A special brew created for Newcastle Craft Beer week by two of Australia’s finest brewery’s Murray’s and Hunter Beer Co.  It no secret the favorite beer style here in the Hunter for generations is good ‘ol dark ale, described as mothers milk to some especially on tap! I’d like to think brewers Shaun Sherlock (Murray’s) and Keith Grice (Hunter Beer Co.) considered this fact when crafting this tasty brew for this beery week.

I got my growler/s filled at Murray’s Brewery here in Beaut Port Stephens Australia yesterday afternoon and didn’t even consider having a taste test as I am as many of you know now…… I am a massive fan of dark lagers and  have a lot of faith in these brewers to create something spectacular! And I tell ya they haven’t let me down at all!

Pours a sensational dark brown body with awesome creamy white head!  Served this abit colder than my regular ales due to the style.

On the nose a delightful hoppy aroma along with some malty notes- definitely the best of both breweries on showcase here! NZ hops come to mind and some chocky malts.Yum!

Going down very creamy head and quite a full body for a lager very satisfying almost like a porter style but with the drinkability of a lager  -Malty goodness followed by a somewhat subtle bitter dryish finish with a slight hoppy hit. Very refreshing— I likey!

I must say very well done to the Brewers on this special one off brew it really is that good! Keith’s passion for German style lagers and Shaun’s expertise in using New Zealand hops really is well displayed in this brew for the good people of Newcastle and visitors alike! Grab one while you can!

PROPERBEERMATE

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On Sunday it was Warners At The Bay’s Annual Beer Festival which this year coincided with Newcastle Craft Beer Week.

What a day! Held from 12pm to 4pm the event held in the motel car park of my favorite bottle shop hosted over 80 Beers from 25 suppliers and a couple of  ciders sunk in too! The weather after a week of non-stop rain Sunday really turned it on with blue sunny skies and the mercury  hanging round 30 degrees Celsius-purrrfect beer sampling weather in my book!

The event was a sell out with tickets capped at 700 and by the looks of things everyone showed up! Each ticket holder was given a coopers show bag which contained a pen, a back issue of beer & brewer magazine, info sheets,beer tickets, a copy of the excellent  Beer Lovers Guide To Australia and the most important thing of all a 200ml Warners At The Bay tasting glass!  On to the beers!

Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar

Wow and I mean WOW! This ale was a big surprise. Big malty character on the nose with a bit of caramel thrown in too. The mouth full is where the awesome Hazelnuttyness  hits you wonderfully smooth going down and satisfying. I get abit funny about brewers adding stuff to beers…BUT this is done right in true Rogue Brewery fashion- these guys really know what they are doing.  Had this over at the Innspire Craft Beer Merchants tent- a great bunch of guys who bring in some incredible beers from around the world.  Check out their ute/pickup below.

Over at the Stone & Wood Brewery tent the home of one of my favorite brews Pacific Ale which was as always excellent… the fellas were also sampling a Spanish lager brew called Moritz

Very thirst quenching brew very smooth going down in the spring sun and a somewhat faint vanilla taste to it on the finish. Very nice! Will definitely be picking up a case of these on a scorching hot day this summer!

Next up was the Lord Nelson Brewery Stand

These guys from Sydney’s institutional brewpub  were very informative and great to chat with… the beer was great too! They had the Three Sheets Pale Ale and Old Admiral strong amber ale on tap for the day. The Three Sheets was great- not too overpowering in the hop department and a very inoffensive ale- Extremely refreshing. The Old Admiral on the other hand had a good malty backbone to it-would be great by the pint on a cool evening. The brewpub is a great place to check out if you find yourself  in Sydney-a great establishment that is a part of Sydney’s and Australia’s craft brew history.

Next up we made our way over to the wonderful peps at the Beer Importers and Distributors (BID) stand

Sam Adams Lager as always- a great Vienna style lager with malty goodness went down a treat! Warstiener a very clean bright  larger which would rival any Mexican style lager as the easiest drink brew out there . Noble Pils from Sam Adams was also a good example of the style. Hope to see some Belgians next year from BID as they provide the Aussie market with some cracker beers from beer’s holy land.

McLaren Vale

I have converted a few peps over to craft brew with Vale Ale from these guys. I was pleasantly surprised they also brew an IPA which was one of the only IPA’s available for tasting at the event. And what a great IPA at that! Big hop aroma on the nose and a sweet maltyness going down, finishing up with a awesome hoppy bitterness which hop-heads like me are addicted to. Hope to see more from these guys.

Notable Mentions:

Mudgee Brewing Amazing Wheat beer! Has the biggest banana aroma of any wheat beer I have ever tasted! Great to see a good Aussie brewer making a PROPER wheat beer.

Black Duck Brewery Great beers on show especialy the PROPER bitter lovely beer could’ve drank it all day… and that has nothing to do with the fact it has PROPER in its name I swear (^_^).

Ekim Brewing & Happy Goblin best pale ales at the event-great bunch of guys too!

Mark’s Home Brew– Mark and Shawn great guys and last minute suppliers for taps and things so the breweries could serve us beery people beer! Thanks Heaps!

Last but not least a massive thanks to Mark Mead & Crew from Warners at the Bay and Corey Crooks & crew from the Albion Hotel & Newcastle Craft Beer week Founder for making this amazing event happen….us beery folks really appreciate the enormous time and effort that you guys have  put into this event to make it a cracker! Cheers fellas.

PROPERBEERMATE

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Well here we finally are at this very special week in November! Newcastle Craft Beer Week has begun!! One of the opening events was a Ladies only night  event hosted by “the beer Diva” Kirrily Waldron at Bar Petite on King Street here in beaut Newie!

Now you might be thinking did PROPERBEERMATE have to wear a wig, mascara and a pretty dress to get in and review this event?  Sorry to disappoint you but no….I sent in the PROPERBEER MAIDENS!  Who took all the photos and notes for me to complete this review!  Cheers ladies!

Now onto the beers!

Hargreaves Hill Hefeweizen

A wonderful representation of the style and one of my favies too. Aromas on the nose are the traditional lolly banana and clove you’d expect from a good Hefe along with a welcome surprise of  some vanilla notes as well. Great drinkability smooth and very refreshing going down. The PROPERBEER MAIDEN’S favorite of the night!

Matilda Bay Bohemian Pilsner

Little to no hop aroma on the nose,  very appealing appearance and easy drinking as most pils type beers are but with a slight bitter finish.Nothing fancy here…. very close resemblance to the macro brew lagers available on tap at most pubs.

2 Birds Brewing Golden Ale

Big strong honey notes on the aroma along with a somewhat fermented soy bean quality too! Very smooth going down due to the intentional low carbonation of this beer. Would go great with any chilli based spicy foods to cut through the heat.

Ninkasi’s Angel Tripel

The first all female brewer collaboration brew here in Australia! Which is also named after an ancient beer goddess, is a Belgian inspired style of  beer which incorporates local ingredients to complement the traditional Tripel style. Big spice notes on the nose, full bodied and quite strong on the alcohol make this brew a sipper not a chugger by any means. Goes great with a good cheese and crackers on a cool night!   

Hunter Beer Co. Lambic

Very young home brew and sour aroma to this brew. Again on the taste very yeastie  applely and SOUR!  Needs more time to mature in the bottle maybe to mellow it out a bit perhaps… but then again this is a sour style. The Chocolate tart that complemented this brew however was excellent!   

Thanks again to the PROPERBEER MAIDENS for their superb tasting skills and notes!

And to Kirrily Waldron “the beer Diva”  who has broken down so many barriers and perceptions of beer appreciation and beer culture for both females and males over years through her constant hard work in the beer community here in Australia and aboard. We beer enthusiasts thank you for your passion and commitment towards the craft that is beer. Cheers!

PROPERBEERMATE

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Without further ado here is the full list of events for  Newcastle craft beer week in the last week of November 2011!! Woohoo!

It’s gonna be beertastic!(All entry priced are listed in Australian dollars)

Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th Hunter Beer Co. Oktoberfest

Monday 21st – 6pm @ Prince of Wales Hotel
Beer & Cheese – $40 per person
with McLaren Vale Beer Co, Lord Nelson Brewery & Murrays Brewery

Monday 21st – 7pm @ Bar Petite
Women & Beer – $40 per person (Female ONLY Event)
Hosted by Kirrily Waldron (The Beer Diva)
All Beers brewed by females by 2 Birds Brewing + True South + Hunter Beer Co.

Monday 21st – 8pm @ The Junction Hotel
Meet The Brewers – $30 per person
With 4 Pines Brewing Company & Rocks Brewing McLaren Vale Beer Company

Tuesday 22nd – The Boardwalk Craft Beer Crawl
6pm @ Silo Restaurant and Lounge with Hunter Beer Co. Head Brewer Keith Grice
8pm @ Dockyard with Murray’s Craft Brewing Co Head Brewer Shawn Sherlock
$50 includes both Silo & Dockyard Events

Tuesday 22nd – 7pm @ The Burwood Inn
Aussie Craft Beer Showcase – $35 per person
Hosted by Lachlan McBean with guests

Wednesday 23rd – 6pm @ The Delany Hotel
The Art of Brewing – $40
Hosted by Coopers Brewery Technical Manager Simon Fahey
Also Includes ‘Newcastle Home Brew Awards’
Home Brew Awards Entries limited to one beer / brewer Sample brews to be dropped into Mark’s Home Brew Shop, Maitland Rd, Islington

Wednesday 23rd – 7pm @ Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club
‘Where it all Started’ – $75
Matilda Bay Brewing
4 Course Dinner with 8 Beers

Wednesday 23rd – 7pm @ Clarendon Hotel
‘Meet The Brewer Dinner’ – $75
Burleigh Brewing
Hosted by Owner/Head Brewer Brennan Fielding

Thursday 24th – 6.30pm @ Albion Hotel
‘Official Newcastle Craft Beer Week Dinner’ – $99 per person
Featuring The Brewers from
Stone & Wood, Feral, Mclaren Vale, 4 Pines, Murrays, Hunter, Burleigh & Holgate

Friday 25th – 12.00pm @ The Delany Hotel
‘Tales & Ales Long Lunch’ $75
James Squire Brewing
Hosted by Chuck Hahn

Friday 25th – 7pm @ Clarendon Hotel
‘Let’s Get Crafty’ $45
Hosted by Little Creatures & White Rabbit

Saturday 26th – 12.00pm @ Albion Hotel
Beer & Food (BBQ Session) $50
Hosted by Holgate Brewhouse, Stone & Wood, Mountain Goat
Also featuring a special guest host.

Saturday 26th 6pm @ Albion Hotel
‘Have a beer with the brewers’
FREE ENTRY
A informal chance to share a beer and chat with Australia’s best brewers!

Sunday 27th 12pm – 4pm, Warners @ The Bay
5th Annual Beer Festival – $50 per person
30 Brewing Companies Involved

Contact the venues direct to book into any events follow the links to their facebook pages for contact info (www.facebook.com/newcastlecraftbeerweek) or contact me and i’ll point ya in the right direction: [email protected]

Cheers! PROPERBEEREMATE

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I am pleased to announce that our beaut city of Newcastle is hosting it’s first Craft Beer Week between the 21st and 27th of November 2011! With 12 pubs onboard and over 20 brewery partners as well the event is set to go off! Not even Sydney- you know that other city in N.S.W. has an event like this!   Over the course of the week there will be a whole range of beery events happening such as a Home Brew competition, beer style based pub crawls and a Ladies only beer tasting event hosted by none other than the Beer Diva herself  Kirrily Waldhorn. Newcastle has always been a  beer town with being the home to the highest percentage of home brewers in the country! This event will really show the city’s love of PROPER BEER!

More info on the week will be posted on the lead up to the event- so watch this space!

PROPERBEERMATE

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