smooth and slightly chardonnay wine like--like most Belgian beers I've had.... The vanilla beans really come into play about mid palate  (when it's just about on its way down to ya throat).
As it warms up it becomes even more smoother! Can't seem to find any hops here (yes I still crave the bastards!) but I'm sure the ever most slightest addition is there with the end palate having the slightest of bitter twang.
This is probably the one of the more balanced beers I've had from these guys where the vanilla beans and Belgian malts take centre stage rather than the hops.

It is a strong brew at 10.2%ABV but you can hardly tell the alcohol is there with the sweetness of the brew overriding any alcoholic taste. My missis really enjoyed this one and she doesn't really take to beer that much at all!

I think this would make a great dessert beer paired with Cream caramel and ice cream!

If you can track this one down it is certainly worth the trouble (3200 were only released!)...but if not check out their next release from the abstrakt line is a Triple dry hopped imperial red ale which sounds very inviting!

22 May 2010

Tactical Nuclear Penguin!

So here it is my PROPER BEER MATE review of BREWDOG's masterpiece of brewmanship: TACTICAL NUCLEAR PENGUIN!-A beer for the dedicated -just like me : )
As you would have seen from my other posts the Penguin comes in a brown paper bag with a hand drawn penguin on the front. It also comes with a beaut stopper so you can store it away for future indulgences.

For those who don't know this PROPER BEER started life as a imperial stout which already has a high alcohol percentage at usually around 8% - 12%. Then it was aged for a total of 16 months in Isle of Arran whisky casks and in Islay whisky casks.Then the BREWDOG crew stuck the brew in a ice-cream factory cool room to ferment and implement the increase of the ABV content.




At 32% ABV It is no ordinary beer at all. The kind I like!!
Pours a flat cola like colour and with no head at all...
On the nose its got alot of smokey malty whiskey goodness and a slight dark soy sauce aroma.



It has a big bitterness and a whisky (not "whiskey"as it's a Scottish beer-get it right MATE!)  burn on the palate. I was a bit keen to swish this round my mouth like a wine wanker and as I result the slightest fizzyness came through, Which definitely confirmed this amazing drop as a beer and not a spirit. 
It had the consistency of a sherry or port wine which is also reflected in the taste too along with big smokiness taste from the Isle of Arran whisky and Islay whisky casks that it was fermented in.


Of course this beast is not a skuller/chugger beer at all. I found It would be great as a night cap in small amounts along with your favorite rich dessert such as Black Sesame Ice Cream- also to honor the beers heritage.
Also I'd like to see it served as a shot too, To accompany a pint of robust stout or porter style beer. I think that would be great especially with a group of mates at the PROPER pub.


Before I fall over from taking a few siuppps... I might put this back in the fridge next to its punk of a mate.






All in all I congratulate BREWDOG on making this unique beer and making a it good one too.They really did do their best on this one. I spouse anyone could make a high alcohol beer just for the sake of it but these guys really put in the immense effort and came out with a ripper whisky infused late night stout!



Tactical Nuclear Penguin from BrewDog on Vimeo.



As this was a one of 500 beer I really have to thank Emperor Penguin James and all the crew at BREWDOG for making this available to me.
Cheers!

Weekend off!

I couldn't make it to this years Beer Expo in Melbourne this weekend so it looks like I'll be having my own beer expo at home along with a Scottish Penguin.


This is my PROPER BEER fridge in the garage at home. It used to be our kitchen fridge but we got a new bigger fridge last year and moved this beer cooler to its new home in garage. Hopefully one day it will have some taps on the outside of it and a keg of tasty homebrew/craft brew connected to them.
One can only dream....

17 May 2010

Monday Morning....

This morn'in was great as I do shift work I got to sleep in this morning thinking about all the people going to back to work after the weekend (hee hah hah). 
But this morning at the corner of my eye through the window I saw some courier dude running towards my place with a big box in hand.
Expecting a knock at the door there was none---thanks mate! All I saw was the fella running back to his van and hearing it piss(drive) off...
Anyways the missis (god luv her) got up to check out what was dropped off -I followed shortly after....
It was a big box sent all the way from Scotland by the the good crew at BREWDOG! 
Inside the beaut box I found this amongst other fantastic looking BREWDOG beers  ....




The Penguin has landed!! _Tactical Nuclear Penguin = PROPER BEER!!!


Look forward for the review/s! And CHEERS BREWDOG!



16 May 2010

Baird Beer: SURUGA BAY IMPERIAL IPA

This review is based on my tasting notes I made while I was on Holiday visiting my in-laws and second home Japan. So I will try to be as actuate as I can based on my notes...

Suruga Bay Imperial IPA comes from Baird Brewing a brewery who hail from the seaside town of Numazu-Shi in Shizuoka Prefecture Japan.  The brewery has won three gold medals at the recent Beer World Cup 2010 which was held in Chicago IL USA back in April. Congratulations Guys!
I must note that I came aware of this great brewery from another fantastic Japan/USA Beer reviewer DH over at his site here.
This bottle came as a recommendation from my good mate Yoshitsugu-san at Tanakaya when I was loading up on other PROPER brews at his excellent beer shop in downtown Tokyo.





Hop aroma on the nose (not massive) and crispy pine and orangy grapefruit coming through there.
Mouth feel was quite smooth but with a great bittery taste caused by the hops , not overly carbonated making great drinkability. Be careful though the ABV at 7.5% is very sneaky-I almost fell off my bar stool at the Naka-Meguro Taproom on my way to the loo after enjoying a pint or two of this brew on another occasion! A very balanced IPA-- Highly recommended.  A good food pairing would be Yakitori with spicy Miso paste or awesome Pepperoncino Pasta. Thanks heaps Yoshitsugu-san and of course DH!
Quite a short review I know... but I will be reviewing more Baird beers when they come available this month here in Aussieland.  I'd rather review beers when I have them in front of me, Mainly to to somewhat preserve the integrity of beer reviews as a whole. But in saying that I will have a couple of short reviews of a couple more beers I had in Japan and Asia that aren't available here based on my notes for diversity in the near future too!

15 May 2010

Brew Dog PUNK IPA

Welcome to my first International/Non-Aussie Beer review!!
Now what we have here is a definite palette destroying beer! Brew Dog's PUNK IPA is one of my favorite IPAs that I have enjoyed many times before..The beer comes from the most innovative craft breweries around at the moment-- Brew Dog from sunny Scotland have proved time and time again beer can be as out there and boundary pushing yet have a very coolness factor at the same time.  
PUNK IPA at 6%ABV pours a quite inviting colour of hazy yellow nectar and a creamy white head (I would really like to try this from a traditional pump tap one day) and has a perfect light carbonation for this style of aggressive IPA..   On the nose the piney grapefruit tones really shine through and after the first full sip from the pint it's like getting kicked in the mouth by the awesome NZ hops! It is quite a bitter IPA- but quite drinkable and smooth by the sip-- It isn't a quaffable chugging/skulling competition beer by any means. It is something to be appreciated and savored.

 o

As the pint warms up I find it tends to get a bit more bittery and the hops flavors come through even more than which is a good thing for me as I am a big hoppy PROPER beer lover!
I reckon it goes great with some spicy Thai food such as Pad Krapow .
After your mouth get's pounded by the big chilli spicy goodness wash it down with a cold PUNK IPA and your'e in beer foodmatch heaven.

It won't appeal to all beer drinkers and thats the beauty of it! The Brew Dog guys as they say on the bottle don't care if you don't like this beer--it's not meant for every one... but if you're a insane hop lover or just plain curious go for it!

I found this beer can be found at most decent PROPER BEER shops/craft beer stores in Australia/NZ and from what I have read in most North American stores of the like too .
If you are in the beaut country of Japan, In particular Tokyo and surrounds-and your'e keen to hunt down this fantastic IPA and Brew Dog's other choice brews check out Tanakaya in Mejiro. My favorite bottle shop in all Japan!-(Bottle shop Reviews coming soon)

Heres another one of their vids below: "We hate bad beer!"
Great stuff Brew Dog!
Expect to see more beer reviews from this fantastic brewery soon!


We hate bad beer! from BrewDog on Vimeo.

08 May 2010

Time for a stout...

After the last couple of reviews have been about Pale Ales and an IPA thought is was time for a good PROPER stout review! This dark beauty comes from Coopers in South Australia and has been my favorite stout for many years mainly due to its great availability throughout Australia and abroad. It also sparked my interest in seeking out heavier beer styles with floatie bits and as a result more unique craft beers.

Coopers Best Extra Stout at 6.3%ABV is a heavy beer and you'll know it straight after your first sip! It pours a thick dark cola/coffee consistency with a creamy espresso like head.  The colour of the actual beer body is pitch black and when you closely at the pint you'll see (if you have poured it right) the wonderful bits of sediment getting swirled around by the light carbonation. The flavour of this beer has a nutty slightly burnt coffee taste to it and has a slight-very mellow fruity hop bitterness which rounds it off. Goes great with smoked cheese which my mother-in-law introduced to me as a fantastic "Otsumami" (Japanese for beer snack/tapas/antipasto) to have with this beer-- as she is a big stout fan too .
It is not a session beer by any means. One 750ml long neck is usually enough for me, I have tried having two longies in a row of this stuff during my slightly younger days and ended up feeling quite happy but extremely bloated.

All in all it is a great stout to savor I believe at any time of the year, not just in the colder months when stouts are traditionally consumed.  

On a side note, if you find yourself ordering  a bottled coopers beer at a pub/bar in Australia which serves coopers traditional beers ,  The bar staff might start rolling the bottle from side to side along the bar to get the sediment distributed throughout the beer before serving.

My Scottish mate Andy during his stay in Aussieland thought this was a bit of a wank - he said when he was working at a backpacker pub in the northern Queensland city of Cairns he used to "turn the bloody thing upside down" for a bit just before serving to achieve the same affect.
Personally with heavier beer styles such as this beaut stout , I pour about a third of the beer into me pint to start off then give the bottle a bit of a swirl and pour the rest in slowly on an angle then straighting up. The result a perfect, full bodied PROPER beer!

25 April 2010

Brew Dog--Funny Stuff!!

Brew Dog from Scotland is one of my favorite breweries. They brew some outstanding and aggressive beers... notability my favie PUNK IPA...  In the vid below they are taking the piss out of the Schorschbräu brewery in Germany as they have taken the crown away from them for the second time in the past 12 months on who brews the highest ABV beer in the world..A good rivalry to have! .. The Brew Dog guys are definite PROPER BEER advocates..Love yer work fellas!




Sink the Bismarck! from BrewDog on Vimeo.



Expect to see a review of PUNK IPA soon along with other great beers from BREW DOG!

24 April 2010

Murray's Icon 2IPA

This brew comes from down the the road from me!! From a fantastic craft brewery called Murray's. Created by head brewer Shawn, this is the jewel in the crown of  Murray's range of PROPER beers in my opinion.
It is an approachable Double IPA (India Pale Ale) with heavy malt tones and hops on the nose.The hops are definitely there (1kg is added per 100 litres during the brewing process!) giving bitterness thoughhout the pint while the malts mellow them through making it a very drinkable and refreshing Double IPA. It isn't as hoppy as some of the other double IPA's I've tried but still definitely holds its own at 7.5%ABV.
Hints of fruit are there on the taste buds- blood orange and abit of burnt caramel/toffee too.




At the moment it's only available on tap at the the brewery, It is usually released in September in bottle form either in 330ml stubbies or the 750ml bomber.
Being a local I tend too pick it up in one of their superb growler take away/refillable bottles 1.89 litres (see pic). In saying that the taste from the tap does vary from time to time sometimes being more maltier than the last.
In a final note about this beaut beer I think it sits in-between the English IPA's of old and the Hop crazy Double IPA's of the USA as it does give you a hop hit but as with the English styles quite malty and smooth. Maybe it's a new style we have here -- The Aussie  IPA!!!
Great Job Murray's!

Also check out Murray's Blog where Murray himself gets fired up about the big Macro breweries parading their weak yellow fizzy crap around. Great read.

20 April 2010

Hunter Beer Co./Potters Brewery Pale Ale

This review is about a beaut local pale ale I picked up yesterday at Hunter Beer Co./ Potters Brewery in the Hunter Valley NSW .
I also had it on tap at the brewery's pub as a taster along with all their regulars and a couple of seasonal beers.

They were:

Kolsch

Witbier

Larger

Bock

Chocolate Porter

Pale Ale

Gose (limited)

Oyster stout

Ginger Beer (Sold Out--Maybe next time)



The two that stood out for me were the Oyster Stout (what Guinness really should be!!) and the Pale Ale. Unfortunately the Oyster Stout was all sold out in bottles so I took home a couple of Pale Ales anyway after having a good 'ol chat with the brewer Keith--Top bloke who really knows his PROPER BEER!


Got home (after a chicken burger stop in Kuri Kuri : ) and put the Ale on ice. After it chilled down abit I poured a pint of this slightly straw like amber liquid brew....not much aroma on the nose but after the first gulp you can really notice piney-fruity HOPS are there! Smooth mouth feel and  at 5.2%ABV makes it a great Ale to appreciate and savor after a hard days work or anytime really...

Very enjoyable to drink...  This one really surprised me.
Probably I will go as far to say the one the best pale ales this awesome up and coming craft beer country has to offer...
The pub tap version was so much more bitter and largery --is that a word?? (which I don't mind at all)
I was expecting the same but the bottle conditioned version was so much more smoother and complex in terms of  hoppy goodness.  Went well with some of the cheese we got out there in the valley too!
Definately recommended for all you Pale Ale and IPA fans out there...




I have found over the years if you find yourself at a establishment that serves proper beer its always good to try out the bottled version-if available-- to compare to the tap and vice versa. You never know you might find a absolute gem out there like I have.
Also if you're in this part of the world give the Hunter beer co/Potters Brewery a visit I'm sure the kind lads will look after ya!

16 April 2010

Coopers sparkling ale!

For my first review I had to go back to the first beer that I had that I thought was a proper beer (and still is). Before trying coopers I was like much of my friends and other young Aussies downing chemi brews from one of the big two breweries-hate to say it but Melbourne Bitter was my drink of choice back then...
I had my first Coopers sparkling ale on my 18th birthday (the legal age in Australia to buy alcohol) but it wasn't me who bought it ... one of my mates said "try this ..it's good!"  Had a swing and maaaaate it was good--at the time it was totally different to what I had been used to and changed my idea of beer forever....


Coopers sparkling ale at 5.8% ABV it packs a punch! No preservatives or additives are added either making it qualify in my book as PROPER BEER!  It's no hop monster but it is a well balanced, cloudy, perfectly carbonated ,slightly bitter with a bit of citrus coming through too, Making it a great beer for any occasion.  Also without any silly chemicals in it the hangover will be less severe if you are keen on downing a fair few the night before. Above all it is a great option at the bottle-o in the usual sea of macro's.

Coopers as whole also gets my respect as it has grown from an old school craft brewery into the largest (still) family owned brewery in Australia--Even after several attempts by big macro breweries to take it over the Coopers family kept staunch and the company grew as a result.

Coopers Sparkling is pretty much available everywhere in Australia and I have seen it throughout Malaysia,Thailand at high-end supermarkets such as Isetan and and also in Japan at my fave bottle-o: Tanakaya in Mejiro Tokyo .

DG


Welcome to Proper Beer Mate!

Well here we go! This blog is about what I think is proper beer! Mainly writing reviews based on my experiences here in Australia but also Japan and Asia. The beaut up and coming craft breweries of  Australia and Japan I have found are in a similar situation--Both financially and in terms of size.
Throughout this blog i'll be writing on their industries and the challenges and triumphs they come across. 


And don't worry they'll definitely be reviews of beer from the Pioneer countries of craft beer-our mates in the US/Canada and UK/Europe/Scandinavia.. Both old world and new world beers will be featured here.

Another aim of this blog is to hopefully educate people what proper beer actually is, what it should be and what it shouldn't be. 

.....So sit back with a Pint of yer favie PROPER BEER and enjoy! 

DG