Grand Ridge Gippsland Gold

Name - Gippsland Gold
Type - Pale Ale
Vol. 4.9%, 330mL crown sealed bottle
Brewer - Grand Ridge Brewery
Origin - Mirboo North, Victoria, Australia
Importer - N/A

Verdict - It's a crisp bitter ale, but it's really not much of anything. No part of it stands out - there are other beers that are crisper, more bitter, and more well-rounded.

Yarra Valley Gold Pale Ale, Victoria, Australia

Name - Yarra Valey Gold
Type - Pale Ale
Vol. 4.9%, 330mL crown sealed bottle
Brewer - Grand Ridge Brewery
Origin - Mirboo North, Victoria, Australia
Importer - N/A

Verdict - It's a bottle conditioned pale ale, and it gives off citrus, and is quite hoppy. However, it's no real standout in its class.

Alpha Pale Ale, Matilda Bay, Western Australia

Name - Alpha Pale Ale
Type - Pale Ale
Vol. 5.2%, 345mL crown sealed bottle
Brewer - Matilda Bay Brewing Company
Origin - Fremantle, Western Australia
Importer - N/A

 

Verdict - It evokes Cascade Pale, but it's cleaner than cascade's pale, with similar aromatics. Extremely hoppy, biting in the middle of the mouth. It's an interesting beer, but really strictly for the hop fans. US style-pales attract my attention, but are just a wee bit too hoppy for my tastes.

John Boston's Mill Pale Ale, New South Wales

Name - John Boston's Mill Pale Ale
Type - Pale Ale
Vol. 4.9%, 330mL crown sealed bottle, but consumed on tap
Brewer - John Boston
Origin - Sydney, New South Wales

Importer - N/A

 

Verdict - It was a bit acrid on the nose, the middle taste a little sour, then it finished softly.  Given it was a tap, and it was the KB Hotel, it probably warrants another go just to check if the lines played a part. On the first taste it was nothing special in an increasingly tight Australian market for sweet, sweet pale ale.

Kooinda Pale Ale,Victoria, Australia

Name - Kooinda Pale Ale
Type - Pale Ale
Vol. 4.7%, 330mL crown sealed bottle
Brewer - Kooinda Boutique Brewery
Origin - Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
Importer - N/A

Verdict - A sweet, aromatic pale ale. They quite clearly know what they're doing when it comes to this style. Crisp and less cloudy than most, and stood up on the second drink, meaning it should be sought out where possible.

Cascade First Harvest 2011 Pale Ale, Hobart, Tasmania

Name - Cascade First Harvest (2011)
Type - Pale Ale
Vol. 5.5%, 375mL crown sealed bottle
Brewer - Cascade
Origin - Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Importer - N/A
Verdict - Made with fresh hops and the first barley of hte harvest on a single day. Fantastic to be able to score on the mainland. Sits halfway between malty and hoppy. An excellent pale ale colour. A sharper, hoppier flavour than Cascade's standard pale. This year's hops are Valleyfield, Oast, Lanoma, and Tynwald. Making beer with fresh hops is rare in Australia, according to the good folks at Cascade. They take First Harvest pretty seriously, and it shows - it's always excellent and worth the premium.