Beer Review Bluetongue Pilsner
Beer number 17 out of my Forty Birthday Beers turns out to be the wonderful Bluetongue Pilsner.
I have been fortunate enought to have had a couple of these little fellas before….. in fact a couple of days after I opened this one in front of my video camera I was at a bit of a gathering where a mate of mine offered me one of his Bluetongue Lagers…. mmmmm….
In short – this is a Wonderful Beer.
This pilsner is slightly fruity, but only a little hint. It’s crisp. It’s slightly bitter and it tastes great.
The Blue Tongue Brewery is located in Australia, in the area known as the Hunter Valley, north west of Sydney – almost as an outer suburb of Newcastle. The Hunter Valley is perhaps more well known as a wine region, but there are a couple of nice breweries there as well.
According to their website, “Our full bodied pilsner has a malty flavour, pleasing bitterness and fruity aroma”.
One of the things I like about the BlueTongue Brewery website is their “On Tap Locations” page.
http://www.bluetongue.com.au/OnTapLocations/tabid/57/Default.aspx
Simply type in your post code, and the map will reveal to you your nearest local watering hole that has Blue Tongue Beer on tap. Excellent !
This Beer Review gives a ver commendable 9 out of 10 on the Forty Beers Cheers O Meter.
If you find yourself in a bottleshop, make sure you look for the distinctive Blue Tongues and buy several. As already mentioned, they have a Lager as well, which is equally as beerilicious.
Thanks 
Matthew
P.S. Don’t forget that the Forty Beers Beer Store is now open…. there are heaps of Beer Tshirts with amusing slogans, and you can’t go past a new bottle opener….
Tags: Australian Beer, Beer Review, Pilsner
Beer Review – Baltika 4
Here we have a complete Mystery Beer…. which turned out to be a Russian Beer called Baltika 4.
Beer Number 16 in my Forty Birthday Beers was, upon first sight, totally unreadable. My Russian is totally non-existant, and the label was all in hieroglyphics (and/or Russian).
The 500 ml bottle is certainly a good size. And with 5.6 % alcohol… it’s slightly on the stronger side, but not too strong.
Thick, dark and chunderous, this is a beer that while I am happy I’ve tasted it, perhaps I won’t be travelling to Russia specifically to have another one. Russia is well up there on my “to do” list, but when I eventually get there I will most likely see and do other things first before running to a bottle shop for another one of these.
As I am sure I have mentioned before, ALL beer is good beer. However, some beers are better than others, and this is well and truly in the “others” category.
According to the Baltika 4 website , they have won heaps of awards, including the Australian International Beer Awards Contest a couple of years ago. It appears to have rye malt as a main ingrediant – this is not something I have knowingly experienced before.
I love new tastes, sights, sounds and smells. I have travelled “overseas” to many parts of Asia, Europe, North America, Central America, all around Australia and New Zealand. I have eaten and drunk my way through all of these geographical locations. I have experienced many “good” and “interesting” flavours and textures. Perhaps, in the case of this Russian beer – Baltika 4, I simply lack the required taste buds to appreciate it as others appear to have done.
Please be aware that this is my beer review opinion only – one person in a world of 4 or 5 billion people. I would therefore strongly recommend that you try one for yourself and come to your own conclusions !!
A satisfactory 6 out of 10 on the Forty-Beers-Cheers-O-Meter.
Thanks,
Matthew
P.S. I am enjoying sharing these birthday beers here in these beer reviews and on my FortyBeers.com beer blog
And, my lounge room is nearly finished – ceilings, walls are all freshly painted.
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Tags: Lager, Russian Beer
Beer Review Storm Cloudy Ale
The pink lounge room at our place has finally annoyed my wife and I for the last time. When we bought our house a tad over 10 years ago, its internal decor was predominantly pink and black. The black was removed ASAP, however, some of the pink lingered for longer than we would have preferred. Painting is something that I don’t mind doing…. especially when there is a moment when I can stop and grab a beer.
Beer number 15 on the FortyBeers.com Birthday Beers list turns out to be none other than Storm Cloudy Ale from the good people at the Mildura Brewery.
In short, Storm Cloudy Ale is a great beer. Soft, subtle, tasty, fresh, refreshing. I like it. I suspect if you prefer beers that are not over the top with masses of heavy flavours or beers that thwack you over the head when sampled, then you will probably like this one too.
Mildura is a large country town in northern Victoria, on the Murray River, approx 5 hours drive north of Melbourne, and perhaps 6 hours drive west of Sydney. It is known for its farming and agriculture, particularly its citrus (oranges mainly) orchards.
According to the label: “A cloudy orangey amber ale with loads of fruit flavour and a citrusy bitter kick, showcasing the enormous bouquet of new Amarillo hops”.
(I didn’t think that this Storm Cloudy Ale was over the top with fruity flavours, like the label suggests. A hint, yes. A kick, hmm, maybe a slight nudge or bump perhaps.)
Again, from the label: “Remember that they are best in noisy settings with good food”. (I am sure that the Mildura Brewery didn’t have empty, cavenous, echo-y pink lounge rooms in mind, but the left over curry I had with my Storm Cloudy Ale did seem to taste extra good…..)
Once again, I would like to re-emphasize that this Storm Cloudy Ale, in my humble and forty year old opinion, is really, really good. Possibly even up there with the best beers ever made and/or tasted.
And let me just say that this Storm Cloudy Ale by the Mildura Brewery in Australia was a welcome break during the painting.
Ding, dong, the pink is dead. Our lounge room is now the same colour(s) as the rest of the house….. yay !
Did I mention this was seriously good beer ?
A triumphant 9 out of 10 on the Forty-Beers-Cheers-O-Meter.
Thanks,
Matthew
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Tags: Ale, Australian Beer, Beer Review
I found this article in the The Age newspaper the other day – it sounds like a great idea.
An interesting concept appears to have been designed here in Melbourne, based on an evolving and emerging trend – beer connoisseurs and exotic beers.
Basically, this equals expensive beers – which are savoured much like fine wine or whiskey. The problem with beer, however, is that it goes off within a few days of opening the bottle. The solution, therefore, is to somehow store the opened beer in such a way that it will keep for a bit longer.
The article (link above) explains how this concept and problem has been solved by at least one bar here in Melbourne. I hope it catches on !
Thanks,
Matthew
Tags: Beer Facts
