Recent Tasting Notes

Altenmunster Premium Bavarian Beer (9/20)
Fairly uninspiring beer from my angle. Mega lager deep golden amber with a very small head. More pale lager than pilsner on the nose with stale malt notes and a hint of spice. Assessed blind the nose would have fooled my into thinking this was a CUB offering. Bland palate, some ok bitterness at the back but I can’t get my heap around the stale / soapy notes that don’t offer the drinker much appeal.

Murrays Anniversary Ale (16/20)
My most eagerly anticipated taste of an Oz brew for the past 6 months. Throws down a very serious gauntlet to Bridge Road’s Chevalier range as this nation’s best packaged beer. Beautiful deadnaught 750ml with a cork seal. Biggish fizzy head early but settles nicely to leave a thin creamy residue. High quality nose of brandied fruits and pristine sweet malts. Elegant yet incredibly attractive bouquet. Interesting the fizz level is the character that first registered with me upon tasting. A touch on the high side for the style but acceptable nevertheless. Palate flavours get hard very quickly; very very brandy-like with a wall of dark chocolate and spirity notes. Flavours settle down quickly on the back palate, almost to the point that one could accuse the beer of being a touch dilutive or rather the flavours may be schackled in the firm structure. I get the very strong impression that this beer wants to get out of first (or second) gear but it take, seriously, at least 2 years for this baby to start singing. In wine parlance this beer is a lot like a young tannic cabernet or a steely riesling. Heaps of potential for graceful aging.

Holgate Brewhouse Woodend Pilsner (14/20)
Clean, crisp well maded style. Classic golden yellow with a thin head. Dull lager nose, fairly uneventful. Medium weight palate shows light malts right through but firms up with a hoppy finish, together with faint floral notes.