Moylan’s

Moylans Tipperary Pale Ale, not all that Irish

Its been one of those weeks. I’m flat-out at work, partly due to the short weeks around Easter, and we have our work AGM next week. My apartment is a mess (some would argue that’s normal). I’m sore from my PT session yesterday (no longer considering spewing though) and its been a while since I’ve brewed so the zen levels are a little low. Need to brew more.

It’s not all bad though, I got out-of-town over the weekend, spending some time in Beachworth where I did a little work on a mates vineyard and had a couple of beers at Bridge Rd (thanks for the growler fill of Galaxy IPA Ben), and getting to my uncles 70th birthday at the Beeac pub. All in all a good weekend, if not a little tiring. And the Catters had a win over Hawthorn on Monday rounding out the weekend. And (yes this is one to many and’s) it looks like there is a new series of Voltron, apparently its some reboot of the Voltron Lions series and will be shown on ABC. Loved that show when I was a kid. Hope it lives up to the original.

So that’s a catch up on how I got to feeling buggered right now. Which gets me to the beer I’m drinking – Moylan’s Tipperary Pale Ale. They have them on the shelf at my local Foodworks but I’ve never really been drawn to them. I think it’s the artwork, doesn’t really do it for me. However, this beer, or brewery to be more specific comes with a recommendation.

When Facebook messaging with James from Beer Bar Band (that’s what bloggers do) I commented that I hadn’t had a wow beer for a while, James recommended Moylan’s as his last wow beer. And that’s how I’m drinking it now. He didn’t specify which beer though, perhaps I should have done more homework. Anyway I grabbed two bottles, the pale ale I’m drinking now and an IPA that I might get to later on.

So to the Tipperary Pale Ale, it’s not a wow beer, but its pretty good. A well rounded US pale ale, nice to have a pale ale that’s not trying to be an IPA. It’s just a nice beer, which isn’t at all a bad thing. Not a wow though. I do like that they give a fair amount of info on the ingredients on their website. I could happily settle into a big session on this beer.

The lable indicates that its won a bucket load of awards, and is some kind of ode to the owners Dad and Ireland. No probs with any of that, but it dosent really influence my thougts on the beer.

Perhaps I needed one after the gym yesterday. Get yourself one after a long week, or just when you feel like a good beer, nothing that requires too much thinking though.

No wow yet James, will wait for the IPA for that.

Cheers D

Pride in beer from the poms

Image by Powerhouse Museum Collection via Flickr

I found this video on Stan Hieronymus’s bolg “Allepation Beer” who got it from Pete Brows blog. I’m a big fan of Stan’s blog (and books) and after stumbling on Pete’s blog I think I’ll be having a look at it more often.

Anyway the vid is a bunch of British brewers and beer industry associates speaking with pride about the beer they make. US craft brewers and home brewers have made similar vids but I like this one more, it seems more genuine. Perhaps its the accents. I always like seeing people talk with pride about what they do or make. Its all the better when its about beer.

So pour a pint and watch the vid, then after you’ve watched the vid, use the rest of your pint drinking time to have a look at Stan and Pete’s respective blogs.

I’ll leave you with a question, how long will it be until we see an Australian version? and will it be any good??

Cheers D

PS this week is a 4 day week, I am still bloody crook

4 day week! playing in a brewery tomorrow

Image via Wikipedia

I’m having what I call a less than awesome week right now so the message I recieved on the weekend asking “do you want to come and do a day in a brewery” couldnt have been better timed. This will give me 2 things I like, brewing Zen time, with big shiny brew gear and a 4 day week.

Will post more info if its ok with the brewer.

Cheers D

Macedon and the Temptress

Its Monday, I’m a touch tired and I have what I fear will be a long week in front of me. I really should make it a 4 day week.

So what caused the tiredness? a trip to the country, all that fresh air and clean living apparently faild me on my trip to Macedon. It did however keep me out of the mini floods that hit Melbourne over the weekend. I left and it was kind of sunny, and I came back to yet more sunshine. Macedon however was not blessed with sunshine.

Why Macedon you ask? It was Kristen’s b’day and a shack (Lawson Lodge)with a golf course, tennis, spa etc. had been booked. There was sporting, bbqing and drinking. There was also a large number of cartwheels and icecream cones being smashed on heads. Beer was a big part of the weekend but quantity was more the theme rather than quality (with the exception of some homebrews and some coopers pale).

On my sporting performance on the weekend I can only say that although it has been some years since I have either been on the golf course or the tennis court I was not as bad as I thought I would be. I am still not fit, piss fit but not fit. Thanks to the piss fit bit I was hangover free all weekend (feel a bit second hand now though).

Upon leaving Macedon we decided that a trip to Woodend would be a good idea (secretly I felt like dropping into the Holgate Brewery) as thats what you do in the country. We wandered that town saw some terrible paintings of tigers and lions, a bakery and some craft shops. Nothing really caught the interest so on the way back to the car a quick stop at the pub was in order.

A bowl of hot chips and a pot the Temptress on hand pump through coffee beans was the order. I’ve had this beer and quite enjoyed it a number of times, but never at the brewery, on hand pump or through coffee. Firstly my thoughts on this beer – its a black, roasty beer with a dusty kind of mid way between coffee and chocolate finish. Adding more coffee of course boosts this aspect of the beer. I like it. Its a little light on the body but thats not something that I would ssay hurts the beer, as it is at the lighter end of where theis style of beer can be.

Now to the hand pump, I’ve never really had beers on hand pump before and I dont know that I’m rating it all that highly right now. The beer wasnt as bright as it could have been, no actually as I expected it to be. This may be how hand pump beers are? I dont know. I will drink the Temptrss again, not sure about the hand pump aspect yet. Looking forward to being convinced.

Also on the selection of afood to accompany a porter I would not recomend hot chips and sauce. Something along the lines of a blue chese or even soemthing with a chocolate flavour would be way better but I’d been drinking all weekend. Also had I not been driving I would have been all over about 10 pints of their Road Trip IPA. If you see this beer get stuck into it.

So that was my weeeknd. Bugger off now, I have work to do.

Cheer D