Coopers Ale

When I was in my 20's i did a little travelling and ended up in Australia.  We all know that the aussies are famous for their Amber nectar and Lager was pretty much the drink of choice.

I did, however, come across Coopers Ale on my travels.  As the name suggests this isn't the standard beer.  This is an actual Ale and I was instantly impressed.

The beer is delivered in a bottle and there is still a little residue left from the brewing process so you have to pour it slowly to avoid getting a mouthful of the yeast at the end of your drink but this is not a major problem as this adds to the taste.

While I was in Australia I would have this drink every once in a while as a treat.

Imagine my joy when I arrived home one day a few weeks ago and found that my wife had bought me 2 bottles of Coopers Ale just because "she thought I may like it".  She had no knowledge of the beer or of the history we shared.

I was eager to try my little gift but decided to let the bottle chill for a few days.  I am afraid to say that not everything lives up to its expectations.  After the 3 days the beer was nice and cold but I am afraid I found the taste a little too sharp and uninspiring.  I am not sure if this is because the ale doesn't travel well, if I got to much residue or if my tastebuds have changed.

After this initial disappointment I left it a week or so before trying the second bottle, this time I poured it more carefully.

The result was a little different, the beer was crisper and tastier but still not as I remembered it tasting .  Don't get me wrong, I am not saying this is a bad beer, far from it.  It just wasn't the same as when I tried it in its homeland.

I think this is a beer left to rest in my memories of Australia.  I have since found out that they also do a Coopers Pale Ale, I may have to test this one out at some point.

For More Information feel free to check out the Coopers website.

http://www.coopers.com.au/#/our-beer/ales-stout/sparkling-ale/

Newcastle Brown Ale

I am going to start things off with an old favorite of mine.

This was possibly one of the first ales I ever tried.   Like most people, when I reached the legal drinking age I was drawn towards the lagers and anything that wasn't light and fizzy was considered to be an old mans drink.

I used to go to a pub called The Cock Inn,

this was basically a Rocker/ Biker bar and there seemed to be a lot of people stood around drinking this interesting looking brown liquid so i thought I would give it a try.

Luckily this was a pleasant experience and it made me a little more experimental in my choice of beverages.

I guess this first attempt at a different drink paved the way for the rest of the posts that will be on this Blog.



Unusually for a beer, this drink can be enjoyed as much when it is served ice cold as it can when served at room temperature.  It has a totally different taste at the different temperatures, When it is warm it has an almost Nutty after taste but served cold it loses this but gains a richer, more refreshing tang to it.

The Geordies swear by pouring their ale into a half pint glass to get the distinctive frothy head and topping it up to maintain the froth but it is just as good if you take it straight from the bottle.