Gulden Draak - Belgium

Gulden Draak - 4.5/5

This little Belgian dark tripel is not for the faint of heart. It’s incredibly complex and earned its title of “best tasting beer in the world” by the American Tasting Institute in 1998.
The golden dragon mostly smells of alcohol due to its whopping 10.5%, however you may get some hints of coffee. It pours out a vibrant, dark ruby color and has a substantial, white frothy head.
On the tongue you will get notes of raisins, plum and dark cherries. There is a touch of sweet caramel malt in there too for good measure. Overall, an incredible beer that needs to go on your beer bucket list.

Karl Strauss Red Trolley Ale - San Diego CA

Karl Strauss Red Trolley Ale - 3.5/5

Clang, clang, clang goes the sound of a case of Red Trolley in my shopping cart. Trolley as we simply call it has become a keeper in my beer fridge. I quite enjoy it and it would be safe to say that it’s my wifes favorite beer.

It pours a light red color and has minimal head and medium fizz. It’s sweet and malty with little to no hop bitterness.
With this in mind, I find it to be a little one dimensional.
It’s a good consumption beer and pairs well with grilled pork or BBQ chicken pizza.

St John Brewers – Virgin Islands, Island Hoppin IPA – St John

Virgin Islands, Island Hoppin IPA - 3.5/5

A friend from work, Paul was thoughtful enough to smuggle me back a beer from his week in the Virgin Islands.

I happened to be eating a meaty pizza last night so thought it was a good opportunity to pull out an IPA from the beer fridge. Having said that, it would take some convincing that this beer is a true IPA. It poured out a light amber color and had a nice white foamy head. It was light and fizzy which lead to high drinkability. There was a sharp citrus hop note up front which gently lingered and slowly drifted away. Sounds like an IPA right? I would almost call it an India Pale Lager.

Although deliciously drinkable, it lacked the complexity of a true IPA. If you can get your hands on it, I recommend it as a session beer. Thanks Paul for the donation. It was a worthy addition to my repertoire.

Fullers Vintage Ale 2010 bottle # 092429 - Chiswick, London - UK

Fullers Vintage Ale 2010 bottle # 092429 - 4.5/5

My lovely and thoughtful wife bought me a “Groupon” for Texas Liquor which is a favorite, eclectic local liquor store. Considering it was a smoking deal I thought I would pick up a few higher end beers specifically for the brews reviews.

Having eyed off the Fuller Vintage Ale many times and dreamed about the malty goodness within, I found it to be a no-brainer to make it a part of the next tasting session. Being bottle conditioned, it has the opportunity to mature given the optimal environment. The bottle I picked up happened to be a 2010 vintage. This one had a classic English dark ale feel to it. It has a nice fizz from the bottle conditioning and notes of dark fruit and caramel. There is a dark, roasty taste and then a warm undertone at the finish.

I would recommend letting it sit out of the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes to bring the temperature up to bring out the rich flavors. Overall, a very impressive drop.

Stone Pale Ale - Stone Brewing Co - Escondido, CA

Stone Pale Ale, Stone Brewing Co - 4/5

Stone Pale was one of the first local San Diego microbrews I stumbled across and is now a “go-to” beer for me.

It’s hoppy and malty and strikes what I feel to be one of the most perfectly balanced pale ales on the shelves.
It pours out a light hazy amber color and to the mouth you will get a subtle toffee maltiness harmoniously balanced with a bold floral hop.

It has the drinkability to be a session beer but also the complexity to be paired with cheeses and meats.

I am so fond of this beer that we served it to our guests at our wedding. What better way to showcase a local San Diego brew than to offer it to a mob of thirsty Australians.

La Fin Du Monde – Unibroue - Canada

La Fin Du Monde, Unibroue - 4.5/5

I’ve always wanted to spend a week in Belgium in search of the perfect beer as for me, Belgium is holy ground for beers. To my surprise I discovered the holy grail was right at my doorstep in a rather unlikely part of the world, Canada.

This little tipple was sitting on the shelf at my local super market and I guess I was drawn in by the label.

Having studied French in high school I knew enough that this translated to ‘the end of the world’ and let me tell you, if this was my last day on Earth and this was all there was to drink, I would die a happy man.

It pours out a beautiful hazy blond color and smells of luxurious Belgian yeast. In the mouth it has notes of caramel and spices and then there’s that Belgian yeast again.

Although it boasts a moderate 9%, the alcohol is not overpowering at all. This is a fantastic session beer and pairs well with mussels in white wine.

It’s available pretty much anywhere, is reasonably priced and very drinkable. Rather dangerous in my eyes.

Round up your mates for a GUINNESS on St Patrick's Day

Another funny beer advertisement from Belgium

Stealthy beach beers

Now I'm not one to condone drinking in public but this is ingenuity at it's best.

Throw a little ice in the bottom of a soda cup, drop a can or bottle of your favorite beverage in, feed the straw through and Bob's ya uncle.

Aussie beer glassware 101

Have you ever driven from Melbourne to Sydney for the weekend, walked into the local pub and asked for a “pot-o-Vic” only to be greeted by a blank stare. If not a blank stare then maybe a look on the bar tenders face that plainly says, “bloody Victorians and their little glasses and crappy beers”.

To clarify for my international audience, it’s very important when in an Aussie pub that you order your beer the right way otherwise you never know what you’re going to get. Depending on which area of the country you live in, you would ask for a different type of glass for your beer. You can’t simply ask for a glass of your favorite amber nectar because there are so many choices in size depending on which state you're in. In the US, it's common to simply name the beer you want and then the bar staff will give you 2 options by volume which equates to big or bigger. Sounds easy enough but I can guarantee you that Aussie bar staff have no idea of the actual capacity of each glass. It's simply easier to know them by name and know which one is bigger than the other.

Being a Victorian I quickly learned there were only 3 sizes that mattered and was an indication of how hammered you intended on getting. The pot which is roughly half a pint is great on hot days as your beer never really gets warm. The downside is that you find yourself at the bar a whole lot more often. That’s why pints are perfect in my opinion. Pints are a nice size and force you to drink at a somewhat manly pace, thus to ensure your beverage of choice does not become tepid. The last one you need to know is the big daddy and is useful if you are getting beers for a few mates. The jug is the perfect size to share round some beer and will usually save you a few dollars in the process. I know you Americans think that jugs is the name of a magazine you'll likely find on display at your local 711 but to us Aussies, jugs is the godfather of beer vessels. What's a "pitcher" anyway? Something you hang on your wall.... or the guy who throws a ball at a guy with a round bat?

Speaking of pictures, this image is a rough guide to Aussie beer glassware. Stay tuned for more on selecting the right glass for your beer, AKA the right tool for the job.

Cheers, Matt the beerblogga