Murray's Icon 2IPA

As the name indicates this is a mix of two styles, American IPA and Imperial Indian Pale Ale. This is a seasonal release by Murray's and although I didn't notice this at first this beer has a whopping 7.5% ABV (Woooo hoooo!). On the bottle it claims to be an extreme beer, well we will see about that. On the pour I got a murky caramel colour with a red tint to it, it is a heavy looking beer with a big dense head. The aroma is really pleasant, there is a strong passionfruit hit which kind of reminds me of passiona, there is a complex herbal element (too complicated to decode) and sweet caramel. The passionfruit is in the taste too as well as the herbal (reminiscent to Jagermeister). The taste is also creamy, toffee/caramel, peppery, quite a bit of bitterness and maybe some citrus. This is a thick beer, nicely carbonated and the finish is amazingly persistent. The flavor soldiers on, not only the bitterness but all of it.

As Murray's claims this is a serious drop and "not a beer for the faint-hearted", I would say this this beer has a set of iron balls. This is a complex, quirky, powerful beer... all I can say is WOW. Go out there and get some.

Brewery: Murray's Craft Brewing Co.
ABV: 7.5%
RRP: TBA

Wicked Elf Pilsner

I was initially drawn to this beer by its charming name and wicked little elf with a hook nose on the bottle. I found that it is a microbrew, hand crafted and produced in small batch so all the hallmarks of a quality beer are there. Right away I can tell this beer stinks of pretentiousness, but I decided to disregard this even at the stake of looking like an ostentatious arsehole drinking it. The little brewing company (TLBC) are the brewers behind this beer, going to their website I can see a whole bunch of awards for all their beers (another good sign). On the pour I got a really big fluffy head and a sharp orange/copper colour, so far things are going well. The aroma isn't terribly complex but I can smell a herbal tone and nice malt sweetness. The taste is however fairly complex and the flavors play well together. Tangy apples, citrus fruits, sweetness from the pilsener malt and maybe a hint of toffee. The bitterness is really well balanced, there is no real aftertaste and there is good amount of carbonation so this beer goes over really well.

I am really impressed, this is tasty and is really drinkable. This is definitely up there and this will something nice for the warmer weather coming up. I would recommend putting aside the "Yuppy factor" (unless thats what your into) and give this a try, good job TLBC!

Brewery: The Little Brewing Company
ABV: 5.0%
RRP: $14.99 per 4 pack (AUD)

Red Emperor Amber Ale

I had never seen this beer until I stumbled across it in Dan Murphy's last week (Dan Murphy's FTW!) and the sexy mermaid on the bottle was enticing enough. On the Fish Rock brewery website I can see that this company only makes two beers, this amber ale and a pilsner type concoction. I also noted that their beers are made under the Reinheitsgebot law which I don't believe is very commonly practiced here in Australia. The beer has a nice mousse-like head with a clear ginger ale like colour. This is another beer that seemingly has no smell, but once it had been agitated a little I could start to detect a fresh floral aroma. I found this ale to be a slow sipping drop with tastes of fresh fruit (lime, passionfruit and perhaps watermelon) and meringue. Although not as prominent as some other ales I have tried there was a nice maltiness to the palate.

My one complaint about Red Emperor is that it is a bit anticlimactic, theres just some X factor missing I can't quite pin-point. Regardless this is a very nice well-rounded beer, the kind I would like to enjoy on tap while having a nice counter lunch.

Brewery: Fish Rock Brewery
ABV: 4.5%
RRP: TBA

Grand Ridge Natural Blond

Grand Ridge brewery has a great reputation and tagged onto to every bottle of theirs are an array of gold, silver and bronze metals from various local and international beer awards. Natural Blond isn't an exception with two metals present on its neck (barely visible in this picture unfortunately). This is the first time trying any of the Grand Ridge range and I was fairly optimistic that this would be a tasty little beer, unfortunately that just isn't the case. On the pour the beer seemed pretty stagnant and its colour is very pale and slightly cloudy reminiscent of Hoegaarden White. Come to think about it the taste is really trying to impersonate Hoegaarden White too, there is the coriander, orange peel with the sour after-taste. Grand Ridge does not however capture that finesse and complexity of Hoegaarden White, further more once you have finished one there is an awful taste left in your mouth like after a $1 beer night at a sleazy night club. Really, what were they thinking when they presented this beer awards?

Personally I was very disappointed, this is not a cheap beer either so I recommend simply not to bother. I might give some of the other Grand Ridge beers a go, hopefully it's not swill.

Brewery: Grand Ridge Brewery
ABV: 4.5%
RRP: $73.00 per case (AUD)

Barons Black Wattle Original Ale

Well, my first review. This is a beer that has a bit of hype surrounding it in the boutique beer community in Australia. I first saw this beer in an unenlightening piece I saw in the MX (a free publication given to Melbourne commuters). Anyhow I saw this beer today and I thought it would be as good as any other to do my first review on. The first thing you notice is the predominate sweet aroma hit your nose. The second thing you notice is its pleasing hearty amber colour. As you can see in the adjacent picture, the ale has a low carbonation which obviously plays to it being a thirst quencher... and it is.
The taste is very sweet, with a primarily cream/chocolate flavour. There is something else as well... what is it? That would be the roasted wattle seed. It might be a bit out there and extremely patriotic but it seems to work well. It is suggested on the bottle to be enjoyed with beef, lamb or game meats, but IMHO I think it should be consumed with dessert. Do people drink beer with dessert anyway?

Overall, a tasty little beer that’s a little different. Maybe a little too sweet for my tastes.

Brewery: Barons Brewing Co.
ABV: 5.8%
RRP: $17.99 per 6 pack (AUD)