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