One of the simple joys of this whole wine reviewing gig is that you get wine samples sent to you gratis. Of course these samples come with an unspoken expectation that, if you like them, you'll write nice things about them (or at least write something about them). But regardless of what happens, whatever you think about them, the wine samples are still free.
Yet the same thing doesn't happen with beer. Or at least when it does, most of the beer that turns up as samples is underwhelming.
But not this one.
No, this is the real stuff. It's a proper Amber Ale, brewed using Pride of Ringwood hops, Export Pilsner, Crystal, Dark Crystal & Chocolate malt and top fermenting proprietary yeast, capped off with a vintage date on the label and a website that lists such beer geek stats as the IBU and the final gravity.
The beer itself shows the toasty, 'cocoa powder' chocolate malt characters right through the middle, with that distinctive 'Australian' Pride of Ringwood aroma (which not everyone likes, but it's well regarded) and a dry finish. It is, as expected, long, well built and just plain tasty, living up to the packaging and story nicely.
If only they were all this good....
2009/10 WCA Wine Journalism 'Young Gun; Wine Judge; Gourmet Traveller WINE and Breathe Hunter Valley magazine contributor; LattéLife & The Retiree columnist; National Liquor News tasting panellist and Chablis lover who fell into the liquor industry chiefly to buy cheap beer.
Love the IBU mate (especially come summer) and the vintage dating. I've certainly learnt a few things in regards to cellaring beer recently!
ReplyDeleteDo you think this beer would make its way to Radelaide?
p.s. drunk a 5 year old Coopers Stout last weekend, which was very nice and improved over the current release, but I still feel there are much better stouts out there which haven't had to go through the cellaring process.
Should do. VC/ First Choice on board distributing already I believe. Well worth a try. Have the Pale Ale to go too.
ReplyDeleteHad this after a McAuslan St Ambroise Pale Ale from Montreal that is actually more of an amber ale (nothing like a 'standard' North American pale - lots of nice caramel, toffee malt with a husky dry finish). This Endeavour Pale Ale is pretty good on its own, but you can tell that it's lacking in sheer class when compared with equivalent North American ales. It's just a touch disjoined and I'm not sure that the old Pride really works. But as far as Australian microbrew goes, this is pretty good. Not much to separate this from the Endeavour Pale Ale though.
ReplyDeleteIn all, it's pretty good, but not as fabulous as the packaging would proclaim it to be. Smart packaging though - despite hating sticker labels (I collect beer labels - have who knows how many ...).
On cellaring beer, the two Endeavour releases strike me as pretty odd choices for cellaring. Or is the "vintage" just there for wank factor? Not exactly Trappiste Rochefort 12 is it?
MichaelC
Wank factor for the vintage date is probably right. Unless they are going to change the brew slightly each year? It's not a cellaring style and definitely not a Trappist Rochefort Michael
ReplyDeleteI'm off to the US on Thursday and will be tucking into as many North American ales as humanly possible.
Someone has to do it...
Enjoy!! (though some can be plain silly, too much bigger is better, etc.). Rather a Porsche of a beer than a Cadillac.
ReplyDeleteMichaelC
The beer is designed to change from year to year hence the "Vintage 2010". All ingredients are harvested in said year. 2011 will be different, same styling of course. Good Living Mag has them producing 'regional' and 'single estate' brews in the future
ReplyDeleteMichael
Read that at lunch time too. Sounds like they (the brewers) aren't totally convinced by the 2010 either. Still, I enjoyed mine.
ReplyDeleteVintage variation in beer - who would have expected that....
Update : Had a Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery Pale Ale tonight. It was excellent and had a more than passing resemblance to Little Creatures, if darker. Looking forward to knocking off a few similar itinerations over the nest week....
ReplyDeleteThat should be 'next' . Did I mention that the beers here (San Francisco) come largely in 750ml bottles....
ReplyDelete