This is the last of my Grand Ridge beer reviews. So far the Bitter and Yarra Valley stick out in my mind as being 2 things I’ll miss about Australia (unless Grand Ridge Brewery has a heart and sends some cases my way).
Man, my curtains sure are ugly. I’m glad I’m moving out of this apartment soon.
Yeah, this one is great too. I’ve met a lot of Aussies that say they don’t like pale ales. They seem to mostly like lagers here. I can understand that. I think I must prefer bitter beers because this one is fairly bitter. It’s not as malty as the Yarra Valley Gold, but I still love it. I’d like to go back to my classic wrestler motif now:
If this beer were a classic WWF wrestler it would have to be Jake “The Snake” Roberts. It’s kind of an underdog in a world full of VB, but it’s a hard worker and worthy of your respect. After a hard day of work this is the kind of manly beer that mates deserve to reward themselves with. Not VB.
Grand Ridge Gippsland Gold Pale Ale: 4/5
Today we have the Grand Ridge Yarra Valley Gold ale. I’ve been a bit disappointed and pleasantly surprised with Grand Ridge Brewery so far. I think they just have so much that they’re not going to please me with every beer they have, and that’s totally fine with me. I loved the Grand Ridge Bitter, let’s see how the Gold goes.
This is probably one of my favorite beers. It’s hoppy & malty. They describe it as being ultra hoppy, but I’d rate this as the perfect amount of hoppiness. It’s bold, but well-balanced. You know you’re drinking a beer.
If this beer was a person it would be Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat; a well-rounded wrestler & champion body builder.
Back to the Yarra Valley Gold. You should try this right away. Unless you’ve been brainwashed by VB or Miller Lite into not respecting your taste buds, this will be the only beer you’ll ever drink again. This really hits the spot. I tried it after an 11 hour work day and it was the perfect thing to wind down with.
Grand Ridge Yarra Valley Gold: 4.1/5
Grand Ridge, if you’re reading this, please export to America. Specifically, to my house so I can show my mates how great Australia is.
Another Grand Ridge Brewery review up today. This time it’s the draught. I have a feeling it’s going to be slightly better than my experience with Carlton Draught.
This is what beer should taste like. Smooth and sharp at the same time. Bitter, but not too bitter. Nothing too flash, but there’s a lot going on if you want to look for it.
Maybe my taste buds are shot, but this is one of my favorite beers ever as far as workhorses go. If they ever export this to Nashville it will go in my rotation right between Dogfish Head & Yazoo.
4/5
This is my 2nd Grand Ridge experience. After the light lager I was feeling like trying something a little more complex. I don’t think I’ve ever had a blonde beer before the awful Pure Blonde I had on the plane from LAX to Melbourne. I’m sure I’ve had a blonde style before from an American brewery, I just don’t think it’s very popular over there.
After enjoying the best Hefeweizen in the world from Burleigh Brewing Co. I was up for a wheat beer.
This doesn’t compare. I think I’ve been spoiled. Maybe I just don’t like blonde beers very much. It’s good, but it actually tastes kinda flat. Perhaps I poured it the wrong way. I do mess up my pouring technique sometimes. I should stop trying to compare it to the Hef. They’re totally different styles of wheat beer.
It has a bit of citrus and something else. The bottle says coriander. That must be it. The flavors are expertly blended together. Again, it’s very light. I think I must have destroyed my taste buds and that’s why I prefer stronger flavored beers. I must say that I’m no expert beer taster and this has won a bunch of awards so I’m willing to give it another go.
3.5/5
I picked up Grand Ridge’s mixed box of beers last weekend. The box is covered with labels from all the awards they’ve won. I decided to ease into it so I started with their light beer.
In Australia light beer means it’s just light on alcohol content; in America it means it’s light on carbs or calories, but mostly flavor. I don’t really care too much about the alcohol content or how many calories it has. As long as it tastes great I’m happy.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a light Aussie beer before. I can’t say I’m a fan. It’s a lager and meant to be an all-round Aussie beer. It’s miles beyond VB though. Heck, the contents of a spittoon is better than VB.
You’ll noticed the amount of bubbles. They’re deceiving because it’s not like a sparkling ale. It’s very light and slightly bitter. It’s not full of flavour like the bottle led me to believe.
I’m glad I started with this one because it can only get better from here on out. Grand Ridge has won over 100 awards for their beer, but I have a feeling the light has never been a winner. What would make a good light beer though? Should it make me think I’m drinking something more robust like a Big Helga? Perhaps it should taste lighter. I really don’t know. I just want more flavor. Maybe if they stuffed a few more hops in there I’d be more into it.
2.9/5
By now I think its been established that I’m not a big lager fan. They just seem boring to me. I’m going to give it a go since this one has won more awards than I have.
Right off the bat I could tell this one was different. It has what most lagers and pilseners lack. Character.
As far as pilsners go I’d rate the Sam Adams Noble Pils as the only other pilsener better than this one (see how I spelled pilsner all 3 accepted ways? My SEO can’t be beat!).
The Grand Ridge Pilsener has a nice floral aroma, good bitterness, and a good mouth feel. I learned that last term from the head brew master of Burleigh Brewing. I’m not sure exactly how to explain it, but the mouth feel is excellent on this one.
3.5/5 (for convincing me to change my mind about the pilsner)
