#14 - Mac's Hop Rocker Pilsner - 5%ABV

Pours a bright, golden colour with a nice billowy head and big effervescence in the glass. It has a bold, crisp and clean aroma and a lively mouthfeel. There's an initial sweetness which fades to a tart, citrus bitterness. An average, refreshing pilsner.

All of Mac's beers tend to be fairly well-balanced, they're average, in a good 'please the mainstream' way. There's nothing within their entire range which really breaks any rules of leaves you thinking that it is a special beer.

For most Kiwi beer drinkers - "Mac's?" would be the reply if you said, "Name a craft beer." But it's brewed by beverage behemoth Lion Nathan.  They have their marketing department to thank for that.

Yes, NZ has a lot to learn about the awesome craft beers there are on offer - but you could do a lot worse than being seen drinking a Mac's Hop Rocker.

#13 Mac's Great White - 5%ABV

As you'll probably read more than once on my blog, I'm not a huge fan of wheat beers. That is, they are well down the list when I'm looking for something new to try. That said, Three Boys' Wheat is probably up there in my all time favourite beers. So all those that follow, have a lot to live up to.

Great White is always in the fridge at work - and it is restocked regularly. However, I can't say I've ever seen anyone drinking it at the agency bar. Perhaps it's more of a 'at-your-desk' kind of beer. Perhaps even a sneaky early morning ale, disguised in a stainless steel thermos mug. Either way - Great White is definitely a staple in the agency's fridge.

Like Great White's label reads, "...it pours a cloudy pale straw.." pretty standard for a wheat beer. It has a creamy head which clings nicely to the side of the glass. There's a touch of honey and a marmalade-on-bread kind of aroma. It has a medium body, and  a pleasant ginger and clove spiciness that lingers. It is a refreshing drop for a lazy summer's afternoon but it's just a bit ordinary. If I was going to choose a wheat beer - I would be reaching for my fave.

Two Go Beer Mad in Melbourne. Day Five.

The last day. And we’d barely got started tasting all that Australia’s craft brewers have to offer. I’d bought a few bottles to take home with me to sample at a later date and then Wend wondered out loud if they’d explode being chucked around in my check-in luggage. A quick call to Air New Zealand revealed that bottled beer wrapped in clothes in luggage is ‘not advisable’. Bollocks.

So, as we had to check out of the hotel at 11am, the first ale of the day was cracked at 8am. Woot!

 #36 - Murray’s Punch and Judy Ale (Bottle) - 3.9%ABV

A lovely, light ‘breakfast’ ale. Teehee. Murray’s P&J is a light copper-coloured bitter with a big sudsy head. It’s bubbly and lively and a wee bit soapy on the nose- like an early morning shower. On the palate it’s malty up front with some nice fresh toastiness. The sweetness then politely gives way to a pleasant, long lasting bitterness. This was a really nice beer to start the day. I’d highly recommend it with some Eggs Benedict or French Toast. If I ever manage to get my hands on another bottle, I’ll do exactly that.

#37 - Murray’s Dark Knight Porter Style (Bottle) - 4.5%ABV

After Murray’s exceptional breakfast I quickly moved on to something a little darker. Dark Knight is a ruby black ale with a thin head and a nose that smells like chocolate covered raisins. It has a lovely, thick body with delicious burnt caramel notes and nicely balanced bitterness to finish. I almost fully agree with the back label except for the head. Lovely beer.

#38 - White Rabbit White Ale (Bottle)  - 4.5%ABV

A hazy, pale-straw wheat ale with just a touch of honey and clove on the nose. It’s very easy on the palate with a crisp apple, clean finish and a little lingering yeast to finish. Very refreshing. Another good brekkie beer actually.

 

#39 - Red Duck Limited Edition Red Admiral Celtic Ale (Bottle) - 6.2%ABV

An unfiltered semi-hazy red brown with a thin head, some berry aroma on the nose. There’s a stack of things going on taste-wise; bitter plum, pepperiness, toasted malt, caramel a touch of alcohol warmth, spices. Complex. A nice winter warmer with a dry-ish finish.

#40 - Red duck porter (Bottle) - 6.4%ABV

Espresso-coloured porter. Chocolate and coffee aroma with lots of sweetness. Full bodied and rich with bitter coffee finish, much like a chilled espresso. Bitterness fades quickly. Lively on the tongue. Great beer. I wish I’d written more notes about it.

Slightly wobbly, we checked out of our hotel and headed back into the city for a couple of quickies before we had to fly out.

#41 - Young and Jackson Naked Ale (Draught) - 4.9%ABV

Brewed exclusively for Y&J by local craft brewery Matilda Bay. Y&J’s house beer is a German style unfiltered wheat beer. It has a toffee apple aroma, with a slight tartness, lots of spices; cloves and cinnamon and a little bit of banana. It’s tangy and refreshing with a tart apple-like finish.

Red Fred on the left.

#42 - Bridge Road Red Fred (Draught) - 5.3%ABV 

By all forecasts, this was going to be my last pint of craft beer in Melbourne, so I thought I’d go for a fruity number…and I was a little surprised. Before I post my notes, here’s what they say about their own beer on the CraftyPint.com.au website

“A heap of crushed raspberries were added…it’s like taking a whiff of a fresh punnet. The raspberries' effect on the palate is more subtle, definitely there but not in the manner of a Lindemans Framboise, for example, instead adding a slight tartness to a drink that’s nothing if not refreshing.”

Sounds lovely. However, what I experienced was this…

A reddish, muddy brown coloured ale with a slightly hazy appearance. Sour apple on the nose and some nuttiness, slightly raisiny too - almost pickle-like. There is some woodiness with a tart dry finish, fruit vinegar. Sour, like a Flanders Red but not quite getting there…

Disappointing. Following my strict rule of "no good beer should go unfinished" we left the pint ½ full and wandered out the door to Federation Square. Not satisfied by my final craft ale, we slipped back into Beer Deluxe for one final pint.

#43 - Mountain Goat Organic Steam Ale (Bottle) - 4.5%ABV

Crystal-clear straw-coloured pale ale from Richmond Vic, just round the corner from where I was drinking. I would have loved to make it to the brewery (among others) but I'll do that on my next visit. This steam ale has a lively, citrusy nose and bitter mandarin and lemon on the palate. There’s also some resiny hop bitterness in there too which doesn’t hang around for too long. Ends dry. A really nicely balanced session ale.

Two Go Beer Mad in Melbourne. Day Four

Well day four in Melbourne was a little more subdued than the rampant sample-fest at The Local Taphouse. The first two beers of the day were downed at a fantastic pizza restaurant in the Italian precinct. I didn’t review them because they were imported.

Birra Moretti - an Italian pale lager that really seems to polarise people. And Birra Messina - ditto - as above but this has a slightly maltier offering so I preferred this of the two.

Anyway the ‘real’ beers of the day started at Cookie on Swanston Street Central Melbourne. After being forgotten by the waiter twice (I’m not that difficult to miss) we finally managed to get a beer or two to try (and some great-tasting tapas).

#28 - 3 Ravens Bronze Ale (Bottle) - 4.6%ABV

This red brown English ale pours from the bottle with energetic champagne-like fizz -

a bit too much life for an English ale methinks. It’s lightly biscuity, with some big, brown malt flavours and some lingering bitterness but not enough to make me go back for seconds. However it was a scorcher out there, and although I had time to study this beer and get my notes down - I drank it too quickly to get a good photo. Reasonably thirst quenching though.

#29 - Bridge Road Chestnut Pilsner (Bottle) - 5%ABV

An Australian-styled pilsner that has locally-grown chestnuts added during the boil. Slightly hazy pale straw. Cidery aroma - almost wheat-like. The nuttiness is quite subdued on the palate but it does give this beer a satisfying roundness and body. It’s a crisp, gingery and slightly yeasty refresher on a scorching Melbourne day.

#30 - Boat Rocker Alpha Queen (Bottle) - 5%ABV

Judging this book by its cover, I was expecting this ‘heavily-hopped’ ale to be so lavishly hopped it’d deliver almost hallucinogenic bitterness and ‘smack-in-the-face’ woody, citric aromas. And despite the label informing me that it clocked in at 42IBUs, I braced myself for the pour. As soon as I did however, I have to say, I felt a little disappointed and/or relieved.

This bright copper pale ale pours with a medium amount of carbonation and a cream coloured head. Aroma-wise it isn't as hoppy as it suggests; there's some delicate sweet lemon and mandarin on the nose and a hint of grassiness. But there’s more to it, it does have a little-malt sweetness and a pleasant body - sure there’s citrusy flavours and some woodiness. But it's nowhere near as brash as I was expecting. It’s an OK beer but it just falls a little short on expectation. Maybe Alpha Queen needs to be described as ‘generously hopped’, ‘cheerfully hopped’ or ‘gaily hopped’ - that’d match its name more fittingly.

 #31 - Coopers 62 Pilsner (bottle)- 5%ABV

Coopers is a fifth generation family business that’s so big it can’t really be classed as a micro. However, their beers (well their ales really) are good solid beers. My personal favourite is their Best Extra Stout.

Named after the year that its brewery was formed, 1862, Coopers 62 Pilsner is a pale straw lager with a thin head and a crisp apple-like nose and subtle lager yeastiness. It has an initial effervescent bite followed by pale malt sweetness, which lingers for a while and finishes dry and bitter.

#32 - Matilda Bay Bohemian Pilsner (Bottle) - 4.7%ABV

A straw coloured pilsner from Dandenong in Victoria with a fresh, slightly malty nose. It starts sweet and crisply ends with a little bite of hop bitterness. Like so many lagers, it’s refreshing but just lacks that little something to make it stand out from the very crowded lager category.

#33 - Holgate Brewhouse Pilsner (Bottle) - 4.5%ABV

OK the third lager in a row and I was hoping for something spectacular to save the name of bottom fermented beers. Holgate Pilsner pours a clear, pale straw with a straw-like aroma to match and a little grassiness too. There’s a crisp pilsner malt flavour (surprise surprise) on the tongue, a little orange and some grassiness to finish. Of the three in the row, this is definitely the most complex. But the competition was not that great. It’s a better than your average Australian Pilsner…but Holgate has so many other finer offerings.

#34 - Kooinda Pale Ale (Bottle) - 4.7%ABV

Pours a dark straw - pale copper. It’s bottle conditioned so there's a little yeast haze from the pour. Passionfruit and sweet ginger beer on the nose. Slight carbonation that is pleasant more like a traditional IPA than a New World PA. Some caramel malt coming through and the nice slow transition through to a subtle long-lasting bitterness. A well-balanced beer.

#35 Pepperjack Ale (Bottle) - 4.7%ABV

 I enjoyed this beer at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze. Brewed by Saltram Wine Estate in The Barossa Valley, South Australia, Pepperjack is a reddish/copper coloured ale with a fruity, malty nose and refreshing carbonation. The up-front malt and sweet fruit flavours are nicely balanced with some peppery & grassy hop bitterness. After reading that they make this beer using their own Barossa Valley Shiraz I immediately understood the presence of the pepperiness. It’s a fairly good beer - a little schizophrenic in style but it was a nice accompaniment to the assault of incredible flavours I experienced that evening.

So pick of the day…hmmm a tie between the Kooinda Pale and the Alpha Queen.

Two Go Beer Mad in Melbourne. Day Three.

Monday, and an early Valentine’s morning stroll through St Kilda and Chapel Street worked up our thirst sufficiently enough that we were ready to tackle The Local Taphouse: the big kahuna of Melbourne’s (if not Australia’s) craft beer pubs. What we didn’t know, is that we had stumbled on something quite spectacular - actually SpecTAPular. The two days before, The Local had been host to The Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular - where Aussie craft brewers were invited to create a brew style they had never done before. And once these had run out (which one lager had) that was it.

It is an understatement to say we were lucky enough to be treated to some of the most original beers I have ever experienced in my life.

#13 - Mountain Goat Cucumber Sandwich (Draught) - 4.7%ABV

 Hazy, pale straw summer ale. Sweet citrus aromas with just of touch of cucumber on the nose. A creamy bright white head and this carries through to the body, which has a beautifully creamy mouth feel. The cucumber isn't really there but wow, this beer really does refresh like a cucumber sandwich. There’s just a little bitterness to end with a touch of yeast aroma. Hoppy on the burp. This is an easy drinking, complex, interesting ale that had me instantly wanting more. Wow.

 

#14 - Doctor’s Orders Zephyr (Draught) - 5.6%ABV 

Hazy, very pale straw. Complex yeastiness on the nose and on the palate, really big in body. At first I thought this was a Hefeweizen but the tasting note informed me that it is a Double White Ale (my first) from New South Wales. There’s some banana tones on the nose and has a lemony, sweet finish. A lively, refreshing beer.

Left to right in this photo...

#15 - 4 Pines Wee Heavy (Draught) - 7.8%ABV

 This dark reddish brown Wee Heavy has a soft brown head and has raisin tones on the nose. My first mouthful revealed a little nuttiness, maybe hazelnut, and sweet plum notes. There’s a touch of roastiness there too. A crisp clean finish.

#16 - Jamieson’s Lemon Myrtle IPA (Draught) - 7%ABV

Kaboom! Stacks of sweet lemon, mandarin and passionfruit on the nose. Bright copper in colour. A really exciting beer. Sweet lemon to begin then a big bitter hit (not overpowering) - the lemon continues to dominate but is nicely balanced with the bitterness. It lingers for a really long time and fades to a pepperiness on the front of the tongue. An IPA with amazing character that doesn’t depend on big in-your-face hoppiness.

#17 - Feral Brewing Karma Citra (Draught) - 5.9%ABV

Black IPA from Western Australia. Dark black/brown with a creamy head. Nose is dark chocolate and coffee-like with plenty of grapefruit notes. The dark chocolate sweetness is absolutely mind blowing. Silky smooth with lots of roastiness. Another incredible beer.

#18 - Bridge Road Big Red Rocket (Draught) - 7%ABV

 Jamieson Brewing in Victoria brew this India Pale Ale with a hazy red hue and an incredibly fruity nose. I got woody, grapey and raisiny tones - like an old wine cellar. Very welcoming. It’s sweet on the palate with a bit of alcohol warmth, slightly acidic and wine like. Went really well with the garlicky hummus.

#19 - Murray’s Imperious (Draught) - 11%ABV

A crystal-clear bright copper Imperial Belgian Blonde. Big grapey nose and a touch of dark honey - smells like a dessert wine. It’s just as sweet on the palate with a lingering alcohol warmth. Tasting notes suggest apricot and mandarin - I got some feijoa. Belgian in complexity. Smooth warming body. A big beer.

#20 - Stone and Wood Red Relief (Draught) - 4.7%ABV

New South Wales Brewery Stone and Wood brewed this Red Ale to aid the people of Queensland affected by the floods. They donated $500 for every keg sold - so we made sure we gave the keg a good nudge (Wendy especially - she loved this drop). Red Relief is a bright, clear amber. It has a big honey nose and pleasant English hop flavour. There’s a subtle bitterness to finish and overall it’s a very refreshing ale.

#21 - Hargreaves Hill/Red Hill Brewery 2 Hills Maibock (Draught) - 6.8% ABV

 A collaborative brew and one of only two lagers presented for the SpecTAPular. This German-style Bock has a subtle honey nose and a touch of crisp apple. There’s a nice malt sweetness and it finishes cleanly.

From right to left in this photo...

#22 - True South Cherry Bomb (Draught) - 5%ABV

Opaque black with a soft creamy head. Dark chocolate and cherry on the nose. Cherry and coconut on the palate. As the tasting notes suggest, this is just like a Cherry Ripe in a glass. This porter leaves a nice roasty bitterness, from both the dark malt and the coconut, to finish.

#23 - Lobethal/Brewboys Quince Ale (Draught)- 5.6%ABV

A collaborative fruit-infused pale ale. I’ve never actually tasted quince before but was really impressed by the complexity of this beer. This ale pours a hazy dark straw with a billowy head. It is woody and sweet on the nose with some raisin like aromas (quince?). There’s a lovely caramel sweetness up front along with an almost marmalade-like tang (quince again?). A full flavoured malty and fruity drop.

#24 - Hunter Chocolate Chili Porter (Draught) - 5.8%ABV

A deep black porter with an espresso like head and aroma. Loads of bittersweet chocolate flavours then the chili kicks in - both on the front of the tongue and in the back of the throat. Despite the incredibly layered flavours, it’s still very light in body making it very easy to drink. The chili lingers for a long time, there’s some hop bitterness hidden in there too but the chili dominates. The perfect follow up to this would be the thirst-quenching Cucumber Sandwich.

#25 - Fanny Gertrude’s ANZAC Bickie (Draught)- 5%ABV

My notes for this went as follows; crystal clear copper, smells incredibly alcoholic for its ABV…then realised that I had been given another Murray’s Imperious 11%ABV.

So after rectifying the situation I began to enjoy one of the most pleasantly unusual experiences of my beer tasting pursuit to date.

Brewed by Burleigh Brewing Co. in Queensland, this Brown Ale pours a rich copper brown with a thin head. The nose is unbelievably biscuity, to the point where it actually smells like biscuits baking in the oven. ANZAC bickie has a marvelous vanilla flavour with golden syrup, condensed milk and caramel notes - almost Russian Fudge like. The sweetness lasts for just a while fading away cleanly with almost no bitterness. Delicious.

#26 - 2 Brothers “The Guv’nor” English Barleywine (Draught)- 11.5%ABV

The big hitter of the SpecTAPular, this Victorian barleywine pours a clear, dark copper. It has a sharp sherry like aroma and malty sweetness on the palate. This is followed up with subdued alcohol warmth that lingers nicely. A pleasant finish to a great tasting experience.

So thank you St Kilda’s Local Taphouse for an incredible afternoon of hospitality, information and flavours. Cheers.

But wait, the day wasn’t over. We managed to catch the right tram back to Federation Square, where we popped back into Beer Deluxe for another ale before taking a break back at the hotel.

#27 - Mountain Goat IPA (Draught) - 5.9%ABV.

Pours a light copper with quickly dissipating head. Nice caramel malt aroma and a little citrus and passion fruit. Pleasant bite of effervescence on the tongue combined with a well-hopped bitterness and dry finish. Very crisp and refreshing.

Two Go Beer Mad in Melbourne. Day Two.

Day two and we went for a wander up to Little Creatures Dining Hall in Fitzroy. It’s a cool comfy place with couches for those who want to laze, and booths for those who don’t want to fall asleep. We opted for the retro styled comfy couches, in front of a coffee table, some hot chips and a few pints of great draught beer.

#8 - Little Creatures Pale Ale (Draught) - 5.2%ABV

Although it's easily available here in Auckland, I thought I better begin with LC’s mainstay while I was lounging around in LC’s dining hall. Little Creatures Pale Ale is a medium straw with lots of activity in the glass once poured. It has a sweet mandarin aroma but for some reason it has always reminded me a little of Sunlight soap bars - in a warming, nostalgic way -  not in flavour. Really lively bite with every mouthful, the pale malt flavours are balanced with some hop complexity - bitterness, flavour and aroma. A nice drop.

#9 - Little Creatures Pilsner (Draught) - 4.6%ABV

Pours bright gold with lots of straw-like aroma, a little yeast and nice pale malt. Crisp on the palette very refreshing. There’s a subdued cidery flavour that comes with a little lasting bitterness

(I know the glass says Pale Ale but it's the Pilsner)

#10 - Rogers Amber Ale (Draught) - 3.8%ABV

A light amber colour with a soft, bright white creamy head. Passion fruit on the nose, almost some berry-like fruitiness, medium body, lots of hop flavor and a little subdued malt sweetness.

#11 - Little Creatures Bright Ale (Draught) - 4.5%ABV

True to its name, LC’s Bright Ale is bright golden in hue; slightly lighter than their pale ale. There's more passion fruit on the palate and less hop bite than LCPA. It's a refreshingly light drop that delivers plenty of summery flavours. Kind of like sticking your nose into a can of fruit salad. A bit of bitterness at the end but that is quickly replaced with the next mouthful of sweet, crisp, clean ale. Yum.

#12- Little Creatures Single Batch EKG (Draught) - ?.?%ABV

I didn’t catch the ABV of LC’s Single Batch East Kent Goldings. This English style bitter is a dark straw with a thin white head. Some hop aroma, malt sweetness, subtle clove and grassiness on the nose. EKG has a big bite of English hopped carbonation with each mouthful. There’s a lingering bitterness might be a touch of cloves grassiness. A bit livelier than a classic ESB but tasty all the same.

Two Go Beer Mad In Melbourne. Day One

This is by no means a travel diary, it’s simply my tasting notes on the incredible range of beers that are on offer around Melbourne. With just five days up my sleeve, and the fact that I was there for my 9^th wedding anniversary, I didn’t have time for brewery tours where I could pick the brains of the local brewing nobility.

So thanks to suggestions from the lads on realbeer.co.nz and a friend of mine who writes for Lonely Planet, my lovely wife and I headed for the places where I could make the most of Australia’s capital of craft beer.

First stop - Beer Deluxe Federation Square.

#1 - True South Dark Ale (Draught) - 5% ABV

Pours a dark, deep brown. Creamy soft brown head. Bitter in the nose relatively thin in body but it delivers a refreshing burnt coffee hit. The bitterness lingers nicely on the tongue.

A really nice drop for the first sample.

#2 - Bridge Road Beechworth Pale Ale (Draught)  - 4.8% ABV

A hazy, dark straw. The slowly rising bubbles suggested it would have a fairly good body and it did. Massive passionfruit and sweet orange hop aroma. Lots of fresh smelling hoppiness there too, as if fresh hops were floating in the glass. Very excited by this. Hops and more hops. But it’s not too big on the bitterness. After the sweetness faded, the bitterness lingered for a while. 

A delicious beer.

#3 - Holgate Brewhouse - Temptress Chocolate Porter (Bottle) - 6%ABV

 Opaque black, thin white head. Delicious coffee, vanilla and caramel aroma. Label says it has been infused with Dutch cocoa and whole vanilla beans. It smells like a dark chocolate steam pudding. Very chocolaty on the palate. Sweet in front and bitter at the back of the throat. Sweetness lingers as does a hint of roasted coffee beans.

#4 Stone and Wood Pale Lager (Draught) -

Pale straw with plenty of carbonation and a thin head. Crisp clean aroma, a touch of lager yeast. Subtle balanced malt flavour and a crisp bitterness to finish. Nothing lingering - nothing spectacular.

So that was the first taste. 

After a bit of a freshen up we wandered off to Mrs. Parma’s for a few more and a couple of her legendary parmas.

  #5 White Fox Arctic Lager (Draught) -

A deep golden lager with a lovely malt aroma despite being served very cold. A nice bite of bitterness and carbonation on the tongue. There’s a little fruitiness there but it fades quickly and the crisp bitterness remains. It helped ease the intesnsity of the tomato on the parmas well.

#6 - Hellfire Amber Ale (Draught) - 5.5%ABV.

Pours a hazy, pale amber. Had a blocked nose so couldn’t enjoy the passionfruit hop flavours described in the menu. When my nose did clear I could taste a touch of honey and a peppery finish.

#7 White Rabbit Dark Ale (Bottle) - 4.9%ABV

A dark amber ale with a soft carbonation. A smooth, round malt nose slightly sweet with a little burnt caramel. Nicely rounded flavour too. A touch of sweetness with a little subdued dark malt and just a little hop bitterness to finish. 

#12 - Yeastie Boys PKB Remix 2010 - 6.8% ABV

'PKB' stands for Pot Kettle Black which is Wellington's Yeastie Boy's all year round Black IPA. This 'remix' has lashings of US Cascade instead of the usual NZ variety.

PKBR'10 pours a jet black with a sunset-like glow of dark ruby around the edge of the glass. The head is light and billowy and contrasts nicely to the darkness of the beer.

There is a mass of citrus and chocolate on the nose, jaffa-like.

On tasting, I would never imagine this was a black beer. It's like drinking a big creamy hop-fueled pale ale in the middle of a moonless night. The US Cascade burst forth with every mouthful delivering sweet citrus aromas without the in-your-face bitterness that other big IPAs deliver. These aromas then give way for the real flavours- a mellow roastiness and a whisper of malt sweetness.

An amazing beer. One that blurs the boundaries between porters/stouts and pale ales.

The second glass, I managed to resist for a few more minutes and let it warm slightly. With the increase in temperature PKBR'10 lost its balance a little and the hops became far more dominant. So one to serve from the fridge.

Magical.

#11 - Harrington's Wobbly Boot Porter Ale - 5% ABV

I poured this lovely deep black red porter on a cloudy day in the Coromandel when the humidity was around 90%. Moisture clung to the glass immediately.

Wobbly Boot has a lovely, huge roasty bitter coffee nose to it. So big that everyone sitting at the table commented on how good it smelled. Body-wise, it's incredibly smooth with a delciously chocolaty texture and creaminess.

There's an initial dash of sweetness up front which makes way for a moreish bitterness at the end. It's a touch medicinal, but not unpleasantly so - it manages to sit with the bitterness really nicely.

Toasty. Roasty. Unbelievably moreish.

#10 Harrington's East Indies Lager - 5% ABV

Pours a medium straw with a thin head. There is a negligible amount of effervescence in the glass.

The nose is slightly walnutty and oaty - interesting in a lager. There's not a lot of life on the tongue which is a refreshing change to some of the over-carbonated lagers I've had recently.

The lack of fizz allows a pleasantly pale maltiness with a touch of citrus, ginger and lingering light hop bitterness to come through.

A nicely layered, well balanced, flavourful lager that seems to break the stereotype.

The ginger pops its head up again on the burp too.

#9 - Mac's Sassy Red - 4.5% ABV

Sassy Red is a medium amber with plenty of effervescence. It has a billowy head on the initial pour but it quickly dissipates. Sassy has a big aromatic nose - a bold malty sweetness and a woody pine hop aroma which dominates.

The first mouthful delivers a lively bite across the tongue. The bite then gives way to a smooth maltiness with a lovely body which is the product of five different grains. There's a hint of roastiness in there too, from a darker grain addition - which gives it the amber hue as well.

There isn't a huge amount of hop bitterness - it's just there in the nose. And for me, that really is the best part of Mac's Sassy Red. A big nose and smooth malty body. A good stock standard session beer. My big brother's favourite quaffer.

#8 - Harrington's Kiwi Draught - 4% ABV

The name suggests something nasty. Tasteless. Musty. Something insipid and tepid on the palate.

But how can it be? It's from Harrington's in Christchurch - home to some of my favourite Kiwi brews, so it must be so good it has the gumption to name itself after those run of the mill beers the big breweries have been convincing us to drink for decades and show 'em how it's done.

The pour reveals a medium/pale amber with a nice carbonation and thin head. It's nose is vaguely malty with a touch of....oh no! cardboard.

There's a crisp light body and a little maltiness on the palate with a hint of burnt caramel but other than that, it is devoid of any of the interesting characteristics and twists I've come to love from Harrington's. Although the label describes it as "barley from their paddocks, hops from just up the road and good old alpine water" it's proof that just because your neighbour supplies the ingredients, doesn't mean it'll result in a good beer. I expected more.

But it is named suitably.

#7 Speight's Gold Medal Ale - 5%ABV

As an avid home brewer, the Pride of the South has always been my beer of choice for collecting the 750mL bottles.

Speight's Gold pours a lovely amber with plenty of life and a thin head. It has a soft malt sweetness to the nose with just a touch of hop aroma. There's a little bit of the cardboardy mustiness that all the mainstream 'crate' beers seem to possess but it is far more subdued than its competitors.

It has a light to medium body and is sweet and refreshing on the tongue with a little bitterness to finish.

Actually I'm being too kind.

TPOTS lacks everything an ale should - complexity in flavour and aroma, with a little fruit of some degree or variety. It's just cold, gold and beery - like all the other insipid lagers that a churned out by the hectolitre. And it makes me burp more than any other beer I've ever had the pleasure of sampling.

But I get to keep the bottles. Maybe I should just buy them empty from now on.

#6 Harrington's Brewery - Finest Lager - 5% ABV

Brewed in Christchurch, South Island NZ. Harrington's Brewery was established in 1991 and has grown to be one of NZ's most-awarded micros with over 20 brews in their range.

Finest Gold pours an energetically bubbly pale straw with a lovely billowy head that stayed to the end. It's crisp and clean on the nose, with a little yeasty bite.

It's lively, light and clean on the palate with a nice hop bitterness at the end. A refreshingly good lager. 6/10.

#5 - McCashin's Brewery - Stoke Dark. 4.5% ABV

From Nelson, South Island - the heart of craft brewing in NZ. Stoke Dark pours a deep red/black with a soft espresso like head and plenty of effervescence in the glass. The nose is sweet and caramelly with a hint of bitter coffee bean.

It's velvety and roasty with a lovely bitterness at the end. The body is nicely contrasted with the bite of the effervescence.

And to finish off there's just a touch of raisiny sweetness.

Probably best to let it sit in the glass for 1/2 an hour to let the bubbles mellow and the flavours develop even more. Just take it out of the fridge for a while before serving. A nice easy-drinking dark beer. It'd be easy to put a few of these away on a crisp autumn evening. Almost as good as their Amber. 6/10