Thanks for the answers and the dialogue Only a few questions and shall call this over after this. Best overall Australian beer you have had in the last calendar year Best overall Import beer you have had this year (not abroad or grey market) Best overall importer for Australia Choices are: Innspire, Northdown, Hop and Spirit, Phoenix, and Palais Best Australian beer experience you have had this year. Not abroad.
Best Australian Beer - Murray's AA5 Best Imported Beer - Mikkeller Nelson Sauvignon Best Importer - (This is difficult but) Hop & Spirit - at least they send what they get to Canberra. No Mamouche for us dammit. Best Australian Beer Experience - Turning thousands on to craft beer at the National Multicultural Festival with great craft beer from the Wig & Pen.
Best Australian.....drum roll please..... Thorny Goat - Mountain Goat Best import.... Big Smoke - 8 Wired Best importer, no idea. Though I have been very happy with the NZ beers (8 Wired, Yeastie Boys, Epic) and getting the Sierra Nevada harvest stuff has been a treat. Best Australian beer experience - top three HOPs tastings at the New Sydney are always a good time (sometimes too good). Hosting your good self on Christmas and drinking that 08 Abyss was a good night. Receiving a bottle of 2010 Clout Stout in a trade/donation from spicelab for my 500th review (and then being contacted by the brewer to thank me for the review) Hope that doesnt break the rules but had some extra input from not replying to the other threads
I should answer........ Australian----- Thorny Goat Import-- BA George Importer--- Hop and Spirit. I probably buy more Phoenix stuff but for an overall range Can not beat what Hop and Spirit brings in. Best experience------- My Christmas trip to Tasmania. Christmas Eve at MONA, Christmas night at Joecast's house. Abyss was unreal. The bottle shop in Burnie was just an insane find. Had every intention of drinking very little on the trip and then just went nuts on the Tasmanian beers.
Australian - Mt Goat Rare Breed IPA Import - 8 Wired Tall Poppy Importer - Phoenix - They're down the road from my house for personal purchases and their service and range is fantastic for my professional purchases. Plus, when I go there, being forced to purchases 9 litres everytime I want a beer for the house, due to wholesale laws, is kind of funny. Best Experience - Night of the Barrels 2011 @ the Sail & Anchor. Yes, I know I work there but it was awesome. The beer list was Colonial Mumme, Last Drop Fass, North Coast XX Anniversary Strong Ale, Feral King Brown (Cognac Barrel Aged), Moo Brew Velvet Sledgehammer (Cold Aged for 9 months) and Mikk. Black. If I could drink the Sledgehammer everyday, I wouldn't need women ever again. And a close second was last Saturday for my beer club. My friends home brew pale ale, Hitachino's Nest White Ale, Bear Rep. Racer 5, Moylens Stout, Epic Epicurian Fig Oatmeal Stout, Fuller's 14th Brewer's Reserve.....plus a $200 botlle of Chianti with roast lamb for dinner. All that was missing was the hookers to snort my coke off.
Australian - Feral Boris Import - Odins Tipple Importer - props to all of them but would have to say phoenix Experience - a tie between the Grain Cru tasting sessions and winning over friends and family with good real beer.
Australian - Thorny Goat Import - Brother Theolonious Importer - no idea Experience - Trying new beers with friends, and seeing my friends get more into craft beer.
Australian: Murrays Anniversary Ale #1 Import: Mikkeller BA George Importer: Phoenix Experience: Group tastings, had plenty over the past year with fellow BA's, all have been good fun with some great beer.
Australian - Nogne 0 / Bridge Roads India Saison Best overall Import beer - No 233 Bogedal Bryghus Best overall importer for Australia - Phoenix Best Australian beer experience you have had this year. Not abroad.- good night at Taphouse or Harts can't be beat with some mates
Australian: Feral Rye IPA Import: St Bernardus Abt 12 Importer: Phoenix Experience/s: Grain Cru tasting (US East vs West Coast beers); receiving my first Westy 12 in the mail (havent cracked it yet), countless Sunday lunches up at Feral in Baskerville soaking up Rye IPA, Barrel Aged Hop Hog, Raging Flem, Boris and numerous other sensational brews.
Australia: Clout 2010 / Wild thing (from 2010) Import: Les Trois Mousquetaires 2010 Porter Baltique (hmm... seems I liked 2010 darks in general) Importer: Phoenix -tip of the cap to you phoenix! ("your apartment smells of rich mahogony") Experience: Meeting Mikell and other amazing brewers and trying amazing beers with them only two weeks ago at one of the Melbourne good food and wine events!
Australian Beer: Feral Rye IPA Import: Fou Founne Importer: Phoenix. Hands down. Experience: Having moved out recently with my girlfriend, enjoying a pint of my own Pale Ale on the couch out the front of my house was pretty special.
Australian is realistically Thorny Goat (although it only arguably qualifies as I think it was last made over a year ago). Honourable mentions to Wild Thing and Kooinda Black IPA Import - Uh, BA George I guess. Honourable mentions to Red Rocket Ale, West Coast IPA and Hopsickle Don't pay that much attention to importers, I'm tempted to say Phoenix but I'm not really sure what the others bring in. Experience: Group tastings and drinking loads of IPAs, both imported and local.
Best Australian: probably Hargreaves Hill Phoenix - but also might be disqualified as too old. Otherwise Thornygoat. Best import: Mikkeller Nelson Sauvignon Best importer:Hop and Spirit Experience: Group tastings, espeically the generosity of those attending in sharing some seriously fine brews.
