La catapult - Switzerland 25-3-11

The Low Down:
A colleague of mine recently returned from Switzerland with this microbrewed gem from Geneva. A bottle fermented dark ale, and by dark, I mean almost black. The bottle fermentation leads to a bit of sediment and a yeasty flavour. Thus this is the first beer that I moved to the glass after a few tastes.

The bottle it came in is amazing. Black with a relief image, entirely in french, an amazing example for a very very small brewery who can market their product better than multinational competition.

There's a light fruitiness to the ale, but the flavour is primarily malt with very little carbonation. It's also brewed in a barn, less than 400 meters sq.

Packaging: 10/10
The best designed bottle in my collection so far.
Refreshment: 7/10
Not much carbonation, but as a dark ale it does have the comfort factor.
Flavour 6/10:
If not for the yeast flavour this would be an amazing dark ale. As it is, I don't think I would take away that yeast kick, and also have the beer suffer in other areas for it.
Alcohol Content: 6/10
6.0%. Not strong for a dark ale, but enough that it isn't a light beer.
Price: 10/10
A colleague of mine was given this bottle, which means free is all I know about it.
Total: 39/50

Conclusion:
It's a lighter version of a Belgian dark ale, craft brewed in Switzerland, by 2 guys in what is essentially a shed. By that alone I feel kind of lucky to have tried it. Fact is it's actually pretty good too. I drank it with a bacon cheese and veal tortellini. I'd recommend it.
Cheers.

Dreher Classic Pilsner - Hungary 23-3-11

The Low Down:
Picture the scene, the whole family is getting together at the local schnitzel house for my dad's 60th birthday dinner. The menu has Hungarian beer.

This is a pilsner that is far less hoppy than one would expect. The day was quite warm, and this was the perfect accompaniment to my Jager style schnitzel drenched in mushroom and wine sauce.

The Bottle was classy (and huge) and they even delivered it with the cap on so i could take my photo's. Bravo Essen restaurant.

I would drink this any day of the week. it is the most refreshing Pilsner i have ever had the pleasure of tasting.

Packaging: 8/10
Classy and elegant. It has a theme that it sticks to. Green on green with accents really works from a design standpoint
Refreshment: 10/10
Less hoppy than the average pilsner and carbonated enough to go down a treat.
Flavour 9/10:
had no idea what to expect, but This had floral notes and tasted mildly of hops without being bitter. Fantastic!
Alcohol Content: 7/10
5.2%. on the high side of the pilsner range, but you cannot tell.
Price: 9/10
$10.00. It seems like a lot, but this was in an already expensive restaurant. I have it on good authority it can be had for half this price at bottle shops.
Total: 42/50

The Conclusion:This is schnitzel beer. I probably should have opted for the Hungarian style sauce, which would have probably pushed this beer up a point on its flavour to the maximum. Objectively though, it is still the best pilsner i have ever tasted.
Cheers.

Cintra Cerveja Pilsen - Portugal 22-3-11

The Low Down:
Taken off guard by the hops after so many lagers recently, my head almost exploded. This beer is bitter like a wife that didn't get custody or alimony in the divorce.

It has a weirdly traditional look about it, The bottle is weirdly shaped and confusing in use of colour. I do like that the wort gravity was included on the bottle, even though if you have % alcohol you can generally tell.

The hoppiness is akin to Urkell, the father of Pilsner style beer, but to a lesser extreme, making this beer far more delicious. There are a few fruity notes on the finish, and they compliment the extremely bitter tang well.

Packaging: 4/10
What's going on here? Typical beer label, but the colours are confusing. There's also a trick to holding the bottle
Refreshment: 9/10
It is very carbonated, and due to combination of Fruity finish after hoppy bitterness, it is an amazingly refreshing beer.
Flavour 10/10:
Went in expecting generic pilsner, was hugely surprised.
Alcohol Content: 5/10
4.8%. An average for alcohol content among pilsners.
Price: 10/10
$2.25. Bought this as a six pack, and the value for money is fantastic.
Total: 38/50

Conclusion:
A beer that is a better example of the genre than the one on which it is based. Drink this any time you think you should drink a different pilsner.
Cheers.

Lasko Eliksir - Slovenia 22-3-11

The Low Down:
It seems that beer from new nations that aren't that new has been a theme for me in my recent selection, and this Slavic beer has been brewed for 185 years in a country that has existed for 18. It's rich and tastes like caramel, and since it is 16% roasted malt extract I'm not surprised.

Add to that 7.6% alcohol you are left with 76.4% for the water, and sadly that's how it tastes. Like caramel, malt and water.

The bottle is impressive and the fact that it says Sir on it makes me feel like the beer respects me. It's also in the Slavic national colours, with a Alpine Ibex head as a crest. Due to this, I assume there are mountains in Slovenia.





 

Packaging: 9/10
Classy and modern, while still seeming Eastern European. There is no English, so I cant tell a thing, and I like that.
Refreshment: 4/10
It isn't very carbonated, and it has a strong alcohol flavour which means it has to be drunk too slowly.
Flavour 5/10:
The nose is promising, the beer however is a one trick pony. Hope you like malt!
Alcohol Content: 9/10
7.6% and you can tell.
Price: 8/10
$5.50. This seems completely reasonable considering the entire malt production of Slovenia is in every bottle.
Total: 35/50

Conclusion:
I drank this on the lounge when I was feeling quite tired, and promptly collapsed into torpor. Do not drink this as your 2 standard drinks before driving anywhere, you will kill someone. Instead enjoy it when relaxing after a long day. The gentle buzz is quite relaxing.
Cheers.

Karlovacko Pivo - Croatia 22-3-11

The Low Down:
For 150 years this beer has been the staple industry in the city of Karlovac in Croatia. Now firearms manufacture is, but the beer is still brewed, and it is still quite nice.

Somehow this fells like it should be called a pilsner, and it does have the signature hoppiness, but it is outdone by the fruitiness and mellow malt tones that surround it, so I guess it is a pale lager after all.

The bitterness is evident in the finish, and the flavours are maybe verging on a little too subtle. That aside it is quite nice to drink.

Allegedly the brewery is carbonating the rivers around its main factory, so that should be some bonus points.

Packaging: 4/10
The Eastern European usual. Still not exactly sure what they are trying to achieve. I guess they are angling on traditional.
Refreshment: 7/10
Goes down a treat, as it's quite highly carbonated. Allegedly like the river's near the factory.
Flavour 6/10:
Lots of flavours mixed in. Sadly, people tell me that the move to the green bottle is responsible for the added subtlety, and that it was much better in the brown.
Alcohol Content: 7/10
5.2%.This is exactly what I would expect from this beer. not enough alcohol that I can taste it, but not so little that I don't know that it's from Eastern Europe.
Price: 5/10
$4.50. More than its competitors, and I don't think it is quite premium enough to demand the extra price.
Total: 29/50

Conclusion:
Starts out promising, and doesn't end disappointing, but just short of the mark. John Malkovich's Grandparent's are from Karlovac county, so drink this while on a film night, with beer nuts, pretzels, little bits of cabanossi and cheddar, and dips.
Cheers.

Windhoek lager - Namibia 22-3-11

The Low Down:
Held under the yoke of Germany for 50 years, and then 70 more spent under South African rule, Namibia while oppressed, certainly had great influences in the beer making fields. The nation is but 20 years old, and their beer is delicious.

I imagine Namibian climate to be quite akin to Australia, if not hotter, and this beer, one of their most basic brews, stands head and shoulders above anything we claim as an Australia's favorite. (Fosters, VB, Tooheys, Carlton)

The German influence is blatantly obvious, producing a clean and crisp low alcohol lager, a little bitter on the finish, with some malty notes hidden under a layer of refreshment.

Packaging: 7/10
There is nothing special about it. It is unassuming and lets the beer speak for itself. Understatement is actually good in this case.
Refreshment: 10/10
Really really really refreshing. I'm looking forward to African beers because of Windhoek.
Flavour 8/10:
Remember, this is their Miller, or VB or Heineken, and it has more flavour than all of them.
Alcohol Content: 5/10
4.0% OK, it's definitely on the low end. but you could happily drink dozens of them
Price: 10/10
$3.50. this is about what you pay for a Heineken. There really is no comparison.
Total: 40/50

Conclusion:
Hopefully a good example of things to come from the remaining 53 countries of the African continent. This is a delicious crisp clean lager for anytime drinking. Perfect for the Australian climate, this makes an excellent barbecued seafood beer.
Cheers.

St Ambroise Citrouille (The great pumpkin ale) - Canada 22-3-11

The Low Down:
When I was a kid, celebrating Halloween was nothing more than watching a scary movie sometime during October. In Northern America, Halloween is heavily celebrated, and this Autumn (or Fall) beer is a good example of how it invades everything they do.

The bottle is smaller than I expected, after all, pumpkins are huge. But it is an excellent label and everything is in both French and English, so I get to read the blurb about how this beer will "bewitch" me.

The Flavours are all over the shop, kind of like some ginger ale, some pumpkin pie, and a shot of everclear got put in a blender with some hops and some caramel. The result is quite drinkable. A tinge of alcohol flavour matches the theme.

Packaging: 9/10
As you know already orange is my favorite colour and this bilingual bottle is well designed.
Refreshment: 9/10
The complexity of the flavour barely interrupts the need to pour this into your face like it's oxygen.
Flavour 9/10:
Pumpkin, ginger, garden, sugary malt, hols, other parts of the garden, with just a tinge of alcohol.
Alcohol Content: 7/10
5.0% could be a little stronger, but it's actually nice to see a specialty ale that didn't focus on writing you off.
Price: 8/10
$7.90. While steep for the 341ml of 5% beer, this is only brewed once a year, in October, in Canada.
Total: 42/50

Conclusion:
If I was in the States or Canada right now, I'd say to drink this in October, when it's fresh for Halloween. Since I'm not and I'm in Australia, our autumn is now, and this is an excellent after dinner beer. Drink it with some Gramma pie (that's a type of pumpkin for the purists) or any baked good desert.
Cheers.