Interlude: Beer Tasting

Andrew and I decided that we would take the opportunity of our remote cabin in Ballina to conduct our own beer tasting evening. 


Let's face it, Australia may be renowned for its wine, but not for outstanding beers. Whilst there is nothing in the same league as Tim Taylor's, Harvey's, Shepherd Neame or Black Sheep, there are some really good 'lager' style beers, amber ales and pale ales produced by smaller 'boutique' brewers. Many of these breweries are actually also wineries; and many are in fact owned by some of the big international corporations (such as Fosters) but, happily, this has not had a detrimental affect on the quality or availability of them. 15 years ago most of these did not exist - but there has been an explosion of new boutique beers in recent years (Balmain Beer was launched in the local pubs here last year) which has revolutionised the beer market.


Andrew's main observation of Australian beers - and which applies to every beer here - is that they are too gassy and that this masks the flavour.  It is an unfortunate but necessary aspect of keeping beers here. We have found that serving them at a slightly higher temperature than is common brings out the flavour much more; especially with amber and other darker ales.


So we tasted five beers and here's the verdict....

Pepperjack (4.7%)
A rich tan in colour, this is from the Saltram winery in the Barossa Valley; a region famous for its bold shiraz wines. Like the wines, this is fruity, rich and complex; a very drinkable and satisfying beer. One of my favourite Aussie beers and yet frustratingly hard to find.
Andrew: 6/10
Mark: 7/10
Total: 13


Vale Ale (4.5%)
When I asked Andrew to describe the colour of this beer, he said "it's like someone has pissed in an ashtray". Not a good start. The cloudiness is a result of the yeast cells from the secondary fermentation process. Apparently. This beer is also the product of winemakers; in this case from Mclaren Vale in South Australia. The bottle describes the beer as consisting of three malts and three hop varieties. Andrew couldn't get beyond the cloudiness.
Andrew: 5/10
Mark: 5.5/10
Total: 10.5


Knappstein (5.6%)
Another winery 'sideshow' beer and very different from the previous two. This is a beautifully balanced and crisp lager style beer; a floral bouquet with hints of bright pear on the taste, leaving a clean, white wine style aftertaste. A beer of genuine quality and well worth the extra price tag that comes with it.
Andrew 7/10
Mark 7/10
Total: 14


Endeavour (5.2%)
Named after Captain James Cook's ship that laid anchor in Botany Bay in 1770, this is a cola-coloured beer, despite its label describing it as an 'amber ale'. Andrew described the experience of drinking it as being "like eating a bar of Dairy Milk in the shower". I've no idea if this is true. Maltiness comes through on the palette front-end, with a mellow and smokey aftertaste. I couldn't have more than one bottle of this one; not really my cup of tea, or indeed beer.
Andrew: 5/10
Mark: 5/10
Total: 10


William's Organic Pale Ale (4.5%)
A greenish-gold lager, we were bemused by its name; pale ale is the result of warm fermentation using mainly pale malts, but this is not how the beer looks at all. It is very reminiscent of Peroni. Flavours are citrus and subtle. The bottle describes it as 'long on the quench'. I've no idea what that means, but it's also short on the taste.
Andrew: 5/10
Mark 5/10
Total: 10