Easter Drinking

It's Easter time!

Happy Easter fellow drinkers.

Hope you are having a nice break/ not working too hard, I’m working most of the long weekend so I feel your pain. In between though I’ve been getting in the Easter mood and eating a lot of chocolate.

I’ve also found the perfect drink for Easter.

Image from Saint John Craft Beer Facebook page

La Sirene Praline Belgium Chocolate Stout from Victoria, Australia.

It was on tap at Saint John Craft Beer, I had to go and sample it before the keg ran dry, stout is usually a darker and richer feeling drink. The smell of this stout before I even tried it got me excited, a very chocolatey feel to it, the taste is what you would imagine. The chocolate taste overpowers the stout and makes it something easy and pleasant to drink. After a couple of schooners I got a Canimal of it to take home.

The Canimal

An awesome feature of Saint John, choose a beer they have on tap and they fill a 946ml can of it and seal it to drink later.

Another great Easter drink!

Imperial Chocolate Stout.

After I drank the last of the chocolate stout at the bar I heard about a special batch out in the back bar, made by the same brewery, the Imperial version is stronger and it is also amazing in every way.

In case you were wondering what Imperial meant in beers

“The term "imperial" was used in the 1800's for beer (usually stout) that was brewed in England but then shipped to Russia - specifically the imperial court of Russia! Brewers later started using the term more generally to indicate their top-of-the-line luxury beers.

With beers coming from American craft brewers these days, "imperial" is an indication that the beer is going to be big and bold regardless of the style. The hops and malts used during brewing are doubled or even tripled, and the resulting beer can pack quite an alcoholic punch ranging from 8% to 12% ABV.” http://www.thekitchn.com/beer-labeling-what-does-imperi-112370

Cheers,

Dave

La Sirene make Belgian and French style ales 

Dainton Brewing

I recently tried another of Dainton Brewings’s fine products so I’m compelled to tell you about them if you didn’t already know.

Dainton Brewing is an Australian Craft Beer Brewery based in Carrum Downs Victoria, their products have been popping up at Saint John Craft Beer in Launceston.

The man behind all of this, Dan Dainton has been brewing out of his garage, luckily he is now building a brewery so he can make a lot more of his popular product.

The range is constantly changing with seasonal and popular demand beers being brewed.

These are the fine Dainton products I’ve had so far:

Santa’s Cherry Sack Attack – This is the latest one I drank, in March would you believe. Made with Australian cherries. I loved the design and the description on the label “Good old Santa’s sack is here to floud your flaccid faces of Xmas cheer and sour beer, he’s coming soon to grace us. Popping cherries to the nuns tart and ripe they bite, on your tongue and out your buns the flavour is so nice. So here comes your jolly saviour thrusting from the rear, his sack’s so big and full of flavour he is coming twice this year.”

Samurye Lager – This is an amazing feat of beer creativity, with samurai in mind this beer is different but better than so many others at the same time. “Brewed by the spirits of craft brewers who were once warriors, this particular elixir showcases fruity and citrus hop characteristics, a lightened body from the rice and the subtle spice of rye.”

Some honourable mentions

Good Son Golden Ale

Impale Ale

Insane Uncle I.P.A

Dainton have impressed me not only with their creative labels but their fantastic product. I will continue to keep you updated on their other products as I get access to them.

Cheers,

Dave

Saint Mihal

The latest beer I've tried

Je mappelle David

Je suis australien

I once took some French lessons and this is mostly what I remember.

I have finally found a French beer, Saint Mihal, has reached local bottleshops in Tasmania.

For a long time, I didn’t think the French drank beer because I haven’t seen any before.

Saint Mihal is 4% in strength and only comes in a 330ml can.

My first impression is that it smells unlike any beer I’ve had before and I can say the same about the taste. It’s drinkable but not something I would have very often.

Come on France, lift your game!

The ingredients are disappointing: water, barley, maize, hop

extracts and caramel - things that are common with lower quality beer to make it cheaper to produce and leave you with a bad taste in your mouth.

A commentator on Beeradvocate.com had this to say about Saint Mihal:

“From can, pours pale Amber with thin layer of film on top. Aroma cardboard, bread and malt. Taste A hint of bubblegum, or fruit tingle, candy like very different but drinkable.”

Viva la France

I like France and many things French, the few French women I have met are amazing, but I hope that Saint Mihal doesn’t represent all that France has in beer, I’ll be on the lookout for a redeeming French beer – one that doesn’t smell like cardboard.

Cheers

Dave