What are you drinking ?

[jt]

Ok, so What Are You Brewing was a hotty, as topics go.

Now I'm 15 pints into a keg I only filled on Tuesday and wondering if anyone else has a favourite at the moment ?

It's my second brown with US-Oh05 and it's better than the forst, maybe Ikept the temps down a bit during the scorcher we had in januray

[Dan]

Im off to Melbourne next week for a couple of days. Can anyone recommend a good place to try good beer in town. Ideally close to Southbank. Ive tried the Cosiosko at Worlds and its not bad (for Aussie beer). Im keen to try some good AUS beer............

[Hugh Grierson]

It's a good question, maybe worthy of it's own thread. I saw lots of bottles but not much variety on tap. But had no idea what I was doing, got lost and was late for my plane. I just drank Croucher Galaxy and feel twitchy, it got past my hop filter.

[Tom C]

Local Taphouse, Carlisle Street, St Kilda is supposed to be very good but opened since I left Melbourne.  You can get a tram to the door from the city. 

Mrs Palma's on Little Collins Street, City always had a good range of craft taps.

Sherlock Holmes, Collins Street was also stocking good tap beers.

[Tilt]

Yep - I'd vouch for the Local Taphouse in St Kilda - good range on tap and in the fridge, knowledgable staff and good setting.  When it gets busy there's not much elbow room though.

[Matt Smith]

I just got back from Melbourne,  Beer Deluxe in Federation Square is pretty close to Southbank, they have a decent range on tap and in bottles. Stone and Wood Pacific ale is a pretty widely available beer you will probably see around and is very nice. thecraftypint.com has heaps of info about Melbourne beer spots

[jt]

Kegging a Lil Darkie, had a dirty pint.
Brewed this a few times with '05, brewed it this time round with W1099.
Got some bitterness, more from roasty malts than from hops with 1099
Done a few 1099 brews since Christmas,noticed it gets more attenuative each generation.
Moving on yeastwise to a 1968, haven't used this for a few years, hoping my memory isn't disapointed

[jt]

I called in on the Aladins Cave of brewing in Titahi Bay during the week and after much discussion of hoppy porters (happens oftern in North Welly for some reason) yeast and Booky style beers came away with a bottle of Bay Blonde.

Now while Riwaka has been hard to get or in short supply I've always consoled myself with the fact that there are so many good New Zealand hops. But no, after the Bay Blonde, there is no substitute for Riwaka.

Thanks for that beer Chris, great start to the weekend

[Chris Banks]

Glad you enjoyed it Mt T - seems it may be a while till we get some more not sure why I fall in love with hops then they become like unobtanium...sigh

[Dan Filihiahekava]

Had two bloody good beers tonight Bear Republic Big Bear black Stout & Liberty NGB . Currently knocking back a HB wet hopped black IPA.  In the mood to go to the garage and start brewing maybe do a SMaSH GP & Zythos or a Oatmeal Stout........maybe i should have a couple more beers and leave the brewing for the morning.

[Dave W]

What could possibly have gone wrong.......  ;-)

[Hillman]

Just opened up the 8 Wired Fresh Hop Wired, purchased from the Midway Liquorland in Palmerston North. It doesn't get much better than this (although there's also a bottle of Liberty C!tra in the fridge, so it might). 

[Hillman]

Just opened that C!tra. This is tasty. Beautiful colour, which translates into a less malty beer than the Fresh Hop Wired. It's hazy, as there seems to be a lot of hop material in the glass. It doesn't bother me one bit, but the third glass I poured has maybe a heaped tablespoon of sediment in it. The high alcohol is well disguised by the bitterness, so it only comes off as a burn in the aftertaste rather than in the flavour. The hop aroma is a huge, resiny blast that smells a lot like the hops before they go in the wort, rather than after. It works very well with the 99 IBUs, rather than as a separate dimension as it does in a lot of IPAs and Double IPAs. 

This is a very intense beer on a number of levels.