by Oliver » Wednesday Dec 22, 2010 8:23 am
Just dragging up an old thread, sorry.
Looking through these beers got me thinking about the English-style beers on offer in Australia.
It seems that most of the new ales being brewed here have an American influence, in the use of US hops (think LCPA and a host of imitations).
Are there many Australian breweries brewing bitters, pale ales, etc, true to the English style?
I had a Hargreaves Hill ESB a couple of weeks back. It was one of the best beers I've had in a while, but is apparently brewed with "new world" hops, which is more than likely code for American hops. It wasn't particularly citrusy, however.
So, is it possible to find any beers brewed in Australia that are true to the English styles?
The reason I ask is that I'd like to get more of a sense of what these English-style beers are all about. However, I am reluctant to buy beer brewed in England that's spent months in a hot container on the journey over here, then more time in a warehouse somewhere before finally being put on a shelf in a bottleshop where it's remained for a further period of time, all the while deteriorating and in the end tasting nothing like it should.
Cheers,
Oliver