Mountain Goat comes to Brisbane, brings satisfaction
March 15, 2010
The ever-reliable Platform Bar recently held a special night showcasing three of the finest brews from the esteemed Mountain Goat Brewery. This was a little different from the standard Back Alley Beer Club – for starters this was much larger! Your $20 ticket price bought you three glasses of the Goat’s finest and a pretty reasonable light meal. It was held in the main function area of the Platform Bar, where you can see the trains arriving and departing on Central’s platform through the soundproof window – pretty cool!
Matt Coorey (Platform Bar) and Cam (Mountain Goat) talk beer with the crowd
It goes without saying that the Mountain Goat on offer was pretty special. We were treated to a schooner of Steam Ale and Hightail Ale, and a taster of Fancy Pants. All very well received.
There was another special treat in store for everyone though – 2 of Brisbane’s best home brewers brought along a keg each of their award-winning specialities. One was a Belgian Ale (by Dave Clarke), the other an Australian Ale (by Chris Moss). Both were magnificent. You could tell they had been brewed with a great deal of skill and love, the aromas and flavours were something to behold. I’ve heard rumours there’s still some on tap down there, if you’re quick.
Another great night at the Platform Bar. If you’re not already on their mailing list, make sure you join up, because these events are increasingly selling out to those in the know!
Back Alley Beer Club’s Battle of the American IPAs
March 1, 2010
Last Friday’s Back Alley Beer Club – now held in a more spacious Platform Bar side room, but retaining the name – was all about the American IPA, that wonderful hopped-up cousin of the English IPA. Four different varieties were offered up for a try, each of them highly unique – and with two very clear winners in terms of style and taste.
First cab off the rank was a Bridge Road Galaxy Single Hop, which as the name suggests, is brewed only with galaxy hops by this renowned Melbourne brewer. It poured slightly flat, and had quite a soft bitterness to it, but made a great start to the evening.
Second cab off the rank was a Mikkeller Single Hop Nelson Sauvin IPA. This Danish beauty was a real show stopper! It had an incredible head and a beautiful light golden colour. But it was the aroma that really stole the show – it is quite simply the most fragrant beer I have ever had the pleasure of drinking! Immediate notes of orange, pineapple and other citrus hit the nose – it’s quite amazing given that there is (obviously) nothing added to the beer except good old water, hops, yeast and the New Zealand Nelseon Sauvin hops. It’s those hops that make this beer truly unique and exceptional.
Third beer of the evening was a Nøgne Ø India Pale Ale from Norway. I think this was the first time I’d had the pleasure of enjoying a Norwegian beer. I’d heard great things about Nøgne, and while this IPA didn’t quite match up to the Mikkeller, it was still outstanding.
Finally we enjoyed another Mikkeller, this time a Stateside IPA. This really had the room split down the middle – there was intense debate about whether this was the best of the evening! It was a much more traditional rendering of the American IPA than the single hop version, with chinook, cascade and amarillo hops thrown into the mix. But what a mix it was – you really did feel like you were drinking the best expression of an American IPA you were likely to find.
Ultimately, the room voted 50/50 in favour of the two Mikkellers. My favourite was definitely the Nelson Sauvin. Funnily enough, BeerAdvocate seems to think they’re both the best of the lot too. We’re a discerning lot at the Back Alley!
- Bridge Road Galaxy Single Hop IPA: B+
- Mikkeller Single Hop Nelson Sauvin IPA: A-
- Nøgne Ø India Pale Ale: B+
- Mikkeller Stateside IPA: A-
(FYI, a mark of B+ is incredibly good for the beer nuts on BeerAdvocate, so all the beers we tried were well and truly above average).
Thanks again to Matt K for organising the Back Alley Beer Club, and Matt C for giving us somewhere to congregate!
