Matilda Bay, Dogbolter

Ok,

So a bit of a come down from all the craft beers I have been drinking over Good Beer Week, and while it is a brewery now owned through Carlton and United, Matilda Bay have still managed to keep some good qualities in this beer. I have to say, it has been a while since I have tried this beer, and wasn't overly taken by it before. But with no other dark beer at the pub I was at (apart from canned Guinness) I decided to give this a go over a Fat Yak (yeah, another Matilda Bay stalwart) during the Rebels game where they were being belted by the Hurricanes.

I was quite surprised to be able to taste quite a bit of chocolate malt up front, and that it actually held pretty well over the tongue. For a dark lager, it had a fair bit of body which I also enjoyed in combination with the chocolate malt. I actually wouldn't kind tasting this on tap to see how it holds up there.

So there you go, even an old dog with an uncertain pedigree can come up with something good. Maybe the big brewers are learning to add flavour to the beers they control? Well worth a try as the wintery conditions start to hit home here in Melbourne. Ok, not as good as a Holgate Temptress, but surprised at how close it was to it.

In others news, I have just bottled my first Gluten Free beer and Stass and I are starting to put together a recipe for a homebrew clone to one of amy all time favourite beers, the Southern Tier Creme Brulee! I have also decided to take my beer nerdiness to a new level buying some beer journals to help me make notes on beers I try apart from just writing on random bits of paper I happen to find when I feel like taking notes.

Cheers,

Beef