Latest Beer commentary

During our recent trip to Robe I visited the Robe Town Brewery.  I sampled 3 of their brews and acquired 2 bottles each of Amber Ale and Baltic Porter.  (The owner's name clearly shows a familiarity with matters Baltic!)  Herewith the comments:
  • Amber Ale: a very honest Ale, with lots of body and good complexity of taste.
  • Baltic Porter: at 6.2 ABV it is to be approached with caution but has all the goodies associated with the Imperial Russian Stout styles of beer.  Strongly recommended when they do another brew!
Closer to home I infested Dan Murphy's at Woden today and acquired an 8 pack of Matilda Bay produce.  This is 2 samples each of 4 brews.
  • The Ducks. 4.2% ABV.  The next word after 'Ducks' is apparently 'Nuts'!  A very pleasant, full bodied Ale with a nice clean finish and the usual fruity tastes.
  • Fat Yak, 4.7% ABV. A very fat dose of hops gives it a very grapefruity taste.   A very good sample of Pale Ale.
  • Lazy Yak, 4.2% ABV.  A rather thinner and more bitter Ale than the preceding one.  Perhaps more refreshing but I prefer something fuller.
  • Minimum chips, 4.7% ABV.  A Lager!  I thought it didn't taste like a Pale Ale.  Having said it is of that style I rate it as more along the lines of products from Ceske Budejovice than St. Louis.  In other words very pleasant: a little citrus-flavoured than the Ales but more full bodied.
I think my preference amongst these 4 is the Fat Yak, just over the Minimum Chips.  That being said I reckon the lager would be a better match for that which New Zealanders pronounce as "Fashion shops".

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