Beer News - Brief Observations from the Melbourne Fed Square Micro Tasting
Melbourne's Federation Square runs monthly food and wine 'showcase' events for small regional wineries and micro brewers. This month's event focussed on Victorian micros and ran for 2 sessions. I hadn't been to any of the previous beer events but I was very impressed with the enthusiastic turnout, particular from young folk you wouldn't typically pick as non-mainstream beer drinkers. $20 entry fee buys you a tasting glass and 20 tasting tokens.
Some quick vibes / observations below....................
Beer(s) of the Day
No contest in my opinion - the 3 IPA / Double IPA offerings from Bridge Road, Mountain Goat and Jamieson. All three were very full flavoured, highly hopped resiny styles with plenty of malt to fill the palate out as well. Not unlike the style the US craft scene, particularly the Pacific North West, has made so famous and popular. Great to see that MG clearly has the ability to brew an adventurous top-class beer.
Underperfomers
Both Emerald Hill beers showed poorly - plenty of tangy vinegar-like notes in both beers and a metallic hint in the Wheat. Recent samples at both the brewery and via the bottle have showed quite well so today's tasting was a bit of a mystery. The other beer to not look as good as recent tastes was Red Duck's Burton Ale. Some confusing vegie notes on the nose (thanks Lach - you were right) was at complete odds with the excellent mineral and chalk I had previously seen.
Buckleys
I keep trying these beers and I continue to walk away completely unimpressed. They are particularly un-varietal and often are dominated by a 'house' character that is not pleasant. Today - a sharp sour citrus note that may have vaguely worked on the Pilsner but was completely out of place on the ale.
Bright Brewery
2 new beers are about to hit retail shelves - a porter and a dubbel. Both are well made and very generous in flavour. The ain't too many Aussie dubbels around but this one looks very good.
Temple
A couple of newbies - Special Bitter and a Saison. Only tried the bitter but hard to assess properly given it was ice cold. We will stock both shortly.
3 Ravens
Always solid and the White was very good; spicy, sweet malts with plenty of cinnamon and ginger. We will stock shortly.
Some quick vibes / observations below....................
Beer(s) of the Day
No contest in my opinion - the 3 IPA / Double IPA offerings from Bridge Road, Mountain Goat and Jamieson. All three were very full flavoured, highly hopped resiny styles with plenty of malt to fill the palate out as well. Not unlike the style the US craft scene, particularly the Pacific North West, has made so famous and popular. Great to see that MG clearly has the ability to brew an adventurous top-class beer.
Underperfomers
Both Emerald Hill beers showed poorly - plenty of tangy vinegar-like notes in both beers and a metallic hint in the Wheat. Recent samples at both the brewery and via the bottle have showed quite well so today's tasting was a bit of a mystery. The other beer to not look as good as recent tastes was Red Duck's Burton Ale. Some confusing vegie notes on the nose (thanks Lach - you were right) was at complete odds with the excellent mineral and chalk I had previously seen.
Buckleys
I keep trying these beers and I continue to walk away completely unimpressed. They are particularly un-varietal and often are dominated by a 'house' character that is not pleasant. Today - a sharp sour citrus note that may have vaguely worked on the Pilsner but was completely out of place on the ale.
Bright Brewery
2 new beers are about to hit retail shelves - a porter and a dubbel. Both are well made and very generous in flavour. The ain't too many Aussie dubbels around but this one looks very good.
Temple
A couple of newbies - Special Bitter and a Saison. Only tried the bitter but hard to assess properly given it was ice cold. We will stock both shortly.
3 Ravens
Always solid and the White was very good; spicy, sweet malts with plenty of cinnamon and ginger. We will stock shortly.
Labels: Beer News
posted by Stewart Went at
10:28 pm
3 Comments:
I was there today, and certainly enjoyed the chance to taste most of them. (with two tickets)
I was slightly disappointed with a few breweries showcase using bottles, rather than kegs.
I got to agree with the comment about the underperformancers, although I thought the Burton Bitter from Red Duck was good.
Interesting that you mentioned the Emerald Hill beers might have a bad batch today, might give the bottle a try.
I had same problem with Buckleys, I just don't get them, the taste is too offish for me.
While I had the MG 2IPA and The Beast before, I didn't have them today (tried to get some MG 2IPA but was finished as I kept it for last, blah) The Bridge road IPA was slightly too average for me, maybe because I expect more hops? Or maybe it was cold.
But the rest of Beechworth beers was smooth and balanced for me, and the best find today for me personally was Bridge Road Robust Porter, and the Bright brewery range, particular the Fainters Dubbel and Staircase Porter.
Today certainly made me realise that my taste buds has adjusted a bit, as I am warming more to Beechworth and Holgate (Beechworth Chevalier really turned me off a year ago at Beertopia, and Mt Macedon Ale slightly unimpressed me a year or so ago). The winter ale is certainly interesting.
By
Anonymous, at 2:26 am
Hey Anton,
Thanks for your thoughts. I thought the IPAs were excellent and I will fast track efforts to get the Beast into the stores. I have already ordered the Bling. Same goes for the 2 Bright beers you mentioned.
brrrr...Buckleys...they shoud give up. I'm surprised at just how consistently poor they are.
cheers
By
Stewart Went, at 4:10 pm
Great observations; I went on Saturday and I was similarly impressed by the massive turnout.
For myself, the beer of the day was the Mountain Goat 2IPA followed by the Jamieson offering. I've had a few pots of the Goat 2IPA at their brewery but it never fails to impress again. I thought Jamieson's 2IPA underperformed out of the bottle, I had a pint of the stuff at Cookie and I remember it being much better and possibly better than Goat's. Third place goes to the new Porter from Bright, a decent porter with strong cocoa flavours.
I had the Bridge Road Brewers 2IPA after too many tastings so I probably didn't do it justice. I thought it was average so I'll have to buy some when it gets on the shelves.
It is pleasing to see more brewers experimenting looking beyond the typical "stable" offering of; Pale Ale, some Ale and Porter. All of the 2IPAs, Temple's Saison (although served too cold), Bright's Dubbel and the whole lot of seasonal/limited releases going around. It's a great time to enjoy beer, eh?
Cheers
By
Anonymous, at 10:30 am
Post a Comment
<< Home