Cricketers Arms Spearhead Pale Ale and Scorcher Summer Ale are on my favourites list at present.
I’ve always been a fan of the Cricketers Arms Spearhead Pale Ale
I only got onto a good 6 months ago. Frequented a small bar in Brissie where it was on tap and it’s been happily ever after deal after that. lol
The first time I had it was maybe 3-4 years ago. One of the guys in my football team loaded up the esky with it for post match drinks. It went down really well (like all beers after 90 mins of football). It’s funny, I think it was the first time the esky was full of ales, prior to that it everyone would always buy a case of lager of some sort. These days it’s really rare that someone will buy lagers. Times have changed.
Make the most of the 4 Pines guys.
When they were bought by ABInBev I think they were given a 2 year period where their beers wouldn’t be brewed under licence (sound familiar James Squires, Little Creatures). There’s 12 months to go on that deal.
It’s clear changes are already happening though. The new beer they have released, a “Pacific Ale”, is something that no craft brewery or brewer would do as they know it isn’t a style, simply the name Stone & Wood gave to a product that the big breweries couldn’t match. It’s a fucking Australian Pale Ale you idiots! (Big breweries, not you guys 
)
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I’m curious whether sour beers have become a big thing in Australia. This summer in Western Canada it seems like at least half of the seasonal brews done by craft breweries have been sours, and even though winter is starting to take hold they keep coming out with new one (not that I’m complaining, they’re a nice change from wall to wall IPAs).
Yep lots of sours here at the moment. Some amazing stuff being done.
Yeah, I was devastated when I read about it, It’s a real pity.
On the other end of the market, tonight I’m drinking a beer from a small batch brewery in Mount Kuring-gai. Its an Ekin Brewing Co After Battle Pale Ale. Really nice, very hoppy, fruity and has a sweet aroma that you get do enjoy every time you tilt the glass to take a sip. Just took the last swig and wish I’d grabbed a second can. It’s so Indie that it comes in a plain aluminium can with a label on it, so there! hehe
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Sounds great, might be hard to source but I’ll keep my eye out.
Two beers tonight. Hawkers Pilsner was first. A bit boring and forgettable so don’t bother.
Second was Farmhouse Style Citray Sour from one of the best breweries in Australia at the moment in La Sirene. They brewed it with oranges and the first thing you noted when you crack the tin is the beautiful citrus smell. The citrus flavours are very strong as you’d expect and there’s a nice mild to medium sourness to it. Doesn’t taste much like a farmhouse ale I was expecting but still, a very solid sour.
Edit: having had a bit more of it, it is in fact very good. Very refreshing and would be perfect in summer.
Get your hands on the Praline by La Sirene. As far as dessert beers go, it’s one of the best.
They bought out an Imperial Praline once. Unbelievably good.
In Sydney for the night for work and swung by Red Bottle on my way back to the hotel after dinner.
Picked up a Batch Brewing Pash the Magic Dragon and Elsie the Milk Stout as well as a Akasha Water Buffalo Brown Ale.
The Lord Albert quite regularly has the After Battle on tap.
Oh God yes, there are tonnes of them and every brewery is trying to out do each other with the pick of ingredients and the levels of sourness. It’s definitely not a style I like.
I wasn’t much of a fan the first time I tried some when I visited Portland in 2013, but they’ve definitely grown on me over the last year. Maybe I’m just embracing sourness in general the older I get…
Agree with this - Newtowner used to be my staple, but have moved on a bit (incl the 4 Pines). That said, I had the Motorcycle Oil tonight, and was pleasantly surprised.
Shame about that 4 Pines deal - does that mean their seasonal & Keller Door stuff will all fall by the wayside?
Also - went to the launch of the Moo Brew x Archie Rose collab last week, which was dark and wonderful.
Bought a bottle of the Stone & Wood 10th anniversary barrel aged stout for my old man’s birthday, though I don’t think he’s touched it as of yet.
I reckon they’ll still do that stuff for smaller distribution, and definitely for their taps in Manly, Brookie and Newport.
If they do continue to make that stuff (I mean the actual 4 Pines brewers, not ABInBev) then Newport would be about the only place you will get it.
Just look at James Squires & Matilda Bay if you want a reference point.
I had a couple of beers from 3 Ravens last night, both fantastic.
Acid Sour was first, a mild and well balanced sour. Absolutely delicious and way more complex than some of those sours which are all about the sourness.
The other one was the smoked dark beer. This one was weird but really enjoyable. The beer smelled like bacon but when you drank some the smoke in fact tasted more beefy. It made a really nice pairing with the solid dark beer it was all built around. Highly recommended for those who like dark beers or anything smoky.
bought myself a few to try on the weekend.
Badlands Brewery Brewbacca Kolsch, very easy to drink, pleasant flavor without too much hops.
Wayward Raspberry Berliner Weisse, again, nice sourness and good taste with the raspberry. Don’t usually go for fruit beers but it’s a nice one for summer.
Still need to taste the Murray’s BloodMoon