Monteiths Doppelbock Winter Ale

Well, after realising I had nothing else to do after my last post I thought I would pluck another beer from my fridge and do another review. Of course first I had to get the god awful taste of the other one out of my mouth, which by the way looked as appealing coming out as it did going in. Anyhow back to the beer at hand. This is a New Zealand beer I discovered a couple of months ago, its a seasonal release Doppelbock and although winter has come and gone I still see this one about on my travels. Pouring it out it looks darker than midnight but on closer inspection the colour is a very dark red/caramel. I was having trouble identifying any aroma but there is a slight sweetness that can be noticed. When taking a taste there is a fair bit of character going on which is something I'm always hoping for. While savouring I can detect the taste of spices, honey, cream, liquorice and quite a malty base to it. There is a bit of bitterness that lingers after a sip. Being a Doppelbock (noted as a "liquid bread" back in its Bavarian heritage) I was expecting this to be a filling beer, and while is that and reasonably viscus unfortunately it's not as much as a meal in a glass as a pint of Guinness would be.

This is a good beer and I really enjoyed this during the winter months and its best enjoyed that way, which is obviously why this is a seasonal release. This would not be everybody's cup of tea, but give it a try.

Brewery: Monteiths Brewing Company
ABV: 6.0%
RRP: $17.99 per 6 pack (AUD)

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)