SCHOFFERHOFER HEFEWEIZEN!

Hi guys it's been a while and G'day to all my new readers at Beerbeer.org!  I had to start off with a beer that I always go back to when I am keen for a good Heffe! Hot summer days are the perfect setting for the wonderful brew which hails from the German city of frankfurt. I first had this beer back in 2002 when my then future wife took me out to dinner at one of Sydney's institutional restaurants Una's at Darlinghurst . While I waited for our table to be ready/available the way it goes at Una's is to wait it out at the bar upstairs where the barman takes ya name for the table and asks "what do you wanna drink?" I noticed alot of peps at the bar were holding these excessively long beer glasses filled with liquid gold...without knowing what I was in for I told the fella behind the bar "I'll 'ave one of those mate!" 
"A Schofferhoffer mate?"  "I replied yeah mate!" a couple of beaut PROPER schnitzels later and the rest is heffe history .....

You have to pour this guy real slow into a decent well chilled heffe glass or stein to enjoy this fantastic example of a heffe at its full potential. Remember to give the bottle a swill at the end of  the pour to get some of that beaut sediment that flavors this yeast driven beer.

On the nose big lolly/candy banana flavours come through as well a bit of real bubblegum....Yum!

Great creamy head on top and after a mouthful of this stuff a slight citrus twang is present. Goes down real good and smooth.Very filling....
Drink ability of a larger and the re freshness/satisfaction of an ale without the bitterness.
Pair with schnitzel, pork katsu or anything fried! Cheese goes great too!
There a alot of good heffes out there but this one I would have to say is my staple wheat beer..Mainly
'coz of its availiblity in Australia at most decent/PROPER bottleshops . Also had this bad boy on tap in Newcastle NSW at the Mary Ellen Hotel which was amazingly fresh and icy cold--the way a PROPER heffe should be..Experience it on tap if you can it really is that good! 
Hopefully next time I'm in Asia I'll be able to track down a good on tap/bottled source for this wonderful nectar....

PROPERBEERMATE 

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.

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!

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!

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!!!)

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!

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!