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!

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!

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.

o 

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....