I seem to have an awful lot of dark beers knocking round the house at the moment. 'Tis the season, I suppose. But you always want what you can't have so I'm finding myself struggling to get through them, craving something paler and hoppier. Just as well my last homemade beer of the year is a big-assed US-style IPA then. But until that's ready for drinking, I'm clearing attic space.Most recently, it was Coopers Dark Ale for the chop. What we have is an intensely fizzy dark brown ale, with an endless convection of yeasty floaters lava-lamping around in the translucent body. The texture is very watery, with little by way of maltiness other than a faint echo of caramel, detectable if it's allowed warm well up. The hopping isn't up to much, but a few seconds after taking a sip I got a slow-rising horrible pencil-sharpener metallic tang, which mercifully doesn't last long.
One for drinking quickly and never touching again, I think.
You do paint a pretty visual image of this, but I'm trying to imagine pencil-sharpener tang. :D
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Perhaps I was the only one in the class who kept licking his pencil sharpener, going "ewwwww", and then licking it again.
ReplyDeleteAlways had a seat to myself on the bus, though.
I'm bristling with antipodean indignation (but I dont think I've a leg to stand on). Fair call; although it is a shame as Coopers usually makes great beers :-) I better find an alternative for you and send a link
ReplyDeleteHave to say I've not been overly impressed with most of them. Sparkling is decent, and the Vintage has a certain watery charm. But I didn't enjoy the Original Pale Ale or Stout at all when I tried them.
ReplyDeleteI'm well aware that Australia has much better beer to offer, if that helps your national pride any.
I am mad about their 'Special Old' Stout.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ratebeer.com/beer/coopers-special-old-stout/8220/
Black as anything but pretty session-ey.
I think what you describe as watery is more to do with the hardness of the water. Australian beers are generally brewed with extremely soft water and this is reflected by the thin body. If you added the 30 odd grams of brewing salts per pint to the brewing water you would get a lot more body.
ReplyDeleteAlso watery is different to maltiness. The dark ale has a bread like malt character. I will say that dark ale is the weak link in the Coopers line up though. If its cold and you do a blind tasting its not that dissimilar from the pale ale.
The bread passed me by completely.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't impressed either, but your experience was far worse than mine.
ReplyDeleteNice - i've been wanting to say that i've found Cooper's beers a little overrated for a while now, and you've helped me come out. A beer intervention, of sorts. And for that, I thank you.
ReplyDelete