Hottest 100 Beers of 2011

The Local TapHouse have revealed the Hottest 100 Beers of 2011, as voted by the dedicated drinkers.

Stone & Wood came in top place with their Pacific Ale - a wonderful beer that uses the new varietal Galaxy hops, to impart passion fruit and citrus flavours to a beer that encapsulates Australia by the sea during summer.

I was happy to see some of my favourites feature in the list with Hop Hog sitting at number 3, Murray's Icon 2IPA at number 12 and Matilda Bay's Alpha Pale Ale scrapping in at 93. I am disappointed that my favourite of 2011, the Two Metre Tall Forester Ale didn't even get a look in, but I imagine that would be remedied by more aggressive marketing by the company, or even just wider distribution. It's a beer that certainly deserves a bigger audience than it currently gets.

So that is it for 2011. This year, we have the best of American Brewers on Tap to look forward to at the Local Taphouse in February, and the amazing SpecTAPular in May. I can't wait.

Magic Hat: Fat Angel

Magic Hat is a small brewery out of South Burlington in Vermont, U.S.A. While we were living in New York we found that there were very few palatable beers on tap, Magic Hat and Blue Moon being the two staples that we turned to. Many an evening was rescued by the appearance of the 'Magic Hat' above the bar tap and so this a homage to that upstanding brewery that made the bars of New York bearable.

Fat Angel is no longer produced by Magic Hat, however, it was the standard beer on tap so I have a fair idea how it should turn out. It's an American Pale Ale which takes crystal and Munich malts for the colour and flavour, and Styrian Goldings for the flavour and aroma. This beer is also dry-hopped, so I'm expecting a very tasty and citrusy beer by the end of it.

Gravity: 1.054 (Target 1.050). FG 1.016 (target 1.012) ABV 5.5% (target 4.8%)

Yield: 23 litres (target 23 litres)

Brew method: Extract with US batch sparging for the specialty grain.

Notes: I've upped the quantities so that I may get a full 23 litre batch out of the brew. So far, the recipe appears to have scaled well.

McNeill's Firehouse Amber Ale - Tasting Notes

Method: Extract

Specialty grains: US crystal malt.

Hops: East Kent Goldings (bittering, flavour and aroma) and Cascade (dry hop)

Yeast: Irish Ale (liquid)

ABV: 5.3% (the recipe suggests 5.1%).

Yield: 19 litres

Tasting notes: Only 4 weeks in the bottle and it's ready for imbibing, pouring a wonderfully rich amber coloured body with an exaggerated stark white frothy head.

You are instantly hit with the lovely Cascade hop aroma and the cloudy body tastes very smooth as it glides down your throat. For a dry-hopped beer, there is very little lingering bitterness, allowing the full malt flavour and hop fruits to caress your palate. It's a well balanced beer and makes for a refreshing drink with a quick finish. I'm very happy with the outcome of this beer - this is one that is going to get repeated brews!

HobGoblin Extra Strong Ale - Tasting notes

I thought this day would never come! Whilst the rest of the calendar appears to disappear in the blink of an eye, the days before I can taste a new brew seem to drag infernally. So, it was with much excitement that I cracked the lid on a bottle of HobGoblin Extra Strong Ale, 4 weeks after sealing this magnificent beer away.

Method: All-grain

Specialty grains: British crystal malt, British chocolate malt, British black patent malt.

Hops: Fuggles (bittering), Styrian Goldings (flavour and aroma).

Yeast: Irish Ale (liquid)

Comments: As another all-grain brew, I found my initial gravity to be lower than expected, but surprisingly, it fermented out until I had achieved the required ABV.

ABV: 5.7% (the recipe suggests 5.5%).

Yield: 19 litres

Tasting notes: This was ready to drink after 4 weeks and pours with a quickly dissipating white head over a cloudy, dark orange body. The weak head isn't a problem as carbonation appears to be fine and allows the other flavours to take centre stage.

The roasted malts and yeast make up the bouquet; slightly spicy with light citrus notes.  The low bitterness caresses the mouth, giving just enough character to accompany the full mouth feel that finishes with a roast malt spiciness. The word cinnamon keeps springing to mind when I drink this beer, but I know that is incorrect. Possibly those of you have have a better tasting lexicon can help me out here?

What I learnt: Trying to describe beers is a difficult thing - just like wine, there is a range of expressions and description which are apt, but I constantly struggle to get past "it's just a really good beer".

Lucknow IPA - Tasting notes

Method: Extract

Specialty grains: US crystal malt, German dark crystal malt.

Hops: Cascade (bittering), Cascade and Chinook (flavour), Cascade (aroma and dry hop).

Yeast: London Ale (liquid)

Comments: This was my first dry-hopped beer, and I was worried, after discussion with the brewer, that I hadn't taken care to avoid oxygen getting into the brew. Tasting has allayed fears of oxidisation and I am definitely more careful when I dry hop now.

ABV: unknown (the recipe suggests 5.5%).

Yield: 19 litres

Tasting notes: This was ready to drink after 4 weeks and pours with a healthy, frothy head over a  cloudy, dark-straw coloured body.

It initially tastes of fruit, but this is closely followed by the cascade hop flavours that impart a peppery, piney bitterness. It tastes complex and whilst you would assume that it may be 'too hoppy', it appears to be well balanced - challenging but not overtly so. It has a chewy body texture and the typical lingering bitterness, but this is enjoyable and pleasant. 

I'm very happy with how this has turned out and will most likely try another batch of this in the future.

What I learnt: I love dry hopped beers! My goal is to create a beer that is complex enough to enjoy just one of slowly, and this fits the bill nicely.

The Two Metre Tall Company

The Two Metre Tall Company are the sort of people you want to be making beer. They use their own locally grown products from their 600 ha property in the Derwent Valley, supplemented with other locally produced products from around Tasmania. Priding themselves on naturally grown ingredients, they use their own malt, hops, apples and pears in the brewing of 4 ales and 2 ciders. We were fortunate enough to get hold of three of their ales; the Derwent Real Ale, the Forester Real Ale and the Huon Dark Apple Ale.

I haven't tasted such well brewed beers, made from quite obviously fresh ingredients, and with all the love that a homebrewer goes through in production of a beer in quite some time. These are beers worthy to be proud of, and each is bottle conditioned, adding natural variation and a softer carbonation to the enjoyment. If I had my way, this is how all commercial beer should be produced.

The Forester Ale instantly conjures that immortal line from the Simpson's; "there is a party in my mouth and everyone's invited".
I find it difficult to write a review that does this beer justice. It was so good, I was planning to cultivate yeast from the bottle so I could try to replicate it back home (Two Metre Tall Ales being unavailable in Sydney). It's 5.3% and is made as a true British Pale Ale with a dark amber body under an off-white head. The bottle conditioning means softer carbonation which to me makes this more drinkable than your average beer.
They use Australian sourced Pride of Ringwood and Hallertau hops with Vienna,  Pale, and Crystal malts. It's well balanced for a crisp finish chased by a slight smokiness. It's unassuming yet all the while boasting a lovely medium sweet malt body with enough hop flavour to keep a decent bitterness in the mouth. I really, really, loved this beer.

5/5 Coasters

The Huon Dark Apple Ale is definitely an ale, not a cider which may be disappointing those who where thinking they were getting the latter, but it definitely stands on it's own. Whilst I may not be a fan of fruit beers, I did enjoy this ale as a cleansing drink, but found it unremarkable in it's lack of body
It's sweet malt body is accentuated with  apples and that is about all you can taste. I'm not sure if this is the style but my palate kept asking for more; more punch, more apple, and more flavour.

I probably wouldn't bother with this again, but I would recommend it to cider lovers who have a hard time with beer as I think it might be a happy medium for those trying to escape the cloying sweetness of mass produced ciders.

3.5/5 Coasters

The Derwent Ale was as spectacular as the Forester. AS you can see, it's a much lighter bodied beer with a very generous white frothy head over a light golden straw body. A combination of wheat and barley malts makes for an excellent summer beer; light in body, very little bitterness, and a refreshing finish. It has no stand out flavours, but instead of this being disappointing, it manages to deliver a session beer with character and a great mouth feel. Whilst most of the flavours are attributable to the yeast; Stella, Williamette, Fuggles and Tettnanger hops are used to bitter and flavour. Once again, bottle conditioning ensure this a smooth and refreshing drink.

5/5 Coasters

Van Dieman Brewing

Another brewery I tried whilst on holiday was Van Dieman Brewing. They produce a range of 6 beers from their brewery in Evandale, Tasmania. Very craft beer in focus, they have a decent range that includes an Imperial Stout, an Extra Special Bitter, and a Moreish Ale flavoured with sloe, rose hip and hawthron berries.

I managed to lay hands on the Ragged Jack Pale Ale (4.2%) and the Jacob's Ladder Amber Ale (4.2%).

Ragged Jack is a decent Pale Ale, pouring with the customary white frothy head over a clear golden coloured beer. It's a true Pale Ale (rather than the Australian Lagers that masquerade as such) using English Pale Malt and boasting a floral hop aroma with hints of sweet caramel. It has a full bitter mouth feel which lingers after you swallow however, it feels quite conservatively hopped. The head lingers for the full drink which is gone far too quickly. There is no wonder it boasts bronze for two years in a row in the Australian International Beer Awards as it is a well balanced and pleasant ale.
I would probably pair this with a Chicken Caesar or Chicken Mango salad. It deserve something light and fresh to accentuate it's delicate flavours.

3.5/4 Coasters

 This Amber Ale is excellent. It uses English Pale and Crystal Malts to create a dark cloudy coppered-coloured beer that boasts a generous off-white head. English Hop varieties provide the underlying bitterness but it's the malts that steal the show with a sweet malt aroma and yeast driven citrus notes. It's full flavoured and very refreshing. It's hard to describe such a decently crafted beer as it balances all it's flavours remarkably well, creating a refreshing and satisfying drinking experience.

4/5 Coasters

Mac's Brewery - selected tastings

Mac's is a 30 year old Brewery operating out of New Zealand. They produce a range of 6 lagers, two of which I tried whilst on a recent trip to Tasmania.

Now, I'm not really a stout man (apart from the occasional Guinness), but Black Mac (a dark beer) blew me out of the water. It's 4.6% and pours with a dense body under a dark cream head which does not stick around for very long. To be honest, it isn't missed because as soon as you taste it you are hit with a smooth caramel flavour that finishes with a lingering toffee bitterness, all caressed with a hint of smokiness. The low carbonation helps it to slide down and the chocolate malt aroma adds to the experience. There isn't a hint of coffee to be found, which to me seems unusual in a dark beer, but I'm quite happy with that. The bottle touts the Fuggles hops that are used to produce this astounding beer, but to be honest, they take a back seat to the toasted malts. This is a seriously smooth drink, and I daresay could be drunk quite easily in quantity.

4/5 Coasters

Next up was the Hop Rocker, a well-hopped Pilsner that sits at around 4.8%. I'm definitely a fan of hops, particularly in my lighter beers as I often find them devoid of flavour otherwise. The Hop rocker pours a healthy stark white head that sits over a clear pale straw body. In contrast to the dark beer, this head hangs around for the full pint.
Hopped with Nelson Sauvin and NZ Cascade hops, the drinker is presented with a wonderfully floral bouquet which imparts a wonderful freshness to the beer. The light body slips ever so smoothly down your throat but you experience the full hop flavour, that is balanced well to finish quickly without any lingering bitterness, making it a terribly refreshing drink. I was hoping for a bit of variety in my opinion of these beers, but unfortunately it turns out to be another beer that I would happily enjoy again, and again, and again. Even the good Doctor agreed that this was a first rate beer.

4/5 Coasters