Beers of Australia/New Zealand

[Raider7296]

Next week I'm going to be headed "down under" with my wife and 2 kids for our biggest adventure yet. This may be a once-in-a-lifetime kind of trip, so naturally I want to make the most of it. And of course by make the most of it, I mean try as much local beer as possible!

I'll try any beer once, whether it's regional light lager or barrel-aged limited edition microbrew, if I can't get it here in the US, then I want to try it. What's worth seeking out down there? Is there anything I should steer clear of? (Other than Fosters).

We'll be spending some time in Aukland and Sydney, and then a longer stretch in the outskirts of Adelaide (for a wedding). I'm the only beer drinker in the family, but the rest of them are usually happy to eat at a brewpub or indulge me in the occasional brewery tour.

I'm looking forward to hearing any suggestions!

 

[Raider7296]

I thought this place looked promising: http://wheatsheafhotel.com.au/

I also stumbled on this informative looking website: https://www.beeradelaide.com/microbreweries.php

 

[mashdar]

Not fromand never been, but FWIW, Wikipedia says there are major local brands. Sounds like they're all parts of conglomerates now, but might be worth a look at what the "standard" beer is.

• New South Wales: Tooheys, Reschs and Tooths
• Northern Territory: NT Draught
• Queensland: Castlemaine XXXX, Powers and Great Northern
• South Australia: Coopers, West End and Southwark
• Tasmania: Boags in the north, Cascade in the south[16]
• Victoria: Carlton Draught, Melbourne Bitter, Victoria Bitter
• Western Australia: Swan, Emu and Kalgoorlie

E.g. for NSW I'd be looking to try a Tooheys Old. But I like boring beer

 

[Raider7296]

Thanks! I think Coopers is the only one that hasn’t been sold off yet. I was hoping to do a tour, but they’re closed for upgrades

 

[Raider7296]

It seems like there should be some great Hazy IPAs down there, since that’s where all the hops are coming from. Is there an Aussie or NZ version of Treehouse?

 

[Raider7296]

Well, I've touched down in Auckland and had a chance to stop by the local New World grocery and buy a couple of singles. I figured I might as well post some tasting notes, since these seem to be pretty rare to see in the U.S., if at all.

Here's what I picked up today. I'll add my notes as I work my way through them.

• Garage Project Pernicious Weed
• Duncan's Cone Dip Fresh Hop NZIPA
• Urbanaut Mesa Verde Hazy IPA
• Sawmill Fresh Hop NZH-106 Hazy IPA
• Garage Project Party & Bullish#*7

My selections were mainly based on the label art, and looking for local NZ hop flavors.

 

[Raider7296]

First up, Garage Project Pernicious Weed.

• 8.0% ABV
• Nelson Sauvin and Rakau hops
• “Oldman’s Hop Field”

Poured into cleanish wine glass with a vaguely Teku shape (best I could find in my rental).
Orange/copper color, slight haze, bright white head that dissipates quickly.
Grapefruit/lychee/grape notes in the nose. Assertive bitterness that lingers pleasantly, grapefruit rind, flavors similar to aroma.
A bit of Munich/vienna on the malt side.
Very solid west coast IPA style with just a bit of additional NZ tropical notes. Pretty dank.

 

[Raider7296]

Duncan’s Brewing Company Cone Dip Fresh Hop NZIPA

• 6.0% ABV
• Single Hop Riwaka
• Eggers Hop Farm
• Apparently they chartered a plane to fly these hops from the fields to the brewery. "Harvest to brew in a single day".

Golden straw color, just shy of bright, bright white foam that laces the glass.
Aroma is strong passionfruit.
Light bitterness, on par with a modern pils.
Flavor is nice blend of grapefruit/passionfruit.
Not much going on malt-wise, just clean base malt flavor.
I'm not familiar with Riwaka hops, but this seems to be an excellent showcase of exactly what this hop brings to the table. I could crush one of these on a hot day easily. A second might get tiring because it is so laser focused on this single hop flavor.