GABS 2012 - looking through the bottom of an empty glass 12 months on

*cough* *cough* it's a little dusty around here.  apologies for the absence.

here's something i've been meaning to put up for a while - a documentation of my thoughts from 2012's Great Australian Beer Spectapular.  which for those not in the know was a brilliant collection of 60 craft beers brewed especially for the the festival (and then some post-festival-selling-and-profit-making-by-the-brewers!) and beer nerds such as myself.  i sampled 26 (including an accidental double), but sadly only made notes for a few.  a couple are amusing, but mainly to myself, so please forgive the indulgence.

i didn't drink them in numerical order of the beer, but that's how i've set it out.  with its name and description followed by my brief, yet still somehow rambling, notes.  there's also a few pearls of wisdom that were sprinkled throughout the evening and recorded for posterity.  including this lovely first snippet of gold from my good friend Fan.

Hop Lovers are like Kraut Rock = Cold Music/Cold Feeling. German.
Malt Lovers are like group hugs by the fire.

2. Epic Zythos (IPA). well rounded lad - worth a large
6. 8 Wired C4 (Double brown ale with coffee).  Great - BIG!
8. Garage Project Double Day of the Dead (strong black lager). like - strong, good strong.
10. Harringtons A Bit of Kiwi Wit (New Zealand Witbier). soury but not too much.
12. Moa Cocoa Weizen (Chocolate wheat beer). Been there!
13. The Mussel Inn Smoking Swine (Smoked Manuka beer).  didn't taste it but it smelled like your clothes after a night by a camp fire.
16. Yeastie Boys Gunnamattta (Tea-leafed IPA). good.

it's not a tuba.

18. 4 Pines Beetroot Belgian Ale (Strong Belgian Ale). nice and fruity, but beetroot isn't a fruit.
19. Barry Cranston's Brown Dog (Australian Brown Ale).  good work Barry - my kinda beer.
21. Hopdog Children of Darkness (Barrelled Black IPA).  tastes black.
22. Illawarra Saison Rouge (Red Saison).  alcohol is starting to distract, still good.  x2.
24. Lord Nelson Last Consignment (American Brown Ale). bitter.
25. Murray's Bob's Farmhouse Ale (Farmhouse Ale).  meaty - belgian.
26. Pinchgut Red PLZ (Red Lager).  lacks lustre it does.

a zealous love for beer.

27. The Mash Collective Amasia (Rumweizen).  Pepperpry possibly.
31. Boatrocker Aotearoa Smash! (California Common).  bland like Daryl Somers.
32. Bridge Road God Save the Lager (Imperial Pilsener).  Good.
33. Bright Resistance Red Ale (India Red Ale).  Malty Yum.
34. Grand Ridge Sarsaparilla Stout (Stout).  smells like medicine.

average paddle time/number of attendees x index.

41. Mornington Peninsula Grouch (Imperial American Amber Ale).  first large.  unsighted.  goood choice.  goaty.
42. Mountain Goat Top Paddock (Spiced Red Saison).  spicy saisson.  prefer others from stable.
45. Red Hill Sticke Alt (Secret Alt).  good - not outstanding.
48. True South Coconut Telegraph Porter (Coconut Porter).  no lime in the coconut, but i drunk the bowl up.
49. Moo Brew Belgo (American/Belgian Ale).  almost slipped through the cracks.
51. Steam Exchange/Lobethal Bierhaus (Double Dubbel IPA).  i'm not coherant.
57. Little Creatures/White Rabbit The Little Rabbit (Belgian Style Ale).  fruity belgian - not so much.
59. The Monk Sweet Potato Porter (A variation on USA style pumpkin beer).  Porter - no great potato.

Anyhoo,  as you can see there was a distinct lack of sense in the majority of these posts.  Am just disappointed not every beer got the treatment!  So this friday and saturday i intend to be a bit more fastidious in recording notes against each beer i try at GABS 2013, while still maintaining that great rambling short sentence structure we've come to know and love.