Pirate Life Port Local Lager

Craft Beer Company Pirate Life have brewed a new beer that is meant to fit in well with Australia’s beer drinking culture.

Known for churning out different kinds of Pale Ales or IPA’s Pirate Life is based in South Australia. Created in 2014 the company has quickly swept over Australia with their hip beer cans.

South Australia is synonymous with wine with the Yarra Valley producing some of Australia’s best quality wines.

Something I like about their cans that makes them unique is the brewing process shown step by step around the top.

What makes Port Local Lager unique is that it’s brewed to traditional German techniques where it spends 42 days in tank so that the flavours and aromas have time to integrate.

The can is a little small at 355mls and the beer is only 4.5% but it is a very nice Lager and one you should add to your try list.

Cheers,

Dave

O'Hara's Irish Red Ale

By chance I came upon an Irish Craft Beer and wow, what a find.

O’Hara’s Irish Red Ale is a testament to the fine brewing skills of the Irish.

The website describes it as having a smooth malt body complimented by caramel tones and perfectly balanced in bitterness, this Irish Red is much more complex than its mainstream rivals.

It has a nice red hue on pour and beautiful caramel tones with every sip.

At 4% and 330mls it is a little weak and a little less in content, but it makes up for that with flavour.

Founded in 1996, the brewery is one of 72 craft breweries in Ireland, each adding their own Irish twist to their brews.

Interesting fact, before the 1700’s, beer in Ireland were fermented without hops.

If you are feeling a bit Irish then seek out this beer, you won’t be disappointed.

Cheers,

Dave

Fresh Hop 2019

 After an enjoyable visit to the 2019 Hop Harvest in Launceston I have to say that it has been my #1 event this year.

This has replaced the Fyre Festival that I was at briefly on New Year’s Eve.

Twenty-six beers were on display that were only made for this event, ranging from pale ales, stouts and even a few sours.

With my booklet I got at the gate I ticked beers off as I went and studied which ones I wanted to sample.

I got through x15 in the end, this year to save on waste they had plastic cups you could purchase, they could be swapped over at any time and if you didn’t want to take it home you could give it back to the bar for a refund.

The thing I like about Hop Harvest is the option to get a 100ml sample of any beer for $3 or 400ml for $9, you can get through them all a lot quicker.

Once again, the food was a credit to the event, with Saint John’s regular spectacular choices to dark choc, stout brownies, loaded nachos and a lamb kebab which I didn’t get to in the end.

Choc Stout Brownie

Saint Johns tickled my merchandise habit with stubby holders and T-shirts for sale.

The beer I voted for on the way out was the Eleventh Order Super Galactic Sour Cherry, a close second was the first beer I tasted when I got there – Shambles Brewery & Ocho’s Attack of the Cones.

The winner by people’s choice was The Mill Brewery’s The Freshest Haze, unfortunately it was one of the few I missed.

Overall a fun event, only wish I could have put in three hard days there, maybe next year.

Cheers,

Dave

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