Little Creatures "Puffin Billy" (Australia)

www.littlecreatures.com.au
Little Creatures Single Batch "Puffin Billy"
Little Creatures Brewery
6.5% ABV

The latest, most anticipated and personally the hardest to track down beer in the ever popular series is named Puffin Billy.  The beer was born out of an in-house home brew competition at the brewery.

The beer is a smokey bock style beer.

Review

On the nose the beer has vanilla, treacle, malt and alcohol.  The beer is clear and pours with a dark amber hue with a tan head.  The beer has dark bitter notes with warmth from the alcohol coming through and also the subtle smoked malt lingering in the mix.  The beer has great weight and body.

To sum up this was not my favourite single batch.  It does taste like a home brew more than previous releases in the single batch range.  I was expecting some of the typical Little Creatures 'hop hit'.  Probably a little disappointed.

Scores: -

Aroma 6/10
Appearance 3/5
Taste 5.5/10
Palate 4/5
Overall 14/20

Total 65%

Lord Nelson "Old Admiral - Dark Ale" (Australia)

www.lordnelsonbrewery.com
Lord Nelson Brewery "Old Admiral - Dark Ale"
Lord Nelson Brewery
6.1% ABV

Sydney's finest and oldest breweries.  

Taken from their website: - In 1986, the Lord was taken over by its current custodians, including Managing Director Blair Hayden. With the aid of an 1852 photograph the new custodians took a beautiful old pub and restored it to its former Colonial glory. A stunning sandstone façade was revealed along with many convict made chisel marks on the locally quarried stone.

In keeping with the ambience of the architecture the new custodians were inspired to create beers in the style of the traditional English style ale with no added sugar and extremely full flavoured – instead of lager as made by the big Brewers dominating the market.

A microbrewery was built in the back area of the bar and cellar and the rest is history. Over a quarter century in fact.

The brewing process begins in the mash tun in the hotel's cellar, then our Ales are fermented in the brewery at the rear of our bar, matured directly below this space in our cellar and conditioned in the Bright Beer room before being sent through to the taps in the first floor bar.

Review

The beer has a roasted, malty aroma.  The beer has a dark, cloudy, ruby appearance.  Some caramel malt immediately hits the tongue before more slightly roasted malt with good bitterness.  The beer has a perfect body and great weight.  I can however pick an unusual flavour in there - maybe strange biscuit and am not that keen.  Good bitterness and great body.

Scores: -

Aroma 6.5/10

Appearance 3.5/5

Taste 5/10

Palate 4.5/5

Overall 15/20

Total 69%

Zywiec Porter (Poland)

no website available
Zywiec Porter
9.5% ABV

Zywiec Porter, pronounced "je-vi-ets", is a dark, strong beer brewed according to the traditional recipe from 1881, with the Munich malt and special malts for caramel and colour plus the highest quality aromatic hops. Everything together creates a unique combination of taste. Production of this Porter was moved to Bracki Bowar in 2004.  In Poland this beer is as cheap as chips..

Review

On the nose the beer has a dark, nutty aroma with coffee and chocolate notes.  The beer pours with a black thick consistency with a creamy tan head.  The high level of alcohol is what you notice instantly, very strong!  The sweetness hits first before the dark, richness follows through.  The palate is medium to heavy.  The beer develops bags of rich flavour as it sits and warms.  It looks like a heavy dark beer and tastes like a proper porter head banger... Very strong!

Scores: -

Aroma 7/10
Appearance 4/5
Taste 5/10
Palate 4/5
Overall 13/20

Total 66%