The Bow Bar Festival in full swing

This will be an odd blog entry as i will update this most day, rather than post a new blog each day.


Day1 only 4 of the Festival beers on at lunch time, but the Landlord was down to £1.50 in order to clear the line ASAP :-) None the less of the 4 beers they has 2 of my Favourite.

The utterly amazing Highland Orkney Porter, and Cairngorm Black Gold. Also on was York Citra, and William Brothers Fourth of July. I tried the Fourth of July which was a decent bitter , little sweet but well balanced, the Citra which while quite nice wasnt a patch on Tempest or Kernel Citra, and of course i could not leave without a half of the Highland Orkney Porter. This beer as ive probably said before is on my quite short list of beer that i try every time i see them, and this time it was just stunning.

In many ways this is the best ive every had it, the depth and complexity of the roast was amazing, body was full and rich. However this was a 2009 cask and there was definitely a touch of oxidation to distract. Now dont get me wrong. The time that added the oxidation also allowed the beer to mature into the wonderful beast that it is. This beer is a treat every time i see it, and this time was above average despite the oxidation.

I also manage to persuade a random Canadian into trying the Orkney Porter and it got a big thumbs up from him to. So head down there and try some soon. It wont last long

More Musing tommorow (with a bit of luck)

Day 2

,

Well as can be seen from the Taps above, we have already had 2 casualty with the Black Gold  and the York Citra disappearing since yesterday. But new on since yesterday we find a full tap festival line up, with Fyne ales Fiddlers Gold, Okells Santium, Pot Belly Black sun, Black Isle Yellow Hammer, Green Jack Orange Wheat, and Oakleaf Some are Drinking.

Today I had another Half of the Orkney Porter and who can Blame me. No extra notes needed other than to say its not often i have the same beer 2 days in a row. But the opportunity to drink this in cask should not be passed up, I also had a half of the frankly disappointing  Black Sun, first off i assumed this was going to be a stout or porter (like theres any difference) but it clearly wasnt. I suspect this is blend of there Beijing Black and their bitter. All told it wasnt Bad, but it really wasnt up to much and i wont be going back to that one.

Much to my pleasant surprise i was able to talk another random punter into going for the Orkney Porter, but i struck out on my 3rd attempt when the woman said it was too sweet for her. Well not every one can have the class and sophistication that i do :-)

With Luck next report on Monday


Day 5

Well as can be seen and as can be expected over the weekend all the Beers have changed. So who know what i may have missed :-) Today i sampled the average Concrete Cow vanilla stout and the wonderful or is that Sublime, Sublime Stout from Fyne Ales. More again tomorrow.

Day 6 with just a few tap changes (I'm expecting about 4 more to have changed by the time of writing)

Today i had a decent if very average beer in the form of Wold Top Golden Summer, a golden blond ale, with light hop flavour profile with long bitter linger, and the really quite tasty Corvedale St. Georges stout. This is a very standard dry roast stout. Nice dark red black , thin tan head, good solid roast malt base, some coffee charcoal roast. Could have done with a little more body to it, but not thin. All told very tasty.

Well we are heading towards my last few days of the Festival (just 2 more to go) here is Day 7 Report

As can be seen 4 of the Taps have changed since yesterday as predicted, and im expecting 4 more to have changed by tomorrow. Todays tasty delights were Potbelly Streaky and Burnside M-Pire. Both were decent but neither were exciting. The streaky was a pale golden light lemon hopped ale, where as the M-Pire was more a toffee malty ale. Rumour has it that there a few Stouts due to come on, so lets hope i see a new stout tommorow.

Day 8 and my last report. I will be in again tomorrow but no time to write it up.

As can be seen another few beers have hit the dust, but the Otley is still holding on there. Sadly the barman attributes this to it being 5% and thats just a little bit on the strong side so has been selling slower. It seems strange to me, but ive seen it at many beer festivals where quite a few people do consider 5% to be just a little strong. Ah well each to there own. Today i tryed the Finch from Natural selection, 4 students at Herriot Watt university. Nice to see they didnt go for a blond beers, but something like an old ale, soft toffee malt, deep fruits, was just a little sweet though and Naylors Porticus Stout, again being a stout it was more likly to impress and again i was pleased not to be disappointed, a good solid chocolate roast. Very nice all told.


In summary, i wasnt blown away by too many this time, and for me the festival not having as many "big" beers it didnt quite live up to the Winter festival. But still a great mix and i had a great time nipping in everyday. Star of the show should be no surprise to anyone. It was Clearly the Delicious  Highland Orkney Porter, a beer i never tire singing the praises of.
Oddly nearly all the other stouts and porters ,seemed to be a deep red brown colour than a deep thick black, no idea why this migth be, but it was just a silly observation i had over the week.

Roll on the Winter Festival.

In breaking news though i discovered that the Wonderful Manager of the BowBar, Helen is moving on, It will be sad to see her go, and im sure more than me will miss her, but I know shes trained the staff well and that we will be in safe hands.

So here to you Helen, and all the Best, You know your always welcome to my tastings.

All over the Floor

CAMRA released the GBBF floor plan today
http://gbbf.camra.org.uk/files/floorplan/GBBF2011_FloorPlan.pdf

and i knew it was coming but the proof is in the Floor plan. The BSF bar has been split into 3 Section across the festival. Wont make much difference to me as im mostly interested in the US cask so wont have to move much. Well apart from when i go Hunting the De Molen beers :-)


still start making your plans now its easy to get lost in the Crowd.

Beer People are Good People

I had a great night at the Brewdog IPA Wars night, but one of the best things about it were the people there.

From the beer staff that i know, to the Great friends that i turned up with.

But it was also great to meet some of the folks from twitter that ive never met.
So imagine my surprise when one of them said, "Heh ive brought you a beer."
WHAT!!!!
That immediately put him into my favourite category of people. Those that have a beer for me.

Well obviously he had me pinned to a T. He knew of my Love of New beers, and had put a lot of effort into finding a beer i probably hadnt had. Better still he actually managed to pull off a tricky feat. He managed to get a UK beer that i really wanted. So thanks to @AdamSh  for the Black Sheep Imperial Stout.

This is what makes beer people so cool. This isnt the first time this kind of thing has happened to me, and i hope ive managed to be as generous in return.

the BSF bars and tounge in cheek analysis

Well Its been about 12 hours since i posted the beer list for the 4 BSF bars(see my previous posts) and a day and a half since i posted my Thoughts on BSF@GBBF.

So lets look at the page views
Clear out in the Lead is the NewWorld bar with 141 views, Just behind that is the Belgian and Dutch bar with 123 views, next is the USA cask bar(my top choice) with 107 views, trailing behind them comes my Views on BSF with 99 views but strugling to be interesting is the German and Czech bar with only 84 views.


So its clear that on the whole no one is interested in me, and that new world beers are almost twice as interesting as German and Czech beers. But the biggest surprise  for me was that Belgian and Dutch beers gathered more interest than US cask beers.


Im going to be mostly drinking US cask at GBBF and buying mostly New World beers to take home.

Just what do other people plan, or maybe tomorrow i can report how this blog entry only interest 1 man and his dog.

BSF at GBBF 2001 New World Beer Bar

Here you will find the

BSF Programme entry for 2011

New World Beer bar:

Bottled Beers:

American Beers:

Brewery	Beer	ABV	Description
Ballast Point	Big Eye IPA	7.0%	American Centennial hops are used exclusively to bitter, flavour, finish, and dry hop Big Eye IPA. Its full hop flavour is guaranteed to please the palate of the true hop head.
Ballast Point	Black Marlin Porter	6.0%	Like dessert? You’ll love this. Black Marlin is a rich, dark and chocolaty porter with a distinctive American hop character.
Ballast Point	Calico Amber Ale	5.5%	This beer uses distinctive American hops, which give not only the crisp bitterness to balance the malt, but also a hint of floral aroma.
Ballast Point	Sculpin IPA	7.0%	Sculpin IPA showcases bright flavours and aromas of apricot, peach, mango & lemon. The lighter body also brings out the crispness of the hops.
Ballast Point	Wahoo Wheat	4.0%	Brewed to be light and refreshing with a unique citrus character that comes from adding orange peel and coriander to the boil.
Ballast Point	Yellowtail Pale Ale	4.6%	This is actually a Kölsch and is brewed with German hops and German and American malts and 5% wheat.
Deschutes	Black Butte Porter	5.2%	"Dark and distinctive, Black Butte uses chocolate and crystal malts, crafting a rich in flavour, yet easy to drink ""dark"" beer."
Deschutes	Cascade Ale	4.5%	Cascade Ale is crisp and refreshing. Generous herbal hop character and just a hint of caramel malt create a perfect balance.
Deschutes	Green Lakes Organic Ale	5.2%	Made with 3 types of 100% ORGANIC malted barley and balanced with Palisades, Brewers’ Gold, and Crystal hops, this amber ale is as kind to you as it is to Mother Earth. IBU’s: 45
Deschutes	Inversion IPA	6.8%	Inversion IPA defies the ordinary, with layers of soft caramel notes and generous amounts of our favourite Northwest hops for a bright, sunny, citrus finish.
Deschutes	Mirror Pond Pale Ale	5.3%	A classic American Pale Ale. Mirror Pond uses generous quantities of Cascade hops, offering a lush floral aroma with a balanced malt body.
Deschutes	Obsidian Stout	6.4%	Smooth and black, Obsidian Stout is a solid, satisfying beer with underlying espresso and chocolaty flavours.
Deschutes	The Abyss 2010	11%	A deep, dark Imperial Stout, The Abyss has almost immeasurable depth and complexity. Hints of molasses, liquorice and other alluring flavours make it something not just to quaff, but contemplate.
Deschutes	The Dissident 2010	10.5%	The Dissident is an Oud Bruin, a distinctive Flanders-style sour brown ale, with a fruity aroma and flavour. Brettanomyces are used to give The Dissident its characteristic sour taste.
Firestone Walker	Double Jack Double IPA	9.5%	Has a big malty middle to cloak the high alcohol and mouth puckering hop bitterness. Huge tangerine, grapefruit and juicy fruit aroma blossom over the herbal blue basil and malt earthiness of this aggressive beer.
Firestone Walker	Parabola	12.5%	This beer features bold bourbon and tobacco aromas and a rich dark chocolate, charred oak flavour. Parabola is best enjoyed in moderation.
Firestone Walker	Union Jack IPA	7.4%	An aggressive IPA, citrus, pineapple and a full, chewy malt profile finish clean on your palate, over 70 IBUs.
Flying Dog	Doggie Style Pale Ale	5.3%	This beer is a pale amber in colour and a citrus hop character which is balanced with malty undertones.
Flying Dog	Gonzo Imperial Porter	9.4%	A deep and complex beer brewed with black, chocolate and crystal malts, and hopped with Cascade and Millennium hops. Savour slowly.
Flying Dog	Raging Bitch	8.3%	An American IPA augmented with Belgian yeast has a delicate hop bitterness.
Flying Dog	Snake Dog IPA	7.1%	A Colorado-style IPA, power hopped with speciality hops from the Pacific Northwest. This is a hop monster and the citrus fruit aroma will hypnotise your senses.
Fordham Brewing Company	Copperhead Ale	4.7%	A Düsseldorf-style Altbier which blends caramelized malted barley with pronounced hop character to create a subtle copper hue. It has a balanced flavour & impeccable smoothness.
Fordham Brewing Company	Helles Lager	5.7%	Clean & refreshing, this Bavarian-style lager uses four different German grains & three hop varieties to create an intricate flavour profile & a beautiful deep golden colour.
Fordham Brewing Company	Tavern Ale	5.5%	This American Pale Ale’s hop profile is complimented with an ample amount of malt flavour. It’s cold-conditioned on fresh whole-leaf Cascade hops creating an unmistakable citrus-like aroma.
FX Matt	Adirondack Lager	5.3%	A classic German-style lager with a rich amber colour, medium body, and a perfect balance of caramel malt sweetness
FX Matt	Black Forest Lager	5.3%	A Bavarian-style black beer with distinctive caramel malt sweetness and rich, creamy head. Very drinkable
FX Matt	Saranac IPA	5.8%	A hop lover's delight. This brew is very hoppy in both aroma and flavour from the generous amounts of cascade hops used in brewing. Look for a medium to full body and golden straw colour.
FX Matt	Saranac Pale Ale	5.5%	This true English Pale Ale is rich and fruity, yet finishes crisp. You'll love the copper amber colour and medium body.
Goose Island	312 Urban Wheat Ale	4.2%	Hazy, cloudy appearance. A spicy aroma of Cascade hops, followed by the crispy, fruity ale flavour delivered in a smooth, creamy body.
Goose Island	India Pale Ale	5.9%	Quite simply a hop lover’s dream, this classic ale adds a fruity aroma, set off by a dry malt middle, to ensure that the long hop finish is one you’ll remember.
Goose Island	Matilda	7.0%	Matilda is made with a rare yeast that suggests a fruity and spicy flavour. There is complex maltiness balanced with a profuse amount of hops.
Goose Island	Pepe Nero	6.0%	A black rye saison that combines a roasted/smoky malt character in balance with a pepper spice from the yeast. Finishes dry with a refreshing level of carbonation.
Goose Island	Pere Jacques	8.0%	Strong, rich Belgian style Abbey Beer.
Lagunitas	Hop Stoopid	8.0%	Fruity and floral hops in the aroma. Lots of sweet caramel malt in the flavour but perfectly balanced with hop bitterness.
Lagunitas	IPA	5.7%	Made with 43 different hops and 65 various malts this redolent ale will likely float your boat.
Lagunitas	Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale	7.7%	Way smooth and silky with a nice wheaty-esque-ish-ness. Just the little sumpin' we all need to kick summer into full swing!
Lagunitas	Pils	5.3%	A Czech-style pilsner, a slightly hoppy, grassy aroma leads into a slightly malty-sweet, flavour.
Lagunitas	Undercover Investigation Shutdown Ale	9.75%	An especially bitter ale in dedication to all the world’s would-be astronauts, in remembrance of the 2005 St. Patrick’s Day Massacre on the Brewery Party Grounds and also in joyous celebration of their 20-day suspension that following January. Do the crime. Do the time. Get the bragging rights. Cheers!
Left Hand	400 Pound Monkey	6.8%	An English-style IPA using hops of a different colour, earthy and herbal, well balanced by bready malt.
Left Hand	Imperial Stout	10.4%	Silky smooth, very flavourful beer. The malty sweetness of the beer is tempered by a medley of roasted malt and the aggressive use of hops.
Left Hand	Milk Stout	5.9%	Strong roasted malt and coffee flavours build the foundation of this classic cream stout. The addition of milk sugars mellows the intense roastiness and gives this beer the most incredible creamy mouth feel.
Left Hand	Sawtooth Ale	5.3%	An English-style Extra Special Bitter. It is an extremely well balanced beer, with significant hop character, medium body, and a maltiness which increases in evidence as the beer warms.
Moylans	Chelsea Moylan's Porter	5.0%	A rich, robust porter, crafted to integrate the aromas and flavours of espresso coffee malt and bitter-sweet chocolate malt. This is an American-Irish style Porter that dark beer drinkers will love.
Moylans	Dragoon's Dry Irish Stout	5.0%	Dry, roasty and incredibly rich in flavour, made with a unique blend of imported hops and malted barley.
Moylans	Hopsickle Imperial XXXIPA	9.2%	Enjoy the blast of fresh Cascade, Simcoe, Columbus, Ahtanum, and Chinook Hops as they stimulate the taste buds in a truly Imperial Fashion. Pucker Up!
Moylans	Ryan Sullivan's Imperial Stout	10.0%	Chocolate truffles, cocoa, espresso coffee, burnt currants, the sweetness of a sherry - all come to mind when enjoying this Imperial Stout. A big, strong, malty stout.
Odell	90 Shilling Ale	5.3%	An irresistibly smooth and delicious medium-bodied amber ale.
Odell	Cutthroat Porter	4.8%	Inspired by the London porters this beer has a deep, rich colour and flavour that hints at chocolate and coffee.
Odell	Double Pilsner	8.1%	Double Pilsner is a tribute to the pilsner style, heavily hopped but balanced with malt.
Odell	Myrcenary Double IPA	9.3%	Brewed with a blend of hops containing the highest levels of Myrcene, this double IPA prevails with a tropical fruit-like flavour, a pungent floral aroma, and a clean getaway.
Odell	St Lupulin Extra Pale Ale	6.5%	This dry-hopped extra pale ale has a pleasing floral aroma and a clean, crisp finish.
Old Dominion Brewing Company	Oak Barrel Stout	6.1%	"Smoked and peated malts create an intricate malt foundation. ""Dry hopping"" with vanilla beans and oak chips pushes the depth of this stout’s flavour spectrum even further."
Rogue	Brutal IPA	6.0%	An imperial bitter style using exotic traditional floor malts, citrus hoppy flavour, stupendous hop aroma. Full-bodied, deeply flavoured, intensely hoppy brew. There is nothing brutal about the rich, deep, mellow taste. Its crackling but not sharp…
Rogue	Hazelnut Brown Nectar	6.0%	Dark brown in colour with a hazelnut aroma, a rich nutty flavour and a smooth malty finish.
Rogue	Juniper Pale Ale	5.2%	A pale ale, saffron in colour with a smooth malt balance, floral aroma with a dry spicy finish from whole juniper berries.
Rogue	Morimoto Soba Ale	4.8%	The delicate flavour of roasted soba brings a nutty finish to this light and refreshing ale.
Rogue	Shakespeare Stout	5.5%	Ebony in colour, with roasted nut and earthy hop aromas on the nose. It has a medium body of chocolate, citrus peels, spice and nut flavours. This finish is of dark chocolate.
Shipyard	Bluefin Stout	5.0%	A classic Irish stout with a deep, almost black body and a creamy white head that is always pleasing to drink.
Shipyard	Chamberlain Pale Ale	5.0%	This is a classic, English-style pale ale with a golden copper colour. It is dry and crisp upfront with an aromatic, hoppy finish.
Shipyard	Double Old Thumper	11.2%	Double Old Thumper has a brilliant deep copper hue and spicy hop aroma with a complex malty finish featuring a dry Simcoe Hop bite.
Shipyard	Imperial Porter	7.1%	Imperial Porter is a full-bodied, very dark, malty beer with a good roasted character coming from the Crystal, Chocolate and Black Patent Malts used in the mash. Warrior, English Fuggles, and East Kent Goldings Hops balance the malts with a good hop bite.
Shipyard	XXXX IPA	9.3%	A non-traditional American IPA with a brilliant copper colour and the classic citrus nose of Cascade hops. This beer demonstrates a unique balance of malt-inspired, delicate red grapefruit sweetness and lingering hop dryness.
Sierra Nevada	30th Anniversary Brewers Reserve	9.2%	A marriage of oak-aged Bigfoot, Celebration Ale, and fresh Pale Ale blended together and generously dry-hopped.
Sierra Nevada	Bigfoot	9.6%	An award-winning barley wine beer with a dense, floral bouquet, an extremely rich, intense palate and a deep reddish-brown colour. This ale is superbly balanced between an almost overpowering maltiness and a wonderful bittersweet hoppiness.
Sierra Nevada	Glissade Golden Bock	6.4%	With restrained sweetness, subtle malt flavour, balanced against delicate aromas of spicy and floral European hops. This complex balance helps Glissade slide across the palate.
Sierra Nevada	Kellerweis	4.8%	The nose is full of orange and other citrus fruits. The body is nicely balanced with a hint of malt and a bunch of alcohol, and perhaps a hint of honey. The beer lingers nicely with beautiful hop dryness.
Sierra Nevada	Pale Ale	5.6%	This beer has a deep amber colour and an exceptionally full-bodied, complex character. Generous quantities of hops give the Pale Ale its fragrant bouquet and spicy flavour.
Sierra Nevada	Porter	5.6%	Dark and rich, Sierra Nevada Porter is a delicious, medium-bodied ale with a creamy head. The Porter's smooth flavour (malty with hints of caramel) comes from a blend of deep-roasted barley malts. IBUs: 40
Sierra Nevada	Southern Hemisphere Harvest	6.7%	Using freshly-picked hops from New Zealand, this beer has a robust hop character with an intriguing floral-citrus aroma leading to layers of fresh-hop spiciness.
Sierra Nevada	Stout	5.8%	Creamy, malty, and full-bodied, the Sierra Nevada Stout is satisfyingly rich. Caramel and Black malts give the Stout its deep, dark colour and pronounced roasted flavour.
Sierra Nevada	Summerfest	5.0%	Summerfest is a refreshing, pilsner-style lager. Its incredible smoothness comes from an extra-long lagering period. Lighter in body than an ale but just as complex in character, Summerfest quenches your thirst with big aroma and a tangy hop bite.
Sierra Nevada	Torpedo Extra IPA	7.2%	This is a big American IPA, bold and assertive and full of flavours and aromas highlighting the complex citrus, pine and herbal character of whole-cone American hops.
Smuttynose	Big A IPA	9.3%	The nose is full of orange and other citrus fruits. The body is nicely balanced with a hint of malt and a bunch of alcohol, and perhaps a hint of honey. The beer lingers nicely with beautiful hop dryness.
Smuttynose	Old Brown Dog	5.7%	"Dry-hopped with Crystal especially for GBBF. Old Brown Dog has been cited as a classic example of the ""American Brown Ale"" style of beer. Compared to a typical English Brown Ale, Old Brown Dog is fuller-bodied and more strongly hopped."
Smuttynose	Robust Porter	5.8%	Full-bodied and malty with undertones of coffee and chocolate and a bright, hoppy finish.
Smuttynose	Shoals Pale Ale	5.0%	Copper-coloured, medium-bodied and highly hopped. Its flavour is delightfully complex: tangy fruit at the start, with an assertive hop crispness and a long malty palate that one well-known beer writer has compared to the flavour of freshly-baked bread.
Southern Tier	Pale Ale	6.0%	Aggressively hopped with immense overtones of grapefruit and tangerine wrapped in a delicately refined body of pale barley and wheat.
Southern Tier	Unearthly Imperial IPA	9.8%	Unearthly is a manifestation of the brewer's art. Smell the enchanting aromas of the hops waft forward as you take your first sip.
Stone	Arrogant Bastard Ale	7.2%	"This is an aggressive beer. You probably won't like it. It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth. ""You are not worthy""."
Stone	Levitation Ale	4.4%	This modest alcohol deep Amber Ale has a deep malt profile and big hop overtones showing off big citrus flavours.  Dry-hopped with Amarillo hops.
Stone	Smoked Porter	5.9%	Stone Smoked Porter aged with American Oak that provide a strong vanilla and woody character.
Stone	Stone IPA	6.9%	A medium-bodied refreshing ale with a light-medium malt character and a heavy dose of over-the-top hops. Two full weeks of dry-hopping give this beer an abundant hop aroma and crisp hop flavour.
The Bruery	Mischief	8.5%	Belgian-style ale, golden and hoppy. Not quite evil, yet not to be trusted, this Golden Ale is effervescent, dry, hoppy and crisp-you’ll want to keep an eye out.
The Bruery	Rugbrød	8.0%	Brewed with three types of rye malt, this robust brown ale showcases the earthy, spicy character of the grain, complemented by bready, nutty barley malts and a hint of roast.
The Bruery	Saison de Lente	6.5%	Light blonde in colour with a fresh hoppiness and a wild and rustic Brettanomyces character. Lighter in colour and alcohol than Saison Rue, yet equally complex in its own way.
The Bruery	Saison Rue	8.5%	Belgian Style Ale brewed with rye and brettanomyces. A rustic, deep golden California farmhouse ale.
Victory	Hop Wallop Double IPA	8.5%	This vivid, lively pale ale celebrates the hop harvest with loads of aromatic splendour and bitter beauty draped over a lean malt body.
Victory	Hopdevil	6.7%	Bold, spicy and menacingly delicious, this American-hopped India Pale Ale offers an aromatic punch, and then follows through with a lasting full-bodied finish.
Victory	Storm King Stout	9.1%	With a huge Pacific Northwest hop aroma and character upfront, Storm King subsides into a massive, roast malt complexity. More flavour than mere words can adequately describe. Rich and substantial, it will warm your heart.

Australian Beers:

Brewery	Beer	ABV	Description
Cooper's	Original Pale Ale	4.5%	"This beer has a fruity character and robust flavour. Naturally fermented in the ""Burton-on-Trent"" style, a secondary fermentation creates the trademark sediment that gives 'Pale' its fine cloudy appearance. The nose has peppery hops, oranges and peaches. On the palate tangy fruit and spicy hops dominate and the finish comes through with hop bitterness and tart fruit."
Cooper's	Sparking Ale	5.8%	With its famous cloudy sediment and its distinctive balance of malt, hops and fruity characters, the old 'Red Label' is a tasty slice of Cooper's history.
Cooper's	Vintage Ale	7.5%	This strong ale imparts full rich flavours that are suitable for maturation. Brewed with choice malts and extended top fermentation this is a beer suitable for aging up to 18 months.
Little Creatures	Pale Ale	5.2%	Little Creatures is a pale ale made for those who want real flavour, yet still want a beer that displays great balance of flavour and refreshment. It has lovely fresh floral hop aromas which are joined by a mouth-filling explosion of clean full rich malts and citrus hop flavours on the palate to balance the firm bitter finish. A very complex yet highly drinkable beer.
Murray's Craft Brewing	Heart of Darkness	9.6%	An imperial Stout in style but with a stronger accent on chocolate malt over the roast barley, some rummy, port notes, and underpinning it all, some classic Belgian esters and very light phenolics from the yeast.
Murray's Craft Brewing	Icon 2IPA	7.5%	Extensive hopping creates intense citrus, passionfruit and peppery characters in the flavour and aroma balanced by sweet biscuity malt, which finishes with full bodied, rich and with a rounded bitterness.
Murray's Craft Brewing	Nirvana Pale Ale	4.5%	Nirvana Pale Ale is a hybrid of an American Pale Ale combined with the classic English Pale Ale style to produce a New World Pale Ale. A brilliant golden colour, it has a fresh citrusy/spicy aroma and flavour, balanced with biscuity/toffee flavours from the malt and finishes full-bodied with a complex character and bitterness.
Murray's Craft Brewing	Punch and Judy's	3.9%	Strong British malt flavour with the rich, nutty caramel flavour of the dark crystal malt is balanced by the strong hop flavour and aroma of the NZ Riwaka and Motueka hops. At 3.9% it results in a great, full-flavoured, hoppy session ale.
Murray's Craft Brewing	Spartacus Imperial IPA	10.0%	too many hop additions to count, aromas of tropical fruit and pine. More citrus in the flavour which is balanced by a sweet maltiness and then the warming alcohol comes through.
Murray's Craft Brewing	Wild Thing Imperial Stout	10.0%	Impossible to see through even when held up to the light. Aromas of strong, dark chocolate, a little fruitiness from the hops and yeast and some rum notes from the alcohol. The flavour is an intense hit of mocha – bitter, dark chocolate bordering on coffee. Some malt sweetness but an aggressive hop bitterness and roast grain bite to balance.

Danish Beers:

Brewery	Beer	ABV	Description
Amager	Hr. Fredriksen	10.5%	8 different types of malts were used, and it is the dark and heavily roasted ones that give the beer its colour and almost extreme full body. The bitterness is also delivered by the heavily roasted malts backed up by the American Centennial hops. This is an experience which should be enjoyed slowly, but in return will last all night warming you with its alcohol and challenging charm.
Amager	Rugporter	8.5%	With a rye content of 16% it gives this beer a fantastic sweet flavour with a titillating spicy edge, which, combined with a discreet and balancing acidity, is not surprisingly reminiscent of rye bread.
Evil Twin	Yang	10.0%	Here is one half of a 'Black and Tan beer. Not any Black and Tan, but where a pompous, thick bastard and a laid-back, hoppy guy meet and the perfect beer-balance occurs. Mix with Yin Yang, or enjoy this evil Imperial IPA solo.
Evil Twin	Yin	10.0%	Here is one half of a 'Black and Tan beer. Not any Black and Tan, but where a pompous, thick bastard and a laid-back, hoppy guy meet and the perfect beer-balance occurs. Mix with Yin Yang, or enjoy this evil Imperial Stout solo.
Mikkeller	Big Worse	12.0%	The nose is malty with a lot of alcohol. The flavour is more of the same but with herbal no9tes from the hops.
Mikkeller	Big Worst Barrel Aged Bourbon Edition	19.2%	Lots of bourbon on the nose and also vanilla and toffee with a slight sour, woody note. Very complex flavour including, caramel, vanilla, bourbon, cherries, with a smooth finish.
Mikkeller	Black (Islay Edition)	17.5%	Aged for 4 months in Islay whisky barrels. Plenty of peat and smoke on the nose. On the palate lots of dark chocolate and a hint of whisky and quite sweet. A very intense beer.
Mikkeller	Black Extra Strong (Whisky Edition)	17.5%	The strongest beer in Scandinavia. This imperial stout is the craziest, wildest, strongest beer from Mikkeller to this date. Not for sissies.......! Sample it fresh or store it for many many years to come!
Mikkeller	Black Hole	13.1%	Daring, vulgar and extreme, this warming, intense imperial stout has a high bitterness from the hops and a sweetness from the malt and alcohol, creates a good balance which makes Black Hole an explosion of nuances, but also leaves a feeling of a perfect and complex beer – in the heavyweight category.
Mikkeller	Cream Ale / Revelation Cat	5.0%	Inspired by pre-prohibition America, this beer has an aroma of caramel and vanilla, the taste is lightly sweet with a nice crisp hoppiness. Refreshing.
Mikkeller	Drikkeriget GIPA	6.6%	Yeasty, citrusy aroma. Medium-bodied with a light, dry hoppiness.
Mikkeller	Funky E-Ster	9.39%	Fruity, spicy aroma. Slightly funky taste with a bready sweetness.
Mikkeller	George (Bourbon Edition)	11.1%	Aroma of dark chocolate, bourbon and vanilla. Flavour is roasted malt with bitter chocolate and a long, bourbon finish.
Mikkeller	Not Just Another Wit	7.6%	A hybrid, IPA and witbier? Lots of citrusy fruits on the nose with more of the same in the taste along with notes of cloves and coriander.
Mikkeller	Santa's Little Helper 2009	10.9%	Sweet aroma with hints of chocolate, nutmeg and other spices. Flavour is malty with more chocolate, cinnamon and tar.
Mikkeller	Spontanframboos	7.7%	A funky, fruity aroma predominantly raspberries. Tart, with more raspberries, citrus and woody notes. Very refreshing.
Mikkeller	Spontankriek	7.7%	Aroma is sweet with cherries and yeasty notes. Sour with a light, cherry flavour and woody hints.
Mikkeller	The American Dream	4.6%	A pilsener style beer hopped like an IPA. A herbal, hoppy aroma, a nice refreshing beer.
Mikkeller	USAlive!	8.0%	The aroma is grapefruity and piney hops. Sweet maltiness is well balanced by citrusy hops on the palate.

Japanese Beers:

Brewery	Beer	ABV	Description
Baird	Angry Boy Brown Ale	6.2%	Fleeting malty sweetness and warmth hide complexity, a barely controlled bitterness, and, naturally, a bit of an angry edge.
Baird	Kurofune Porter	6.0%	This classic dark English ale is flinty, oily and wonderfully smooth. It is teasingly acrid with notes of bitter chocolate and coffee. The inclination is to resist; the result is acquiescence and embrace.
Baird	Rising Sun Pale Ale	5.1%	In the American west-coast style. It sports a beautiful, soft, citrus hop aroma which gives way to a round, honeyed-fruit flavour. The finish is crisp and refreshing.
Baird	Suruga Bay Imperial IPA	7.5%	This beer has a dryness of character and a powerful hop aroma through dry-hopping twice. Notes of grapefruit, pineapple, oranges are balanced by a sweet maltiness.
Baird	Teikoku IPA	6.0%	This brew bursts with hop character while still achieving a sublime balance due to a firm, robust malt backbone. It is a cross between an English-style and American-style India Pale Ale that is full-bodied and refreshing all at once.
Hitachino Nest	Espresso Stout	7.5%	Caramel, roasted, black and chocolate malts provide an explosion of coffee like flavours. The strong espresso character comes from the addition of espresso beans to the boil. Notes of vanilla, dark fruit, cocoa and chocolate. Aromas of chocolate, roasted bitterness, blackcurrants and dark fruits.
Hitachino Nest	Japanese Classic Ale	7.5%	Brewed following the original India Pale Ale brought to Japan in the 19th century . It is slowly matured in Cedar casks which are commonly used in the brewing of traditional Japanese sake.
Hitachino Nest	Nipponia	6.5%	"Brewed using two Japanese original materials; ""Kaneko Golden,"" the Japanese ancient barley, and ""Sorachi Ace,"" the hop which once was bred in Japan. Enjoy the citrus flavour, golden colour and the complex taste."
Hitachino Nest	Red Rice Ale	7.0%	Brewed with special red rice which had been cultured in ancient times in Japan. Please enjoy the complex taste and beautiful natural colour.
Hitachino Nest	White Ale	5.5%	Hitachino Nest White Ale is brewed in the tradition of a Belgian style white beer with coriander, nutmeg, orange peel and orange juice.

New Zealand Beers:

Brewery	Beer	ABV	Description
8 Wired	Rewired Brown Ale	5.7%	Malty aromas with hints of caramel and citrus hops. The flavour has a solid roasted malt backbone with hints of coffee.
Epic	Mayhem	6.2%	This beer’s fresh earthy aromas and rich flavours taste like they have more in common with darker beers than this golden coloured brew. It’s big on green fresh hoppy flavours with an interesting bitter twist at the very finish stretching out the taste to a lingering conclusion.
Epic	Thornbridge Stout	6.8%	Smooth, voluptuous, rich and dark, brewed with 8 different malts this is a silky, decadent yet hoppy stout.
Mike's Organic Brewery	Organic Ale	4.0%	A full-strength mild which is less bitter on the palate than fully hopped beers, with malt and barley tones dominating the flavour.
Mike's Organic Brewery	Organic Double IPA	9.0%	Inspired by the hoppy English pale ales but leaning toward the highly hopped American variety. The aroma is complex with tropical fruit including passion fruit, pineapple and melons all vying for attention. The flavour has sweet tropical fruits balanced out by the strong biscuity malt flavour and absolutely intense hop bitterness. The very full mouth feel and glowing warm aftertaste serve to further keep the hop bitterness in check.
Mike's Organic Brewery	Organic Lager	4.8%	A crisp beer with citrus undertones, a full malt character and a dry, crisp taste.
Mike's Organic Brewery	Organic Pilsner	5.0%	This beer is bursting with fresh zesty aroma, the New Zealand aromatic hops are proudly presented in their full glory. The crisp bitter flavour is complimented by a full malt body and rounded mouth-feel.
Renaissance	Discovery American Pale Ale	4.5%	Brewed using native Cascade and Willamette hops this beer displays honeyed characteristics and the subtle hop flavours lead to a slightly sweet finish on the palate.
Renaissance	Elemental Porter	6.0%	A classic English Porter. It is a medium-bodied beer with chocolate and roasted notes. Extremely well balanced and hopped with a native hop variety.
Renaissance	Perfection Pale Ale	5.0%	With an aromatic hoppy nose, creamy, biscuity, and toffee followed by 45 IBU’s don’t miss this one.
Renaissance	Stonecutter Scotch Ale	7.0%	9 malts are blended together to produce layers of caramel, toffee, liquorice, chocolate and roasty flavours. These are balanced by a tart, raisiny frutiness that gives way to a lingering dry finish.

Norwegian Beers:

Brewery	Beer	ABV	Description
Haandbryggeriet	Bestefar	9.0%	Complex aroma with coffee, cocoa, chocolate. Bittersweet flavour with roasted malts, dark fruits and toffee.
Haandbryggeriet	Norwegian Wood	6.5%	A woody and smoky aroma dominate this beer. On the palate it has a bold bitterness and hints of juniper berries.

The following beers have all been supplied courtesy of the International Beer Challenge. They are all extremely rare beers and are in very limited quantities.

International Beer Challenge Beers:

Country	Brewery	Beer	ABV
Australia	Bridge Road Brewers	Beechworth Pale Ale	4.8%
Australia	Bridge Road Brewers	Bling India Pale Ale	5.8%
Australia	Bridge Road Brewers	Robust Porter	5.2%
Australia	Degrees Brewery	Dubbel	6.1%
Australia	Degrees Brewery	Rauchbier	5.2%
Australia	Endeavour	2010 Reserve Amber Ale	5.2%
Australia	Endeavour	2010 Reserve Pale Ale	4.5%
Australia	Hawthorn Brewing Co	Amber Ale	4.7%
Australia	Hawthorn Brewing Co	Pilsner	4.6%
Australia	Hawthorn Brewing Co	Premium Pale Ale	4.7%
Australia	Mclaren Vale	Vale Ale	4.5%
Australia	Mclaren Vale	Vale Dry	4.5%
Australia	Mountain Goat	Australian Pale Ale	6.2%
Australia	Mountain Goat	Double Hightail	6.8%
Australia	Mountain Goat	Surefoot Stout	4.9%
Australia	Nail Brewing	Clout Stout 2011	10.6%
Australia	Nail Brewing	Nail Brown Ale	4.4%
Australia	Redoak	Redoak Baltic Porter	8.7%
Australia	Redoak	Redoak Bitter	3.5%
Australia	Redoak	Redoak Framboise Froment	5.0%
Australia	Redoak	Redoak Oktoberfest Lager	5.8%
Australia	Redoak	Redoak Porter	5.0%
Australia	Redoak	Redoak Special Strong Bitter	5.6%
Chile	Kross	(Curaca) Abbey Ale	7.5%
Chile	Kross	Golden Ale	5.0%
Chile	Kross	Kross 5	7.2%
Chile	Kross	Kross Lupulus	5.5%
Chile	Kross	Kross Maibock	6.5%
Chile	Kross	Kross Pilsner	4.9%
Chile	Kross	Kross Stout	5.2%
Greece	Septem	Septem Friday Pale Ale	4.7%
Greece	Septem	Septem Mondays Pilsner	5.0%
Greece	Septem	Septem Sundays Honey Golden Ale	6.5%
Italy	Amarcord	Riserva Speciale	9.5%
Italy	Doppio Malto	Bitterland	5.0%
Italy	Doppio Malto	Brass Weiss	4.5%
Italy	Doppio Malto	Mahogany IPA	6.0%
Italy	Doppio Malto	Oak Pils	4.8%
Italy	Doppio Malto	Old Jack	6.3%
Italy	Doppio Malto	Rust Ale	5.5%
Italy	Doppio Malto	Stone Ale	6.5%
Italy	Doppio Malto	Zingibeer	4.6%
Italy	Ducato	Bia Bitter Ale	4.2%
Italy	Ducato	Bia Golden Ale	4.5%
Italy	Ducato	Bia IPA	6.5%
Italy	Ducato	Bia Oatmeal Stout	4.5%
Italy	Ducato	Sally Brown Caffè Baracco	5.2%
Italy	Ducato	Via Emilia	5.0%
Italy	Statalenove	Kristal	3.5%
Italy	Statalenove	Miss Kartola	5.5%
Italy	Statalenove	Ponente	6.0%
Italy	Tenute Collesi	Ambrata Fiat Lux	7.5%
Italy	Tenute Collesi	Bionda Alter	6.0%
Italy	Tenute Collesi	Bionda Ego	6.0%
Italy	Tenute Collesi	Imperiale Nera Maior	8.0%
Italy	Tenute Collesi	Ubi Rossa	8.0%
Italy	Turbacci	Black	6.5%
Italy	Turbacci	Quinn	4.8%
Italy	Turbacci	Strong Ale	8.8%
Italy	Turbacci	Super	7.5%
Italy	Valscura	Fich	8.0%
Italy	Valscura	Matrimoni Ale	7.5%
New Zealand	McCashin Family Brewery	Stoke Amber	4.5%
New Zealand	McCashin Family Brewery	Stoke Dark	4.5%
New Zealand	McCashin Family Brewery	Stoke Gold	4.5%
Singapore	Archipelago	Belgian Wit	4.7%
Singapore	Archipelago	Bohemian Lager	4.8%
Singapore	Archipelago	Hickory Smoked IPA	5.6%
Singapore	Archipelago	Irish Ale	5.0%
Singapore	Archipelago	Summer Ale	4.5%
Singapore	Asia Pacific Breweries	ABC Extra	7.0%