My Hoegaarden Experience

[Tyberious Funk]

I finally got my hands on some hoegaarden after finding a nearby bottleshop that stocks a few European beers (most of my locals are quite small and generally focus on wine). After some of the reviews I've read though, I was a bit disappointed. Nice, but... a little bit soapy. Fortunately, they also stocked some Schofferhofer Hefeweizen which I have been craving since returning from my European trip.

My next conquest is to try and get my hands on some Chinmay to help complete my Belgian beer appreciation

[undercover1]

TF- where do you live? And have you considered moving?
Here in sunny south Melbourne there are 4 bottle shops within a 5 minute walk- 3 do stuff like Hoegaarden (including the Safeway Liquor in St Kilda) & the fourth is a cleanskin wine joint that stocks Aus. boutique-y beers like Mountain Goat, Jamieson Brewery, Redoak, etc.
Acland Cellars has one of the best ranges of imported beers I've ever seen, Nicks Wine Merchants (in Swanston St til recently) notwithstanding.

[Tyberious Funk]

TF- where do you live? And have you considered moving?

I live in Malvern... there are two bottleshops fairly close by, but both mainly focus on wine. One has a reasonable selection of European lagers the other doesn't have much of a selection of anything. There is also a Safeway liquor near my work... they have a pretty reasonable selection of Australian beers and a few imports. None of them stock any wheat beers though.

I used to live next door to a bottle shop on Canterbury Rd. I'd pop down every couple of days and buy a selection of stubbies from around the world. Not only did they have a reasonable stock, they tried different stuff all the time. In fact, on one occasion the owner said that if I could think of anything worthwhile importing, he'd try and get hold of it (what a legend)! Unfortunately, I'm not often in that neck of the woods these days.

I'm not too far from a big place in Taronga (Quaffers?) although, once again they mainly wine merchants. I haven't actually checked them out yet, so I don't know what their range is like.

BTW - the hoegaarden is starting to grow on me

[Tyberious Funk]

I'm not too far from a big place in Taronga (Quaffers?) although, once again they mainly wine merchants. I haven't actually checked them out yet, so I don't know what their range is like.

To follow up my own post... I decided to check the place out, and sure enough, they have a fantastic range of beers (both imported and domestic). Would have preferred a few more stouts, but beggars can't be choosers. I now have some chimay blue sitting in my fridge and I tasted my first fruit lambic last night (honestly, not really an experience I would want to repeat, but fun nonetheless).

[Oliver]

TF,

There's a bottleshop on Balaclava Road, just west of Hawthorn Road, in Caulfield North that has a good selection of imported beers. They also carry beer that you'd be struggling to find elsewhere, mainly from Eastern Europe.

Admittedly, I haven't been there for a while, but was impressed when I did.

Make sure you check the best-before dates, though, as I noticed that some of their stock was close to or past the BB date.

Caulfield Cellars, at 702 Glenhuntly Road, Caulfield South (about halfway between Kooyong and Hawthorn roads), is my local bottleshop. They have quite a few Eastern European lagers that I've never seen elsewhere. Their stock turnover is good, so you shouldn't have any best-before issues there.

Cheers,

Oliver

[Guest]

Purvis in Surrey Hills
Cnr of Union and Whitehorse Roads also has quite a selection of hard to get UK, Belgium, German and Australian micro beers.
If you ever in those parts. Take a look.

[Beer Krout]

Sir Undercover

Is it true they sell the Sydney-based RedOak beers in your Acland Street bottlo?
I've been waiting for them to get some product down here. But nothing on their website suggest they have.

Keen for your confirmation, kind sir.

BK

[Beer Krout]

Also guys.

Another beer I'm keen to try is "Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout".
Have any of you guys seen that at a bottlo in Metro Melbourne?

BK

[Tyberious Funk]

TF,
Caulfield Cellars, at 702 Glenhuntly Road, Caulfield South (about halfway between Kooyong and Hawthorn roads), is my local bottleshop.

Not too far from me... would still require a special trip, but not completely out of the way.

[undercover1]

Sir Undercover
Is it true they sell the Sydney-based RedOak beers in your Acland Street bottlo?
I've been waiting for them to get some product down here. But nothing on their website suggest they have.

Keen for your confirmation, kind sir.
BK

I am not sure about Acland International Cellars (the one down near the corner of Barkly St) BUT the Australian Cleanskin shop (up near the corner of Carlisle St) does have a range of the Redoaks in. I enjoyed a bottle of their blackberry hefeweisse on Saturday night. Pricey, though, and their beer stocks are erratic to say the least.
Think I have seen the oatmeal stout at Acland International on occassion.
Also, Oliver is right - that odd European place in Balaclava Rd is worth a visit. Number 3, 64 or 16 tram will get you there.

[undercover1]

Stopped into Australian Cleanskins in Acland St last night (in the interest of further research on BK's behalf, you understand) to check what Redoak they have in stock at the moment. Only the blackberry hefewezen, Vienna lager, Bavarian pilsener & bock, and only a few bottles of each.
Decided to take the research a step further with a bottle of the blackberry & a Jamieson raspberry ale for comparison purposes.
Under laboratory conditions, (two clean glasses on a kitchen table) the Jamieson won hands down- better colour (the Redoak looks like purple lemonade mixed with milk) better flavour, and a better combination of beer & fruit flavours. Also much better priced- the Redoak was $5.00 for 250ml!
This place is worth a look- though they stock a lot of crap like Chopper Heavy & Blowfly, they usually have a few different Holgate, Jamieson & Mountain Goat brews. They are some sort of chain, I don't know whether other branches are the same or better.

[Tyberious Funk]

Just as an addendum... I was at a bar last night in the city and they were serving Hoegaardan on tap. Much better than in the bottle. It wasn't quite so soapy.

[Guest]

the Redoak was $5.00 for 250ml!

its $9 for 250ml over the bar at the redoak here in Sydney. & not worth it imo. it is good beer but $36 for a litre of local beer is robbery.