12 - Lucky Drink Company: Lucky Beer *****

The Lucky Drink Company’s Lucky Beer is a very drinkable beer. It is not a great beer, it is not a memorable beer. It is not a beer that you would go out of your way to have unless you were exhausted and had nothing else to drink, or you were a drunk with a penchant for Lucky Beer. You could easily drink this beer at the end of a hard days work.

You may have guessed that I don’t believe this is an exceptional beer, but neither are most beers that average people drink after work every day. Considering the number of Chinese who would be looking for a cold beer after work, then Lucky is onto a winner. Lucky is a beer for the working man and the cool Buddha bottle is a bonus. I would drink Lucky with a pie and chips, or some fried rice.

Next: I was going to review a Czech beer, but I drank it without taking notes, so I will next be taking a sojourn into Italy to try, Menabrea's Blond beer.

11 - Franziskaner: Weissbier ********

This is the second time I have tried to write about Franziskaner's Weissbier. The first time I began to write about it I got so caught up in the tasting that I ran out of time and forgot to write. Wiessbier is one of those drinks that all beer lovers should try. It is not the finest beer that I have tasted but it comes close. The cloudyness of this beer is an indication of the goodness and plainness of the recipe.

Franziskaner (the Munich Franciscans) began making beer at the beginning of the 14th century, they began making this weissbier at the beginning of the 16th century. It is an easy drinking beer and would go well with a smoked meat or salmon with a cheese with cracked pepper and herbs.

This beer is remarkable for its simplicity and near perfection. What else would you expect from followers of St Francis.

Next: I leave my comfort zone and travel to Asia to review the Lucky Drink Company's Lucky Beer. Lucky was reviewed by my good friend, Mike Escober who inspired me to take this little trip around the world, and while I trust Mike's opinion, I am keen to give it a try and form my own.

10a - Banks: Barley Gold (Very Strong Ale).

I have numbered this beer 10a because I will have to revisit it at some point. I was ready to give this beer a truly scathing review. In fact I was looking forward to giving the review I thought this beer deserved, but then I investigated the can a little closer in order to see precisely what awards it had won, and noticed that it was past its "Best Before" date.... by 8 months.

It took me several days to recover from New Zealand's Radler bier, and I was looking forward to getting my teeth into a meaty English beer. But this beer made me physically shudder, when I tasted it. I was going to say that this beer is the brewing equivalent of water-boarding, and that the owners of the owners of the Park Brewery at Wolverhampton should be reported to the International Criminal Court at the Hague for crimes against humanity, but now I know that would be unfair.

There is a definitely English flavour to this beer but it is accentuated to the point of caricature and I can only put that down to the extra 8 months that this beer has had to mature.

I would drink this beer with fetid meats and blue vein cheese.

NEXT: I retreat to the safe haven of Germany and seek Sancruary with the Catholic Church. I try Franziskaner - Weissbier. If Barvarian friars can't make a nice beer, I don't know who can.

09 - Monteith: Radler Bier **

I bought Monteith's Radler Bier at the recommendation of a local Bottle shop manager. While I am greatful for the interest in this blog, I will think twice before taking his recommendation again. Radler Bier is not a serious beer. It is not a beer for beer drinkers, but rather one for the ladies or men don't quite like the taste of beer. I can only imagine someone thinking this is a nice beer when they are comparing it to a VB.

Radler Bier has a hint of lemon which combines with the beer to taste more like ginger beer than a traditional beer. I am sure there is a market for this beer, but it is obvious that I am not in there target demographic. Perhaps the government should slap an alcopop tax on this one.

I would drink this beer with..... with.... Oh let's be honest, I will never drink this beer again. It is not a beer so much as a travesty of brewing.

Next: We're returning to England to try Bank's 9.1% Barley Gold (Very Strong Ale). This is an award winning beer, so I hope I can scrape the tast of the Radler Bier out of my mouth before I try it.

08 - Grolsch: Premium Lager *******

I know I am probably rushing this beer, but I want to get this beer tasted so I can try a few new goodies that I have acquired.

Premium Lager very nice crisp and clean German ale. It has a slightly bitter flavour but is in no way unpleasant. In fact Grolsch is a beer for every day. It is not the most impressive beer I have tasted but it is a beer that I find too easy to drink. In fact I will have another very soon.

This is a beer that will go well with a steak or a hamburger.

Next: I make a short stop over in New Zealand to try Monteith's Radler Bier.

07 - Schwelmer: Pils ******

Schwelmer's Pils is a beer that you should buy if for no other reason than to acquire one of their terrific bottles. The bottle is not the best thing about this beer but it does come a close second. The beer is slightly cloudy and and the taste is .... curious. This is by no means an unpleasant beer. It is a very nice simple malt beer. I suspect that The Schwelmer Brewery has been using this recipe for a very long time.

But from the colour and taste, one suspects that the English had something to do with the brewing process somewhere along the line. This is a nice beer by most standards, but by the standards one expects from the Germans, it is disappointing. I will drink this beer long before I buy English, but when I get it, it will be to increase my collection of lovely resealable bottles.

I would drink this beer with kangaroo meat or some other game.

Next: I stretch to the bottom of the pantry and try Grolsch's Premium Lager

06 - Dortmunder Actien-Brauerei: Original Lager ********

DAB's Original Lager is another German treasure. It is not only running an efficient rail system that the Germans excel at, they truly are masters of the art of brewing. Who knew?

This is a beer that keeps giving. The flavour needs no more than the barley, malt, and hops to create an exquisite flavour. There are no overpowering tones as we find in English beers, but it is not a weak or watery beer by any means. DAB's Original is a beer that improves with the tasting.

I would drink this beer with cheese, and German sausage... and sauerkraut. The 660ml bottle is a sheer pleasure because the extra half a glass counters the inevitable disappointment one feels when the first glass is empty. This is a delightful beer and I will be drinking this again, and again, and again..... but responsibly.

Next: Schwelmer - Pils

05 - Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu: Original Munich Beer ********

München is a really pleasant beer, the flavour is rich and the colour is golden. The head disappeared much more quickly than any of the other beers I have tasted so far, but that slight disappointment is made up for by the rich tones of this beer.

I do not call this a full rich beer because I must admit that my anticipation of this beer exceeded its ability to deliver, for all that I like about it. There was still something missing, not much but something. München is a drinkers beer. It is enjoyable from the first to the last.

I would drink this with a good German Sausage or even a hot Peperoni.

Next: Dortmunder Actien-Brauerei's Original Draft.

04 - Erdinger Weissbrau: Kristall ********

Kristall is a lovely clean, crisp wheat beer from Bayern in Germany. This is a very enjoyable drink from the first pour to the last drop. With a tendency to perhaps be a little heady, this is easily forgiven as soon as the beer touches the lips. The flavor is difficult to describe as Krystall does not possess any outstanding features, this is not a criticism as this beer is so well rounded that it can only be described in terms of a classic wheat beer. There were no weaknesses that I could taste.

I am tempted to compare Krystall to a good savignon blanc. I truly enjoyed this beer and was disappointed when the bottle was empty. It would go well with almost anything, but I would especially like to have this beer with a nice salt-water fish. Erdinger’s Krystall is definitely a keeper, I look forward to tasting the other beers this family owned brewery has to offer.

Next: We stay in Barvaria to try “Original Munich Beer” by Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu

03 - Barron's Brewing Co: 88 Balls Lager

This is a cheap Belgian beer and the operative word is cheap. 88 Balls is a watery lager that would have impressed me much more when I was 18 and was looking for a full strength beer that I could drink all night. It tries hard to be sprightly but falls short. It is a very drinkable beer and there are no real causes to be critical of it, but it is that is more likely to be pumped from the stomach at the end of the night rather than a beer to be savoured.

The price of this beer is about right. It sells locally for $3.20 a 330ml stubby or $33 per carton. It will never be a serious beer and the manufacturer knows it as can be determined by the name “88 Balls.” This beer would go well with a hamburger with the lot and a cup of chips.

Next Beer: Erdinger Weissbrau’s Kristall from Germany (I may be spending a bit of time in Germany – it’s a dirty job but somebody has got to do it.)

02 - Bateman's: Victory Ale

This is a flavoursome beer with a nice aroma of hops. It has a sweet and slightly spicy flavour that is reminiscent of a caramelised onion though not as strong. This is one of the better English beers that I have tasted, and is a credit to the small family owned Bateman's Brewery.

It is not a beer for binging on, but would be a good beer to drink with friends on a cold night by the fireplace. 2 or 3 would be enough especially with a 6.0% alcohol content. I enjoyed this beer with a fruit curry, but it would go well with any stew or English styled curry

Next: Barron's Brewing Co's - 88 Balls Lager (I'm hoping the cheap price [24 for $33] is not reflective of the taste)

01 - Thwaites: Liberation ~ Premium AleThis

This Beer is a fairly sublte English ale with a hint of sweetness the bottle claims is toffee. I am not usually a fan of English beer, as I have found that most of their dark ales and stouts are a bit like being smacked in the face with a moldering tree branch, but this is one I quite like.

There is only a slight after taste that seems to linger long enough to remind you that you were drinking and its time to order your next one.It calls itself "a beer to be remembered" and I agree it is. I will not drink this beer often, but I will be drinking it again.

Next: Another treasure from the UK, Bateman's Victory Ale