Boag's Classic Blonde RIP

The latest/ last packaging

This week I will talk about Boag’s Classic Blonde, a low-carb lager created in 2007 that changed beer drinking for many Tasmanians.

I only wish I could talk about this beer under better circumstances.

The first packing when it was released in 2007

At my bottle-shop yesterday I went into the cool room and looking down towards the back of the room next to Pure Blonde I saw an extra row of Pure Blonde, there was no Classic Blonde.

The bottle-shop staff member confirmed what I had known about for a while, Classic Blonde was no longer in production.

I had heard from my source at Boag’s that Classic Blonde was on the way out but it still came as a shock to find it was no longer for sale.

This is a sad day for beer lovers

I remember buying a six-pack back in 2007 when it had just come out, it was a unique tasting, new style of beer. Blonde beer which I have talked about in a recent post is still new in Australia, Classic Blonde was Tasmania’s alternative to Pure Blonde and it found a few fans who preferred it for the low carb aspect.

Boag's is well known for its advertisments

At a best-friends buck’s party we split a carton of Classic Blonde on a golf course, I wasn’t the one riding the golf caddy down a hill though. The beer has been good to me while it was here.

Dan Murphy’s described Classic Blonde as: “Cold climate Lager. Chilled by its proximity to Antarctica, Tasmania’s cold climate is alive in James Boag’s classic Blonde, creating a premium low carbohydrate Lager that is uniquely fresh and crisp.”

I am on the hunt for these items, will pay $$$

I acquired one of these many years ago

The Boag’s official website has already erased any traces of Classic Blonde, I only wish they could keep some sort of online museum about the beers they used to make, it feels like they are letting time kill it off out of fridges and our memories.

Two of these are no longer in production...

Without getting an official comment from Boag’s about why they have stopped production of Classic Blonde I can only assume it is due to them taking on production of mainland beers (XXXX Gold). There doesn’t seem to be any new Boag’s product to replace it which is sad since Boag’s Pure was the last new beer in 2009, it’s been six years and all they have done is relabel their current beers and remove many new creations.

I have a carton of this amazing beer left, but I will drink any more that I see out in the world and I suggest you do the same. Let’s see this beer off in style and remember its crisp taste.

Please don't forget

Please don’t forget Classic Blonde, it left a mark that will never be replaced. As for an alternative when it is completely gone the next is Pure Blonde, but I don’t rate it as highly as I do Classic Blonde.

- Dave

Chang

When you hear Chang do you first think of this guy? 

Or this beer?

When I think of Thailand I think about Bangkok and the childhood jokes associated with the name, lady boys and of course the Hangover Two movie.

But this no laughing matter, Thailand is a real place of 66 million people that is popular with tourists and is serious about its beer.

I'm pretty sure they are all women?

A reason why I’m writing about Thai beer this week is because my brother is currently over there and he doesn’t know much about beer.

The Chang Beer official website describes the beer as:

“Chang is a truly exceptional Thai beer, created to compliment the unique culture, heritage and cuisine of Thailand. Within only four years, Chang beer became the number one selling Thai beer brand in its home country.

Today, Chang Beer is recognized for its unique quality all over the world.”

Chang is easy to find in Australia, it is often lost amongst the other international beers in the bottleshop but I have never seen it for sale in a drinking establishment yet.

I bought one to try for myself, it was definitely a different beer taste and as the website suggests I think it would go well with spicy Thai food.

Chang beer has an aroma of floral, citrus, hopps and butterscotch to name a few, its full bodied flavour has hints of malt, citrus, butterscotch and toffee. The well balanced lager is made to a world class standard.

I probably don’t say this enough but the water used for beer plays a big part in the quality of the beer, hence why Boag’s is the best beer ever because of the pure Tasmanian water. The water for Chang beer is sourced from Deep well-water which is also bottled and sold as mineral water in Thailand.

So much beer so little time.

You are probably wondering like I did why there are two elephants on the label of Chang beer. The answer is Chang means elephant, it was chosen because of its superior strength and mental capacity. The history of Thailand is steeped with elephants who were used in combat and for royal ceremonies. Chang Beer has two elephants to symbolise happiness, harmony and prosperity.

I suggest* that once in your life that you visit Thailand (I haven’t yet) and involve yourself in the culture with one, two or three Chang’s.

Good advice!

*Depending on what my brother thinks upon his return.

Cheers,

- Dave

Dry Beer

This weeks topic is dry beer

Since beer is wet it is strange that Dry types of beer exist.

Dry beer is available through many brewers and is known for a very unique dry taste.

Everyone who has drunk a beer before should have heard of Toohey’s Extra Dry and the Japanese Asahi Super Dry.

Even the Simpsons have had dry beer

I didn’t know about the reasoning behind dry beer until I decided to write about it for the beer blog. Dry beer is made using a German pale lager process where the sugars are fully fermented into alcohol, the reason for this was to create a beer for diabetics.

I don't know what beer it is, I just wanted to share

From Germany it has been picked up in Japan, America and Australia.

I know of quite a few people though who drink dry beers purely because of the taste, they almost have a cult-like following.

Here are the usual suspects where I come from.

Dry Dock: A beer by Sail & Anchor Brewery based in Fremantle, Western Australia. This beer doesn’t rate high on my beerometer but I have had a few before, it is an average dry beer at best.

Carlton Dry: The Carlton guys in Victoria have put together a really nice beer, there is a standard dry version as well as a lime or lemon infused dry beer. This interesting twist has had me coming back to have each of them time and time again.

Asahi Super Dry: If you drink Japanese brews or spend time in Japan you won’t get far without seeing Asahi Super Dry, this is Japan’s number one beer hands down. I will always have a special place in my heart for Japanese beer but it isn’t the same quality as Australian beer. There is a Japanese-style clothing company out of the UK that is also called Super Dry, it is often confused with the beer but there is no resemblance whatsoever. The Super Dry clothing company sells stylish and semi-expensive clothing among other things and they don’t have a single store in Japan as their target customers are westerners.

Hahn Superdry: This super beer in my opinion doesn’t live up to the name, from what I understand some people do like this beer but it hasn’t been sold over the bar I work at for many years, I haven’t had it in years and I don’t plan to try it again any time soon.

Toohey’s Extra Dry: Now, when you think of dry beer in Australia this should be the first beer that comes to mind, its clean, crisp taste is distinctive and is a good drinking beer, the deer on the label is an interesting choice for a mascot. The initials T.E.D are often used in reference to the extra dry beer. This beer originated in Sydney and is apparently the sixth highest selling beer in Australia.

There are a lot of dry beers out there, try one today and let me know what you think.

Cheers,

- Dave

Super Dry!!!

Light Beer

This weeks topic is light beer

This week I will get a bit soft and talk about those other beers that might occasionally get selected from the fridge. Let’s look at some of my favourite light beers. (Did I just type that?)

Light beer is lower in alcohol content or lower in calories compared to standard beer.

Light beer =)

There are benefits to drinking light beer such as allowing people in Australia to have a couple of beerish drinks and still be under the influence and drive, or to not get drunk, or… I don’t know?

The biggest criticism for light beer is that it tastes like watered down beer, which it is.

I do not condone drinking and driving, so I will come prepared with a couple of light beers, still have something to drink and not do anything illegal or dangerous.

So what kinds of light beer are out there? There are a lot!

To avoid writing a novel about this I will narrow it down by sharing with you some of my often sought after light beers and a few that have made me regret the choice.

Boag's again..

First off, Boag’s have a couple of lights, Draught Light and Premium Light. The main difference is the taste even though the beers are the same alcohol percentage at 2.7%. I have heard that the Draught Light is soon to be removed from production though.

Next, and believe it or not this is my #1 light beer, Cascade Premium Light. Yes, I do plan to have the Boag’s in the North and Cascade in the South war one day but this Southern Tasmanian brew is my favourite light. I believe it is the best tasting of any light beer I have ever had, plus the Tasmanian Tiger on the logo is an important part of the island state. It was through our fear and misunderstanding that the mysterious and magnificent creature no longer exists – I believe it might do though.

Ones that I have sampled and never want to again include Hahn Premium Light, Coors Light and Fosters Light Ice, purely because of their horrible watery taste.

Is that paint?

Even though light beer has been created for a purpose it is a drink that seems to be hard to sell, companies do try though with appealing advertising.

If you want to be a good beer drinker I think that you should have mastery of the different styles of beer and select according to the situation, not every drinking event requires a six pack of standard beer.

Be sensible with your drinking habits

In my opinion, people that drink light beer choose to do so. They shouldn’t be thought less of a person for doing so and in fact should be supported. 

Cheers,

- Dave

Carlton Draught

This week’s choice is made from beer.

If you guessed Carlton Draught then you were spot on.

I just returned from a quick trip over the Bass Strait, spending a bit of time in Melbourne and sampling the local product.

Carlton Draught is a good beer, I can’t say the same for the football club bearing the same place name.*

It is known as one of Australia’s best-selling tap beers and can be found everywhere in this great country.

This full bodied and full flavoured lager is only mildly bitter at 4.6% and will set you back around $50 a carton.

It’s owned by Carlton United Brewery, this company has control of a lot of Australia’s beer, including Pure Blonde which featured in a previous post.

I bought a carton for hotel-drinking, it is easy to drink in large quantities and goes great first thing of a morning.

When I drink Carlton Draught I have fond memories of Melbourne: football matches, paintball, Crown Casino, other things that you can get to in Melbourne…

Yep!

Under each stubby cap of Carlton there is a trivia question and answer.

The cans aren’t as exciting but they have recently undergone a facelift to look like little silver kegs.

I judge a beer based on how it is advertised.

This is one of my favourite ads of all time.

I love this ad!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wM2c3WtDjQ

The next one is a bit strange.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRDcbPAe2g4

Carlton Draught has been and still is deeply involved in Australian Football.

I have seen AFL Premiership cup shaped glasses, I hope I can get a hold of one someday.

This is worthy of my go to drinks list and it should be on yours too.

Have one and see if I’m right.

Cheers,

- Dave

* Apologies to Carlton supporters out there. HAHA

Carlsberg

AN international beer brewed under supervision in Australia is breaking into the market.

Carlsberg, a Denmark beer is available down under, brewed with Australian and European influences.

Originally owned by beer giant Carlton and now Coopers, this different beer is one to look out for if you appreciate international beer.

Carlsberg was founded in 1847 by brewer J. C. Jacobson who wanted to improve the entire brewing process and the quality of beer.

J. C. Jacobson’s son Carl bought a part of the brewery whose product sold better than his fathers.

They were both beer crazy after learning their craft from travelling internationally at different times. 

Both had different opinions on how to make beer. Carl eventually went into business with his father.

Carlsberg’s beer laboratory in Copenhagen invented the ground-breaking method for extracting pure yeast in 1883.

The Carlsbergenisis yeast is one of the best suited kinds of yeast for beer brewing. Carlsberg allowed the process for making it to become public and soon across the world brewers better understood yeast.

The dark green, plain looking Carlsberg bottle today is sold in 500,000 cartons annually in Australia, on top of that Coopers brews 6,500 kegs of the stuff.

She can serve me anytime!

The Coopers website claims that: “It’s a refreshing, bottom fermented lager beer with a clean, crisp taste and satisfying depth of flavour. It is full bodied and has a prominent, rich golden colour.

“Together with its malt and grain notes it delivers a perfect experience. Carlsberg is brewed with uncompromising quality using the choicest barley, exclusive Carlsberg aromatic hops and the unique Carlsbergenisis yeast.”

I’ll admit it isn’t a beer I had ever encountered until recently when I tried it while at my local and will definitely drink it again.

Carlsberg has had quite a bit of advertising over time, below are some links to their clips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsRFlJ7lqJg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--RVuPKR_kk

Carlsberg has even sponsored soccer which is huge in Denmark.

Soccer and beer!

Denmark is special for Tasmanians, the Danish Prince Frederick is married to Mary Donaldson, 

formerly of Tasmania.

Princess Mary of Denmark

Carlsberg is one of the biggest selling international brands, try one for yourself and see why.

A Chinese ad?

I think she is Japanese?

Cheers,

-          - Dave

      http://www.carlsberg.com/flash.html