World Beer Challenge
Date Consumed: 2012
Beer: Olobon Lager
Brewed: Obolon, Kiev, Ukraine
Size: 500mL
Alcohol Content:
Sourced: Petersham Liquormart, Petersham, NSW, Australia
World Beer Rating: 9/10
Notes: I wasn’t sure if the Ukraine even had a brewary, but this beer is fantastic. You can even taste the Soviet in it.
Date Consumed: 2012
Beer: Halida Premium Lager Beer
Brewed: South East Asia Brewery, Hanoi, Vietnam
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Sourced: Dan Murphy’s, Sydney
World Beer Rating: 3/10
Notes: This beer is vile and apart from the happy elephant adorning the label, this beer should be avoided.
Date Consumed: 2012
Beer: Sabeco 333 Export
Brewed: Sabeco, Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Sourced: Liquor Paradise, Greenacre, NSW, Australia
World Beer Rating: 5/10
Notes: This beer is somewhat better than the Halida above. Dry, hoppy taste finishes in a short bitter aftertaste.
Date Consumed: 2013
Beer: Hue Beer
Brewed: Hue Brewery, Hue City, Vietnam
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 4.8%
Sourced: Beers Of Europe, Kings Lynn, United Kingdom
World Beer Rating: 3/10
Notes: Much like it’s Vietnamese counterparts, this beer is not up to international standards. Avoid!
Date Consumed: 2012
Beer: Hite Beer
Brewed: The Hite Company, Yeongdeungpo, Seoul, South Korea
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 4.5%
Sourced: Doo Rae Korean Restaurant, Sydney, NSW, Australia
World Beer Rating: 6/10
Notes: Bland, inoffensive flavour. Nothing wrong, but I wouldn’t buy this out of choice when stocked in a fridge along with German or Australian beers.
Date Consumed: 2012
Beer: OB Golden Lager
Brewed: Oriental Brewery, Seoul, South Korea
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 4.4%
Sourced: Doo Rae Korean Restaurant, Sydney, NSW, Australia
World Beer Rating: 8/10
Notes: This is a lovely refreshing beer. Great taste and minimal carbonation.
Date Consumed: 2012
Beer: Whistler Premium Export Lager
Brewed: Whistler Brewing Company, British Columbia, Canada
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Sourced: Randwick Cellars, Randwick, NSW, Australia
World Beer Rating: 2/10
Notes: This beer is completely horrible. Canada should be ashamed that they are exporting this soiled toilet water to other countries.
Date Consumed: 2012
Beer: St Ambroise Pale Ale
Brewed: McAuslan Brewing, Quebec, Canada
Size: 341mL
Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Sourced: Camperdown Cellars, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
World Beer Rating: 8/10
Notes: Although I’ve technically done Canada already, Quebec is a largely different region and the previous Canadian beer was rubbish, so I gave the Canucks a second chance. This beer was delicious, the French Canadians know how to brew a good beer.
Date Consumed: 2011
Beer: Unibroue Trois Pistoles
Brewed: Unibroue, Chambly, Canada
Size: 355mL
Alcohol Content: 9.0%
Sourced: Steve’s Cool Booze, Kingsford, NSW, Australia
World Beer Rating: 7/10
Notes: Very strong dark beer. Fruity and spicy but not my thing.
Date Consumed: 2012
Beer: Dark Force
Brewed: Haandbryggeriet, Drammen, Norway
Size: 500mL
Alcohol Content: 9.0%
Sourced: The Local Taphouse, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
World Beer Rating: 10/10
Notes: This is an exceptionally brilliant beer. Star Wars references aside, it’s quite easily the best stout I have ever tasted. It’s a pricy one, but it’s thoroughly enjoyable even at 9.0% ABV. You need to drink one of these in your lifetime.
Date Consumed: 2011
Beer: Sagres Bohemia
Brewed: Sociedad Central de Cervejas, Vialonga, Portugal
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 5.1%
Sourced: Petersham Liquormart, Petersham, NSW, Australia
World Beer Rating: 6/10
Notes: Nothing too special about this.
Date Consumed: 24th May 2013
Beer: Cerveja Super Bock
Brewed: Unicer Bebidas, Balio, Portugal
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 5.2%
Sourced: Nandos, Richmond, London, United Kingdom
World Beer Rating: 6/10
Notes: Probably more suited to warmer climates than London, this beer has a strong malt/hop flavour and is a classy easy drinking beer.
Date Consumed: 2013
Beer: Coral
Brewed: Empresa de Cervejas da Madeira, Camara de Lobos, Madeira, Portugal
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 5.3%
Sourced: Beers Of Europe, Kings Lynn, United Kingdom
World Beer Rating: 6/10
Notes: Well carbonated, light malt flavour. Not bad at all.
Date Consumed: 2011
Beer: Efes Pilsner
Brewed: Anadolu Efes, Istanbul, Turkey
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 5.0%
Sourced: Dan Murphys, Willoughby, NSW, Australia
World Beer Rating: 8/10
Notes: Excellent beer, great flavour and not too heavy.
Date Consumed: 2011
Beer: Trumer Pils
Brewed: Privatbrauerei Josef Sigl, Salzburg-Obertrum, Austria
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 4.9%
Sourced: Dan Murphys, Alexandria, NSW, Australia
World Beer Rating: 8/10
Notes: I thought this would be a ‘get this finished and move on beer’, but it was surprisingly nice and very tasty.
Date Consumed: 2012
Beer: Stiegl Bier
Brewed: Stiegl Brewery, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 4.9%
Sourced: CBD Cellars, Wynyard, NSW, Australia
World Beer Rating: 8/10
Notes: With more hops than a hiphop freestyle festival, this one is a lovely beer to drink with roast chicken. Strong pilsner style flavours throughout.
Date Consumed: 2011
Beer: Viking Lager
Brewed: Viking Olgerd, Akureyri, Iceland
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 4.6%
Sourced: Dan Murphys, Alexandria, NSW, Australia
World Beer Rating: 7/10
Notes: Easy going and very refreshing.
Date Consumed: 2013
Beer: Einstök Icelandic White Ale
Brewed: Viking Olgerd, Akureyri, Iceland
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 5.2%
Sourced: Beers Of Europe, Kings Lynn, United Kingdom
World Beer Rating: 9/10
Notes: Wow! Much like a German wheat beer with spicy notes – it’s brewed with coriander and orange peel – the citrus is very apparent and welcomed!
Date Consumed: 2011
Beer: Estrella Damm
Brewed: Damm, Barcelona, Spain
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 4.6%
Sourced: Dan Murphys, Alexandria, NSW, Australia
World Beer Rating: 8/10
Notes: Lovely beer, very refreshing.
Date Consumed: ?
Beer: Estrella Galicia
Brewed: Hijos de Rivera, La Coruña, Spain
Size: 330mL
Alcohol Content: 5.5%
Sourced: Cubana Bar, Waterloo, London, United Kingdom.
World Beer Rating: 7/10
Notes: Not quite as good as it’s Barcelona brewed cousin above, mostly due to increased bitterness without accompanying flavour – but still it’s a lovely beer to enjoy with spicy Spanish cuisine.
