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.