184. KISS Destroyer

KISS Destroyer

Brewery info:
KISSROCKDRINK Brewery AB,
Stockholm, SWEDEN

[No website listed]

Alcohol: 4.7%
Standard drinks: 1.2

Cap type: Non-twist

Cost: I picked this up for $3.99 AU

Label info: ‘The hottest beer in the world’ 

What the label really means: Ok…great…I see what you rock gods are going for here. Playing it cool. I read ya. 

The Hell-Cat review starts here

Label: This is glarey, flamboyant, over the top and decidedly 1970s in style. Everything that the rock band KISS epitomises. I like the fact that it is instantly recognised as a KISS branded item, but is it a little marketing-ploy schmultzy? Come on, how many other bands release their own beer? (Stay tuned for word on You Am I’s brew out soon). I do like the dual two-tone colour arrangement here that reflects the KISS make-up patterns so well. What I don’t like is that awesome KISS album art hasn’t been used to create an even rockier brew. I just think more work could have gone into this one.

I give it a label rating of 6 out of 10.

AROMA:  A meaty, hop-heavy brew.

Taste: GLASS – This surprisingly is a very flavoursome all-mouth brew that hits with a great punch to the smacker. It’s refreshing with a back of mouth bitterness. It prances very cleverly on the edge of being pilsener in flavour and then sort of backs off a bit to be a bit more subtle. I’m glad to say that this is a beer KISS should be proud to have their name attached to. It’s not an amazingly complex beer by any means, but it is definitely enjoyable. I’m claiming this as the demented love-child of Becks and Pilsner Urquell.

I give it a beer from glass rating of 7.5 out of 10.

Taste: BOTTLE – From the bottle, KISS Destroyer hits with a similar level of enthusiasm but just falls short of the mark. Still good but not great. 

I give it a taste from bottle rating of 7 out of 10.

Accompanying food: Red meat…beef preferably.

Best season to appreciate: I’d suggest this is destined for outdoor Summer music festivals.

All-nighter beer? Yes I could definitely drink this all night…and party ever-eey night.

NEXT WEEK: TBC

78. Blue Girl

Blue Girl

Company info:
Jebsen & Co. Ltd
Hong Kong, CHINA

[www.bluegirlbeer.com]

Bottle size sampled: 330 mL

Alcohol: 5%
Standard drinks: 1.4 approx (TBC)

Cap type: Non-twist

Cost: I picked this up for approx AU$2.20

Label info: ‘Blue Girl Beer was first introduced to Hong Kong and China in 1906. Its famous smooth and refreshing taste originates from age-old German brewing traditions.’

What the label really means: What a boring bunch of label writers over at ‘Blue Girl’. You guys could have at least prattled on about something meaningless from history.

The Hell-Cat review starts here

Label: Remove the blue, replace it with a blood red or a black and this label would be a winner. I love the image of a female standing on wings, floating among the clouds. Her hair and her loosely wrapped dress hang and flutter in the breeze yet she maintains a slight smirk as she peers off into the heavens. Held above her head is a globe reading ‘Excelsior’ – light shoots out in all angles from it’s outer edge. It has an almost art-nouveau feel to the image (I say ‘almost’ because I have no idea if that’s the style I mean). All looks good until you glance back to mouth-wash blue encircling her. Without losing the name of ‘Blue Girl’ surely a darker blue could have been used. Sadly, the label is ruined by blue.
Oh btw, according to the label, this is a ‘Pilsener Lager Bier’.

I give it a label rating of 5.5 out of 10.

AROMA: Very strong hoppy, skunky aroma with a slight musk scent.

Taste: GLASS – Blue Girl does indeed taste like a German pilsener. It has those distinctly hoppy, earthy notes. I can almost taste a Beck’s quality but it doesn’t stretch that far. It’s mellow, citrus infused and also a bit ho-hum. It’s a bit middle of the road. Possibly the best aspect is the surprising fruity all-mouth after taste. If only there was more of this taste throughout the bottle.

I give it a beer from glass rating of 6 out of 10.

Taste: BOTTLE – Much the same as from the glass. Possibly easier to throw back but certainly no better in taste. NEXT.

I give it a taste from bottle rating of 6 out of 10.

Accompanying food: Blue Girl could possibly work well with a varied antipasto plate of dips and roasted vegies. I guess I’m thinking something salty – pre-dinner appetisers that lead to something more fulfilling.

Best season to appreciate: Leaning towards being a Summer thirst quencher even though I found this very dry.

All-nighter beer? Blue Girl is relatively easy to drink and would make it a contender for an all-night beer for some. For me it was a bit of a mission to drink.

Other: I struggled to place the origin of this beer. I found it in Hong Kong after being advised it’s what all the ‘working class’ drink. I do my research and find that while it originated in Germany, it was imported to China to cater for German troops. But nowadays it is brewed in South Korea under the instruction of a Hong Kong based brewing company. So is this a German, Chinese, or Korean beer? I’m really not sure.

NEXT WEEK: Innis & Gunn Rum Cask (courtesy of the excellent folk at Dunn Ottar Wine and Spirits)

68. Hop Rocker

Hop Rocker

Company info:
Mac’s Brewery
Wellington, NEW ZEALAND

[www.macs.co.nz]

Bottle size sampled: 330 mL

Alcohol: 4.8%
Standard drinks: 1.3

Cap type: Ring-pull

Cost: I picked this up for AU$TBC

Label info: ‘A brew of illustrious lineage, Hop Rockers is a premium lager with ideas of its own. By adding a portion of crystal malt to the standard lager malt, it buys itself some room for serious hop addition, namely Nelson Sauvin up front and again later in combination with New Zealand Cascade. It resolves itself as a golden lager with proper citrus aromas and pilsner-style notes. Of course Hop Rocker didn’t really have these ideas, our head brewer did, a fact he’ll quickly point out if it wins as many awards as our old reserve did’

What the label really means: This is a fun label that gives the impression the brewers don’t take themselves too seriously – and that’s a good thing. The font for all this writing is in a squished up, messy hand-written style and this accentuates the fun.

The Hell-Cat review starts here

Label: From the moment I spot the ring-pull cap (quite the novelty!), to the ribbed for your pleasure bottle neck, I know I am in for something completely ‘out there’ with this beer. The label is exceptional. Look closely and you’ll notice what look like planks of wood stretched across its surface. The words ‘Mac’s Brewery Hop Rocker Pilsener’ are branded across the front as though someone has taken a dirty, used, paintbrush and written the words across the side of a barn. I love it. It gives the impression of a home-brewed, back-shop, ma and pa moonshine and I am hooked before sinking my teeth into this. It makes being a toothless hick red-neck cool. An’ damn’d if I dun wanna git me sum o this hir joos.

I give it a label rating of 8 out of 10.

AROMA: A pleasant blend of wheat and citrus.

Taste: GLASS – Delicious! Hop Rocker has a distinctly earthy taste that is very smooth, easy to drink due to its mild carbonation and a subtle tease of citrus. This is a pilsner unlike any I’ve had before and it packs a surprisingly refreshing punch. Hop-Rock on!

I give it a beer from glass rating of 8 out of 10.

Taste: BOTTLE – Just as enjoyable and twice as fun to hold. The textured neck give the illusion this is a fat bottled beer. Truth is, it’s regular size, it’s just a cool bottle to be drinking from. I am loving it. And hey, if the hops are rocking, don’t bother knocking,

I give it a taste from bottle rating of 8 out of 10.

Accompanying food: This would play the perfect accompaniment to a rich and creamy pasta dish.

Best season to appreciate: I am struggling to imagine a season where this beer wouldn’t work. But, due to the subtle hints of citrus, I’ll lean ever so slightly to Summer.

All-nighter beer? Definitely! It’s weird, but the earthiness of this beer also suggests a lack of chemicals and it seems immediately evident. This is one beer I believe would prove to be headache free the day after (TBC). [NB: The label also proclaims the beer to be ‘Naturally Brewed’ – just noticed this!]

NEXT WEEK: Punk IPA (our first Scottish brew!)

66. Trumer Pils

Trumer Pils

Company info:
Trumer Privatbrauerei
Salzburg, AUSTRIA

[www.TrumerPilsInternational.com]

Bottle size sampled: 330 mL

Alcohol: 4.9%
Standard drinks: 1.3

Cap type: Non-twist

Cost: I picked this up for AU$3.99

Label info: N/A

What the label really means: N/A

The Hell-Cat review starts here

Label: The neck label pronounces ‘Einfach leben!’ meaning ‘Simple Life’. It’s a motto for us beer fans to live by. The humblest of ingredients mixed together and served chilled for our devouring. Taking pleasure from the simple things in life is reinforced with their logo – a robust beer wench carrying a stein of beer in either hand. Table-service beer comes a close second to free beer.
The wench from the logo is re-printed as a large ghostly figure in the background. The label looks classy, yet fun.

I give it a label rating of 6.5 out of 10.

AROMA: It’s a very light, golden beer that whispers sweet nothings of freshness, citrus infused delight, and gently waving wheat scents.

Taste: GLASS – Trumer Pils is tasty, enjoyable, citrussy, inoffensive, smooth, and thirst-quenching. But oh so generic. I expected this wouldn’t necessarily be a beer that I would be rushing out to buy more of, but I had the slightest glimmer of hope for more. Don’t get me wrong, tasting this beer on its own without a myriad of similar tastings behind you, it tastes great. But for me, just like wearing my underwear on my head as an excuse for a party trick, it’s a case of been there, done that.

I give it a beer from glass rating of 6.5 out of 10.

Taste: BOTTLE – Trumer Pils (I love saying, nay, typing this name), tastes better suited to the bottle. It goes back smoother and really tantalises the back of the mouth. Nice one Trumer Pils.

I give it a taste from bottle rating of 7 out of 10.

Accompanying food: Being a light coloured and tasting beer, this would sit well besides some crispy fish and chips, or a plate of salt and pepper squid.

Best season to appreciate: Summer – it’s a great warm afternoon antidote.

All-nighter beer? Yes! I could drink this all night…and party ever-ee-day!

NEXT WEEK: Budejovicky Budvar

61. Kozel Premium

Kozel Premium

Company info:
Plzeňský Prazdroj
Plzeň, CZECH REPUBLIC

[www.kozel.cz]

Bottle size sampled: 500 mL

Alcohol: 4.8%
Standard drinks: 2

Cap type: Non-twist

Cost: I picked this up for AU$3.99

Label info: ‘N/A’

What the label really means: N/A

The Hell-Cat review starts here

Label: Brilliance. Sheer brilliance. A truly remarkable design that has me in fits of laughter as I stare at the goat’s smug beer drinking face. Look at him as he stands up tall, his horns twisting back from his skull, his beard flapping him in the chest, his evil rectangular pupils with a glint of cheekiness to them. And then look at the frothy golden beer perched between his useless hooves, and laugh. For it is us, the far superior human that has the final laugh as we realise he will be unable to drink the golden nectar. We laugh at his puny existence portrayed with all the innocence of a small demented child trying to open a can of tinned spaghetti with chopsticks. We laugh and nod, knowing that this beast will produce milk for us, and plow our fields, and other things that goats do. But they will never take our beer. Oh no, for we will rule them with an iron fist and pound them into the grou….woah. Sorry ’bout that, folks. Got a little carried away in the mysticism of a goat standing before me with a beer. Beautiful in every sense of the word.

I give it a label rating of 8 out of 10.

AROMA: Zesty, citrus infused, hoppy freshness.

Taste: GLASS – This is a citrus tasting Czech pilsener that is very light in colour and flavour. It has an enjoyable freshness that permeates throughout the glass, making it very smooth and very easy to drink. The downside to this beer is that it’s possibly a little bland, particularly in after-taste that really leaves you with nothing. But, overall I am enjoying this tasting.

I give it a beer from glass rating of 7 out of 10.

Taste: BOTTLE – Kozel Premium, for my money, is slightly better when consumed from the bottle. It suggests to me that this beer is designed as more of a ‘throw-back in copious quantities’ kind of beer. Great!

I give it a taste from bottle rating of 7.5 out of 10.

A word from the wife: “Big robust taste, yet easy and pleasurable to drink”

She gave it a taste rating of 7.5 out of 10.

Accompanying food: I suggest this is another fine accompaniment to spicy food such as Vietnamese or Thai. It’s so light in flavour that I feel it really needs something spicy to bring out the flavour, and conversely it would act as a heat softener.

Best season to appreciate: Definitely Summer. It has a real fresh, thirst quenching taste to it.

All-nighter beer? Yes, for sure! I could easily drink this all night.

NEXT WEEK: TBC

40. Weihenstephaner Pilsner

Weihenstephaner Pilsner

 

Company info:
Brauerei Weihenstephan
GERMANY

[www.weihenstephaner.de]

Bottle size sampled: 500 mL

Alcohol: 5.1%
Standard drinks: 2.0

Cap type: Non-twist

Cost: I picked this up for AU$4.99

Label info: N/A

What the label really means: N/A

The Hell-Cat review starts here

Label: The label for the Weihenstaphaner Pilsner is a very regal, traditional, official looking label. It looks like it is designed to be consumed by royalty and it gives the beer instant class and street cred (particularly if the street in question borders a massive castle). It’s not a label that I would design, given half a chance, but it isn’t too painful on the eyes.

I give it a label rating of 5.5 out of 10.

AROMA: A strong wheaty smell wafts up, inviting me to take a gulp ASAP.

Taste: GLASS – This pilsner pours out in a nice, golden yellow. I have a sip and am struck by the smoothness of this beer. It tastes great. It’s very lightly carbonated, and this helps in the smoothness. A traditional pilsener style, the Weihenstephaner Pilsner is distinctly hoppy, very mellow, and with a subtly delicious bitter after taste.

I give it a beer from glass rating of 8.5 out of 10.

Taste: BOTTLE – Still good, but loses some of the complexity in flavour, and the added aroma. I am still very impressed by this beer.

I give it a taste from bottle rating of 8 out of 10.

A word from the wife: “Soft and mellow with a lingering sweetness of greygum honey”

She gave it a taste rating of 7 out of 10.

Accompanying food: This beer would really compliment some spicy Asian, Indian, or Mexican food. Being that it’s a very mellow beer, I’d love to see it kicked into action against these spicy overlords.

Best season to appreciate: This is the ideal Summer accompaniment. It would go well at any outdoor Summer event from music festivals to beach fiestas. Don’t leave home without it.

All-nighter beer? Yes! The fact this beer is so smooth, and particularly so lightly carbonated means this brew could easily be thrown back all night and you wouldn’t get sick of it.

NEXT WEEK: Mountain Goat Steam Ale

36. Pike’s New Sparkling Oakbank Beer

Pike’s New Sparkling Oakbank Beer

 

Company info:
Pikes Beer Company Pty Ltd
SEVENHILL, S.A 

[No website listed on bottle]

Bottle size sampled: 330 mL

Alcohol: 4.5%
Standard drinks: 1.2

Cap type: Non-twist

Cost: I picked this up for AU$TBC

Label info: ‘Henry Pike left Dorset England in 1878 and sailed into Port Adelaide aboard the HM Oaklands, settling at Oakbank in the Adelaide Hills. He quickly established a reputation for his fine home brewed beer, a craft he learnt as a boy from his mother in Dorset. In 1886 he founded Pikes Oakbank Brewery, producing a range of fine ales, stout and tonic water. In 1996, Pikes Oakbank Beer was re-introduced by fifth generation descendants of Henry Pike, brothers Andrew and Neil Pike of Pikes Wines in the Clare Valley of South Australia. By adopting a similar hand crafted philosophy to the original brewery, Pikes New Sparkling Oakbank Beer is again available for your enjoyment’.

What the label really means: I love a label/beer with a good story behind it (Malt Shovel Brewery beers are another fine example). With each sip I feel more immersed in the story and it seems to give a real justification for the taste. After reading the Pike’s New Sparkling Oakbank Beer story, I am fascinated. Henry Pike seemed like he was one of Australia’s true legends. I love the fact that (a) he learnt how to home brew from his mum! (Mrs Pike, you too are in the legend category), and (b) he learnt the techniques “as a boy” (ie, he had a life-long fascination and respect for the amber ale). Whether his story is true as written here, or whether there was a darker ‘Underbelly’ mafioso side to the man, I don’t care – he’s presented here as an early Australian brewer, and for that, Henry Pike, I salute you.

The Hell-Cat review starts here

Label: The first thing I think of when looking at this label is a canoe/camping trip into the wilderness. Birds are twittering (leaving updates such as ‘Just saw an earthworm. Dayaaam! I wannit!’), water is softly lapping at the shore, trees gently sway in the warm Summer breeze. And then all hell breaks loose as the banjos start up, and toothless hillbillies come screaming out of the bushes, shotguns waved above their heads. The label has this level of mystique, danger, adventure, and banjos. It could be a label from 1886, or it could have been designed yesterday – that’s the beauty of this thing. I love the font, I love the colour scheme, I love the striking Pike fish. This is one beer I want to crack the top off of.

I give it a label rating of 8 out of 10.

AROMA: I pour this one out and am hit with a deliciously earthy, hoppy aroma.

Taste: GLASS – This is a super smooth beer with a genuinely great hoppy flavour. In fact it’s bursting with flavour. This is all rounded off with a pleasant bitter after taste. I am really enjoying this brew and am confident to classify it in the pilsener category.

I give it a beer from glass rating of 8.5 out of 10.

Taste: BOTTLE – Drinking Pike’s New Sparkling Oakbank Beer from the bottle, a lot of the complexities are lost. It’s a bit harsher in taste, and nowhere near as enjoyable.

I give it a taste from bottle rating of 6.5 out of 10.

A word from the wife: “Robustly fruity and easy to drink”

She gave it a taste rating of 8 out of 10.

Accompanying food: I’d like to suggest Pike fish is had with this beer, but I have never tried it. Instead I’d like to suggest that this accompanies a nice juicy, fatty, pork chop with mash and/or sauerkraut. I think the saltiness in these foods would make the beer explode in the mouth.

Best season to appreciate: This is the beer equivalent of a refreshing glass of homemade lemonade. Because it slides back so easily, with it’s delicious hoppy flavours, I say this would work wonders on a warm Summer afternoon.

All-nighter beer? For sure!

NEXT WEEK: Beechworth Pale Ale

32. Estrella Damm

Estrella Damm

 

 

Company info:
S.A Damm
Barcelona, SPAIN

[www.estrelladamm.es]

Bottle size sampled: 330 mL

Alcohol: 4.6%
Standard drinks: 1.2

Cap type: Non-twist

Cost: I picked this up for AU$3.50

Label info: ‘La Cerveza de Barcelona. Estrella Damm, the premium quality beer brewed in Barcelona since 1876. Today it remains at the heart of city life. Enjoy the taste of Barcelona.’

What the label really means: Great label description.

The Hell-Cat review starts here

Label: The label for Estrella Damm, with it’s bold gold star reeks of revolution. It reeks of liberation. It reeks of freedom. It also reeks of tradition, quality, and a beer not to be messed with. The label is tough, staunch, unblinking in the face of a pudgy, angry dictator with a penchant for tight trousers. It stares down authority and gives the finger to establishment. Let the Estrella Damm revolution begin.

I give it a label rating of 8 out of 10.

AROMA: There’s a soft, citrus and wheaty aroma. It’s giving me psychadelic flashbacks of the previously reviewed ‘Bluebottle beer’.

Taste: GLASS – Estrella Damm is a pilsener, and as such is really quite pale in colour. Based on this appearance, and the soft aroma I expected a mellow, light flavoured, watery beer. But, this is a lager that packs a strong bitter punch. I am really enjoying this.

I give it a beer from glass rating of 7 out of 10.

Taste: BOTTLE – Although I would not have found it necessary, drinking from the bottle seems to mellow this beer out. It tastes less feisty with the bitterness smoothing out in intensity.

I give it a taste from bottle rating of 7.5 out of 10.

A word from the wife: “Not too heavy…not too light…it’s just right…but perhaps a bit watery”

She gave it a taste rating of 6 out of 10.

Accompanying food: Bring me a Spanish plated fiesta of baby octopus, squid, olives, eggplant, and chorizo all drizzling in olive oil.

Best season to appreciate: This would be an ideal Summer thirst quencher, best consumed prior to siesta.

All-nighter beer? Yes, I think so! 

NEXT WEEK: Birra Moretti

25. Labatt Blue Imported

Labatt Blue Imported

 

 

Company info:
Labatt Brewing Company
TORONTO, CANADA

[No website listed on bottle]

Bottle size sampled: 355 mL

Alcohol: 5%
Standard drinks: 1.4

Cap type: Twist

Cost: I picked this up for AU$3.70

Label info: N/A

What the label really means: N/A

The Hell-Cat review starts here

Label: Not nearly as boutique as some of the beers I have reviewed, this is one of the big players in the Canadian market and indeed North America. It’s a mass produced beer and as such not a great deal of effort has gone into the design of this label. I do like the fact it has the Canadian maple leaf on the label, but the blue and the gold really don’t do it for me. Where is the tough image of a Mounted Police officer charging at a bear? Where is the image of snow capped peaks being attacked by a wrecking ball? Where is the image of Wayne Gretzky destroying an opponents face with his fist? Come on Labatt, surely you can do better!

I give it a label rating of 3 out of 10.

AROMA: A good, strong, wheaty smell. 

Taste: GLASS -Being a mass-produced beer I really should have expected this, but I was a little taken aback when I found the beer to be quite bland. The aroma lead me to believe that this would be a good wheaty beer, and yes it’s definitely a wheaty pilsener but it’s also quite citrussy, and neither flavour is particularly dominant. It’s a mild, easy to drink beer but I really expected more, and just like my 2nd grade report card ‘there is so much potential, but very little talent’.

I give it a beer from glass rating of 6 out of 10.

Taste: BOTTLE – Yeesh! This is not a beer to be consumed from the bottle. It loses all its taste and becomes like mildly flavoured water. Even this revelation surprises me as I totally expected it to be a head back, throw down. 

 

I give it a taste from bottle rating of 4.5 out of 10.

A word from the wife: “Quite delish and mellow tasting”

She gave it a taste rating of 7 out of 10.

Accompanying food: I’d love to have a few of these with something really spicy. Some hot and spicy buffalo wings and I suspect this beer would take flight.

Best season to appreciate: Definitely a Summer thirst quencher.

All-nighter beer? If you’re looking for a beer to drink all night, and don’t mind not getting much ‘oomph’ then this is it.

Other information: Being an ‘imported’ variety of Labatt Blue, this review holds no reflection on the beer sampled in Canada, from the source. Having spent much time in the US and Canada, this was once a staple draught beer of choice for me and I am sure to enjoy it once more when I return.

NEXT WEEK: Barons Black Wattle Original Ale

13. Red Angus Pilsener

Red Angus Pilsener

 

Company info:
William Bull Brewing Company
BILBUL, N.S.W

www.williambull.com.au

Bottle size sampled: 345 mL

Alcohol: 4.8%

Standard drinks: 1.3

Cap type: Twist

Cost: I picked this up for AU$3.90

Label info: ‘Red Angus is a pure grain fed Pilsener bred from the best materials the world has to offer. Wrestle the lid off and discover the benefits of 5 malted grains giving a unique and full flavoured profile. No less than 3 classic hops are used, giving a wild profusion of spicy and fruity aromas. A long slow fermentation brings these characters together for a classy and intriguing Pilsener. Enjoy!’

What the label really means:
I like the humour of this beer, proclaiming itself to be a ‘Pure Grain Fed Beer’. We’re told that the beer is jam packed full of flavour with an impressive amount of hops and grains.

The Hell-Cat review starts here

Label: I really appreciate this label. For starters the main label is a weird shape (almost bull like), has a tough outline of an angus cow’s head, and is really neatly designed. It’s a label that stands out, and combined with the long necked bottle, is a definite winner.

I give it a label rating of 8 out of 10.

AROMA: An intriguingly delicious hoppy smell wafts up from the glass. 

Taste: GLASS – A strong bitterness prevails through a rising wheat flavour. I really enjoy this, and surprisingly, I enjoy the bitter after taste best.

I give it a beer from glass rating of 7.5 out of 10.

Taste: BOTTLE – I took a good ol swig of this and found it had a really nice taste, comparable in drinking it from a glass. I felt nothing is missed and it’s still a great drop.

I give it a taste from bottle rating of 7.5 out of 10.

A word from the wife: “Mmm…there’s a subtlety of honey that makes it quite smooth, with a crisp after taste….I like it”

She gave it a taste rating of 8 out of 10.
 
Accompanying food: I’d like to suggest this accompanies something with pastry. Perhaps a steak and kidney pie, or cheese and spinach triangles.

Best season to appreciate: I suggest this is a predominantly cooler weather beer. It would go back just swell in front of an open wood fire.

Time taken to finish bottle: 4 minutes – a very easy to drink beer.

All-nighter beer? Yes I think so. I can’t imagine myself getting sick of it.

NEXT WEEK: Chopper Heavy