Red Hill Wheat Beer

Jesus, this is like Sanitarium's foray into alcoholic beverages. It's a dirty, cloudy looking wheat beer that is extra heavy on the wheat and carbonation. There's some weird flavours going on here... I'm really struggling to understand why I'm not that put off by it.

The flavours zig zag between floral and wheaty, and end in a carbonated sting. It's all over the shop.

It's like eating weet bix out of a flower bed and then slapping yourself in the face.

At least this brewery serves a purpose. They aren't just regurgitating copycat beers. Both of theirs, while off the mark for me personally, have been unique and possess character.

Wheat beer lovers, get into it, otherwise... it might not be your bag.

6.5/10

Red Hill Golden Ale

Red Hill.

As a very young child my only memory of Red Hill is driving there with a mate to his parent's holiday house, and on the way we got in a car accident that almost sent me head first through a window.

That's unfortunately what comes to mind whenever I hear 'Red Hill'.

But lets not dwell in the dreary past! For before me is a very light cloudy ale with a zesty, vibrance to it's body. It fizzes and tingles on your tongue, not in a cheap euro pilsner way, this is actually enjoyable. The flavours are quite subdued but have a spark to them that is quite unique.

It's almost not a beer!

It's light on the hops and malt, and fizzy and effervesent and almost...tangy. Almost like someone dropped a fruit tingle in my beer.

A very strange, but interesting beast. It's not my thing I have to say, it's not what I'm after in a beer... but still, kudos. It's creative at least.

7/10

Boatrocker Hopp Bier

Dear Eastern Europe - Land of the Pilsner,

Please take note.

Beer does not need to be bland and watery.

It does not need to taste like a glass of wineral water that has just been urinated in.

It IS possible to balance a beer's intial and aftertaste.

Hops are generally a vital ingredient in a good beer, use them.

Yours Truly,
Me

This is one of the better Pilsners I've drunk. It's has a lightly hopped, smooth citrusy beginning that fades into a very tame bitter finish. It's not the world's most exciting journey, but it is a positive one nonetheless. It is an interesting beer amongst a genre I find horribly boring.

Would be a great summer beer. I remember a beer called 'Alpha Queen' from these guys I used to love but haven't seen it for well over a year. Hopefully I stumble across it again.

7/10

Matilda Bay Alpha Pale Ale

God I love these guys. They might not make the single best beer but they have a large stable of very unique, creative solid beers. The Big Helga and Fat Yak are pearlers, and when I saw this Pale Ale on the shelf it had to be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine.

This is more of an American style Pale Ale. With a lighter, citrusy flavour but is still very full bodied and heavy on the pallate like the Fat Yak Pale Ale. Matilda Bay's beers always have a lot of meat on their bones, and at the end of the day you'd take Christina Hendricks over Kate Moss every time wouldn't you?

The flavour of the body is crisper but more subtle than a Fat Yak, but where the Alpha Pale Ale stands up is in the aftertaste which is sharp and bitter but still..delicious. I've been put off by many strong, bitter finishes before but this is perfect.

Brilliant. I want another one. Now.

9/10

Hargreave's Hill Hefeweizen

Most Hefeweizen's are enjoyable... but they work along a very fine spectrum. There isn't heaps of variety, and given that I am not an enthusiast it's hard to stay interested during this long haul. At first I really didn't rate this beer... as I wasn't really in the mood for a wheat beer and it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

But then, after giving it some time to sink in, I decided that would be too harsh. At the end of the day, it is a good quality Hef.

The beer does look great, it's a cloudy yellow colour with a thick, creamy head. It's appearance is far superior to most beers you pour into a glass, but I am a man after substance rather than appearance when it comes to quenching my thirst. Anyone can polish themselves up to look appealing through a beer glass, and often all you are waking up to is a stain on the pillow and a pit full of regret.

Luckily, this unit backs ups its looks with some character. I imagine that on a hot summer's day, sitting in a beer garden holding a frosted pint of this beer is a pretty damn good place to be.

7/10

New Norcia Abbey Ale

Doth has bestoweth upon me this monastery style ale from our own backyard in WA. While it's not up to the scratch of your normal Belgian trappist monk style beer, it's a pretty damn good take on the artform.

Boasting 7% alcohol, but you would barely notice as she is smooth as velvet. It has that typical slightly sweet pinch to begin with, and then a lingering malty finish. Only just at the very end do you get a bit of extra warmth from the alcohol.

It does just lack that bit of punch that you normally get with these ales. So in conclusion, this beer is deserving of praise even if it doesn't reach biblical proportions. It remains pure to itself, and is almost good enough to betray your best mate for.

Almost.

8/10

Red Duck Pale Ale

The second beer I sampled from this Victorian brewery was a Pale Ale. The amber was solid, so I was expecting the same from the Pale.

My initial reaction is that it's somewhat enjoyable and makes you happy enough, but the whole affair is a bit low key with a touch of bitterness. Kind of like being at your mates shotgun wedding... when the bride is your ex.

The hops are tame, and the aftertaste is quite drawn out and strong. Maybe some people like this but I find it off balance. It's a Kanye style beer... nothing up top but plenty of junk in the trunk. I'm more of a T'n'A man.

It's also maybe a touch watery, which is odd for an ale like this.

6/10