James Squire 150 Lashes - Malt Shovel Brewery

lacqueredmouse

Australia

2.83/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

345ml bottle purchased from Dan Murphy's in Alexandria. Although this has been out for a while now, I don't believe I've ever had it from a bottle, only on-tap.

On-tap, this pours genuinely cloudy, much like a Coopers green, which this seems to be trying to emulate, but here it's relatively clear, with just a slight hazing towards the end: although I don't believe it'd bottle-conditioned, I'm guessing there's a yeast addition towards the end to add the haze, and this has settled out in my bottle. Head is very minimal: a fine white ring around the top of the glass, even after a relatively vigorous pour. Some fine carbonation, but mostly it looks flat and still. Not bad, but not something to make you enthusiastic either.

Nose is a mixture of husky grain and earthy, woody PoR characters. There's something faintly floral sitting around the edges, but this seems to undermine the other characters, making the already questionable aromas seem weak as well. Some sweetness comes through as it warms, perhaps a touch of honey or banana. But mostly, it smells like a slightly off-colour Coopers green.

Taste is lighter and sweeter than Coopers though (sorry to keep making the comparison, but it's so obviously the comparison to make), with a solid liquid malt character running through the centre, chased by the ghost of Pride. Some fluffy savoury biscuit characters rise up after a while, along with a plasticky tone towards the back. Finish is suprisingly long, without the crispness, or the bite of hops it feels it needs.

Feel is slightly sticky, and slightly bloating.

Overall, I'm not a real fan. I find this a better option than the ubiquitous New, Extra Dry or Pure Blonde, but it's certainly worse than Coopers green or red. This just has some off-kilter elements: the additional sweetness, the funky floral overtones, the thick finish. It makes it seem like a needless and feckless brew as a result.

I'll stick to the Golden or the Pilsner if there are no better choices, thanks.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 05:55:47 | More by lacqueredmouse

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

345ml bottle poured into pint glass 8/22/12 thanks Mikey for hauling this around the world for me
-from notes

A very pale golden yellow with lots of bubbles but just a short lived thin film that leaves no lace

S faint tropical notes with some bread, honey and caramel, I get just a little bubblegum as it warms

T not very far from the smell at all, I get a little thrills gum I didn't smell, its a soapy gum for all you Aussies

M light bodied with perhaps too much carbonation, its a little foamy

O a pretty basic brew but its easy enough too drink, not the strongest smell and taste but whats there I like

pretty light beer perhaps well suited for a hot Aussie summer, thanks again Mikey

I never actually saw any ratings for this one before I took my notes and I'm surprised its rated this low, I wasn't blown away by any means but a 2.78 average? seems pretty low

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 00:27:32 | More by wordemupg

jarmby1711

Australia

3.2/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I am a fan of this Brewery for a variety of reasons , so probably mark them a little higher than others producing the same beer.
that said this is one of the weaker beers.
It looks ok and smells ok but just tastes a bit plain.
English Pale Ale seems to be a hodge podge of potential flavours , and this doesnt' seem to capture any in particular , and certainly not any well.
Drinkable but in racing parlance , prefer others

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2012 03:48:34 | More by jarmby1711

PolarBear3

Australia

2.9/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Poured a golden straw colour with two fingered head that laces very well.

S - Fruity with orange/ lemonade aromas almost like a shandy

T - Grainy, malt and light hops with citrus fruits but a little bitter and bland on the finish.

M - light/Medium bodied with light carbonation

O - Just an average beer that is very pleasant to drink but lacks a real flavour punch that a pale ale should have. Just average.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 08:04:24 | More by PolarBear3

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

2.9/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle labelled 4.2% from woolworth's. From notes.

A - Pours light golden with copper tones, bright. One finger of fizzy white head gone fast. Good carb. Very little lace and no retention.

S - Some light citrus.

T - Nce smooth malty sweetness, citrus hops, maybe some toffee, tropical flavours...if this was to style with more altiness it'd be a much better rating.

M - Nice carbonation, light to medium body and a hoppy/fruity finish.

O/D - probably not an EPA, but certainly not bad. A decent drink. Clean but no overly flavourful. I wouldn't buy this again but wouldn't turn it down.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 11:27:50 | More by tbeckett

jjkatter

Australia

3/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

330 ml bottle poured into a goblet...

A- deep amber with a light head that dissipates quickly.

S- a bit of hops and citrus.

T- a bit of an unsweetened tea taste with a hoppy bitterness not too unpleasant, but there are definitely finer examples of this style out there.

MF- this beer doses have a nice mouthfeel to it. It has a fair amount of balance that finishes nice.

O- this brand is widely available in Australia, but its the first time I've seen this Stow Away IPA offered. This beer is quite bold and flavorful. I think it is slightly better than your average beer available here. Its worth a try...

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 11:01:46 | More by jjkatter

LittleCreature

Australia

2.8/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance - 4.0
Pours an inch of white foam head which gradually receded to a thin layer, leaving rings of lace over its slightly hazy, golden body.

Smell - 2.5
Vaguely fruity aroma suggests of citrus, along with macro-lager-like notes of husk and grain.

Taste - 3.0
Again, very lager-like in its lightness and blandness. Grainy malt backbone, low hop bitterness, light mandarin flavour. Nice dry finish with a little lingering bitterness.

Mouthfeel - 2.5
Light bodied, moderately carbonated, rather thin and watery.

Overall - 2.5
We are supposed to review to style, but there is nothing English about this beer, in fact, it is hard to see it as a pale ale. It's inoffensive, but there is really nothing here to entice real beer lovers. When they come out with stuff like this, it's increasingly difficult to see Malt Shovel as a craft brewery.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 08:30:53 | More by LittleCreature

dansmcd

Australia

2.75/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap at the Generous Squire in Perth. Cloudy orange colour with a flimsy white head that disappears all too quickly. Faint caramel malt and citrus aroma. Taste follows the nose, particularly in its lack of punch and character. Not unpleasant, just too subtle and weak. An OK pale ale, but a myriad of better options around.

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2011 04:00:43 | More by dansmcd

davidfoley

New York

3/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Golden straw colour, light carbonation, low head retention, good clarity

Smell - Light Malt, Banana, Kiwi, mandarin.. Overall fruity, not a strong aroma

Taste - Light carbonation, light hops, malt sweetness, mild fruit flavours. Little after-taste

Mouthfeel - low/medium weight with light carbonation.

Drinkability - Light beer of which you could drink a few, needs more carbonation to make it more drinkable. A drink to guzzle on a hot day

Overall - Not a bad beer, but generally bland and uninspiring

Printed on the side of the bottle :
A clean finishing, Australian-style cloudy pale ale for cracking refreshment. Malted what adds to it's refreshing character and a concoction of hops creates fruity aromas with hints of passion fruit, grapefruit & citrus

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 07:47:02 | More by davidfoley

soju6

Missouri

2.75/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

On-tap at the Portland Brewhouse.

A: Served a pale golden color with a decent head and some lacing.

S: Not much here, only a light grain aroma with a hint of citrus.

T: Pretty bland, just a bit of citrus and sweetness with a mild bitterness.

F: Light body, watery with no character.

O: First bummer from the Malt Shovel people.
This could pass for a Coors Light.

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2011 06:01:59 | More by soju6

doktorhops

Australia

1.88/5  rDev -36.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

I'm not one who ever wants to be a spoiler (I hate those guys!) I will however before I begin this review say one thing; this beer sucks! I really, really wanted to like this beer as I'm a little bit of a fan of James Squires IPA, Pilsner and Porter, however this beer is a massive letdown from one of Australia's best brewers. Where do I even begin? [from the beginning, duh!] I have NO idea what was going through the brewers mind when they tasted this and thought "this is good, lets sell this".

Poured from a 345ml bottle into a conical pint.

A: The body presents with a semi-clear Gamboge colour and a 2cm chalk white head that dissolves down to a weak lacing.

S: The aroma has a Pride of Ringwoody odor that leaves it's insidious rotten vegetable stain (Pride of Ringwood is the primary hop used in Australian macro lagers and the mark of an average beer at best IMO). Grains are very lagery as well, this "Pale Ale" is another impostor!

T: Weak, boring, ineffectual... all three words could be used to describe the flavour accurately. This brew is a lager at best (a weak lager at that). There is a strong corn grain base followed through by non-existent hops (pathetic hops for a Pale Ale!) and a dry slightly crisp finish... I never wanted my money back so bad (at least when I reviewed VB and Tooheys I knew I was in for a crap beer).

M: Lagery mouthfeel, maybe a little less gassy than usual but still watery and weak.

D: Don't piss in my glass and tell me it's water James Squire. Somebody should have been fired for this travesty of a Pale Ale. I understand that Mr. Squire has bills to pay and profit margins (and whatnot) but this is really taking the piss - 1.1 standard drinks!? If you want to make a mid-strength make it like "Rogers" not this watered down Aussie macro lager swill. Now I may sound a little bit harsh on James Squire but thats only because they set the bar so high - they should never have brewed this beer, end of story/review.

Food match: I can't think of any food that will complement a beer this weak - it would have to be plain toast with steamed rice and a side of non-buttered popcorn, even then I think the flavour of the food might overpower this beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 08:33:15 | More by doktorhops

heygeebee

Australia

2.83/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a good two finger white head over a typical straw body. Good bubbles. All OK so far.

Aromas? Not too much due to serving temp - some Coopers-like pear but not much.

Taste sadly degenerates into blandness. Malts to the fore, no real hops to balance. This really is not JS moving forward with their range at all, indeed backwards. It's all very 'integrated' but in a way that cries mainstream. Needs a standout element to say 'this is new beer'. A pale imitation of Coopers Pale if anything..

Yes I could drink it all night, but would I? - not thru choice....

Serving type: on-tap

10-13-2011 05:13:10 | More by heygeebee

madvoice

Australia

2/5  rDev -32.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured a golden colour with a very sudsy head that disappeared quickly and left no discernable lacing. Smells of citrus and yeast. No real taste to it. Resembles bad bore water wtih carbonation and a bitter aftertaste. Actually, I've had better bore water than this beer. There's no real flavour, no body and no substance. Drinkable like bad bore water is drinkable... only if you boiled it. Probably should've boiled this. Malt Shovel, I'm ashamed of you!

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 12:50:46 | More by madvoice

Kulrak

Australia

2.03/5  rDev -31.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pours a bright golden color with absolutely no head, even when poured straight into the glass. Smells watery, and a little grassy. Tastes pretty clean, very little sweetness, very little bitterness, finishes...watery. Mouthfeel, again, watery. Overall, it's watery. I expected more from Malt Shovel.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 11:23:35 | More by Kulrak

CrazyDavros

Australia

2.88/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours pale amber with a quickly fading head.
Nose shows restrained floral and fruity notes along with faint grainy malt.
Flavours include sweet light malt with grainy notes and a soft, light bitterness.
Could use more carbonation.
Pretty dumbed down.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 09:25:57 | More by CrazyDavros

ADZA

Australia

3/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a hazy pale straw hue which leaves a fast vanishing two finger head and no lacing,the smell is malted wheat,herbal hops and light citrus,the mouthfeel is light bodied and average with tastes of orange rind,malted wheat,candy,a touch of lemon and finished with a barley sugar sweetness and overall its a little to similar to Coopers Pale Ale but has more citrus zest to it and to be honest with my high standards i was expecting alot more from this and would drink over CPA but wouldnt buy myself for a session brew as its price for quality distracts me cheers.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 15:20:55 | More by ADZA

aeolianshredhead

Australia

3.03/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A- Typical almost amber colour. Quite decent carbonation with a miniscule head and no lacing. Not too bad.

S- Faint fruity smell. Grapefruit and citrus. Certainly not robust but it actually smells pretty good.

T- Terribly misleading aroma. The palate is quite light and thin. It's just a slight sweetness followed by extremely faint hops. Unfortunately, POR lurks on the back.. Minus points of that.

M- Light, but pleasantly so. Carbonation level is good and adds some kick.

O- Malt Shovel Brewery were clearly going for refreshment over taste here. That said, it's not entirely a flat affair, this beer does have it's good points. I'd be lying if I said this wasn't altogether underwhelming, though.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 11:39:10 | More by aeolianshredhead

dgilks

Australia

3.1/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Hazy light golden colour with a big, fluffy white head. Good head retention.

Dusty, lightly malty aroma with a hint of earthy but indescript hop. Nothing special.

Light pale malt flavour with some serious graininess. Very mild bitterness and a touch of earthy, slightly metallic hops. What a waste of malt and hops.

Medium body with moderate carbonation. Fine.

This is not a good pale ale. In an age where craft brewing is moving ahead, a beer like this is pseudo-craft taking us 10 years backwards. Bring back the old Golden Ale brewed in Camperdown I say.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 06:02:22 | More by dgilks

vancurly

Australia

3.13/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

a) Straw coloured, haze-free, good bubbling and decent lace.

s) Grain and apple aromas. Slight funky note of damp hay.

t) Husky note, slight honey, restrained hops, almost Kolsch-like in delicate grain profile.

m) Light, spritzig

o) Refreshing ale, definitely in the class of "Aussie Pale" (but not "Pacific Ale"). A good sessionable, summer ale.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2011 08:23:50 | More by vancurly