Hazards Ale, Wineglass Bay Brewing

These days, Tasmania is more well-known for its wines than its beers. However, while vacationing on the Freycinet peninsula, I discovered a gem of a brew, Hazards Ale. Its brewers, Wineglass Bay Brewing, are wine makers by trade, but a trial endeavor into brewing proved so successful that they decided to continue producing and selling their creation, Hazards Ale. Made from local Tasmanian barley and hops, Hazards Ale tastes like a traditional English ale: flavorful and smooth, with a very slight, pleasing bitterness and 5.2% ABV. Sadly, it's distribution is limited, and you'll have a tough time finding it outside of Tasmania.

Little Creatures Bright Ale

After last winter’s assignment in Austria and Germany, I decided to renew my contract as Beer Crusade’s foreign correspondent and moved to Australia. It didn’t take me long to identify my new go-to beer, Coopers Ale, but it’s already been reviewed (and justifiably lauded) here on BC. Another recent favo(u)rite of mine is Little Creatures Bright Ale. The Little Creatures brewery is located in Freemantle, on the west coast of Australia, but they distribute nationally and also operate a beer hall in Melbourne. The Bright Ale lives up to its name, with a clear golden color and bright clean flavor with just a hint of citrus. It rings in at 4.5%ABV, which is fine, as you may drink multiple in one sitting. I did have trouble categorizing it, as it isn't a true summer brew but is bolder than your average lager, but I'll give this golden ale a 4.0.

Urbock 23, Schloss Eggenberg, Austria

In Austria, bocks are normally available only around Christmas and Easter. On the day before I left Vienna, I spotted a double bock on the shelf at the grocery store and decided it was my destiny to give it a try. Urbock 23 is a doppelbock made by Schloss Eggenberg and is most well-known for its high alcoholic content of 9.6%ABV. In fact, the label on the back of the bottle describes the brew as "the Cognac of Beers." (Not to be confused with "the Champagne of Beers," which is something else entirely.) The Urbock 23 is surprisingly light and clear in color with a subtle creamy flavor. For a high alcohol content beer, it is incredibly smooth. For this aspect, it earns my highest rating yet, a 4.5. If you're not careful, you could down a a bottle too many and end up wondering where you left your pants. I've always been partial to Belgians, but after the Urbock 23, I'm going to start keeping my eye out for double bocks.

Starobrno Altbrünner Gold, Starobrno Brewery, Czech Republic

My latest beer remains something of a mystery. While in Vienna, I attempted to order a local Austrian beer on tap and ended up with the Starobrno Altbrünner Gold. The fact that the brewery's name appears to be missing a vowel should have been a signal that something was amiss. It turns out that the Starobrno Brewery is in the Czech Republic, not in Austria. Since the website is Czech, I have no idea what it says, although I do find the music chipper. According to Google Translate, the Altbrünner Gold is "A beer in the style of the Brno tradition. It's been around for several centuries a symbol of the Moravian brewing. A tasty beer, a light amber color and full, hopfigem taste." Hofpigem? I'd characterize this brew with its 5.0% ABV as a light lager. It was okay but a little on the bland side, so I'll give it a 2.5 out of 5.

Köstritzer Schwarzbier, Bad Köstritz, Germany

Thus far, my favortie of the German beers has been the Köstritzer Schwarzbier from the Köstritzer Schwarzbierbrauerei (Köstritzer Black Beer Brewery- "schwarz" means "black" in German and the umlaut was added for toughness), one of the few German breweries known for its dark beers. Despite the appearance, schwarzbier does not taste anything like a stout- it's more like a dark Belgian, in that it looks heavy but tastes lighter than expected and feels refreshing rather than filling. The flavor is roasty and malty but very smooth and not at all overpowering. If you're looking for a German beer that's little fuller than your typical pils or helles, Köstritzer Schwarzbier is an excellent choice. So far, I've only had it on tap but I will try to sample the bottled version as well. 4.8% ABV and a solid 4.0 on the Eileen scale. May the schwarz be with you.

Augustiner Helles, Munich, Germnay

For my first Beer Crusade review, I deemed it appropriate to try one of Munich's most popular beers, the Augustiner Helles, straight from the tap. This light lager ("Hell" in German) is the top-selling variety from the Augustiner-Brau, a brewery in existence since 1328. The helles goes through double fermentation and like all beers from the region, is subject to the Bavarian Purity Law stipulating that the only ingrdients shall be grain, hops, and water. "He who knowingly violates these laws will be summarily fined!"

I found the Augustiner Helles to be light, mild, and inherently drinkable, which is a good thing considering it is typically served in one liter glass mugs. Its ABV is 5.2%, so a few too many mugs of Helles could earn you a visit to one of Oktoberfest's famed vomit troughs. I tend to prefer darker, more flavorful beers but something about drinking a giant mug of beer at 11:30am while surrounded by German men eating sausages scored the Augustiner Helles an extra half point in my book for a 3.5 rating.