Little Creatures

Sainsburys were selling it before Xmas, I assume they still are. I've got one in the cupboard, on the recommendation of people in this group. I might have it now.

On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 21:30:58 +0000, Saxman wrote (in message ):

Yes, they got it from Oddbins.

My local Sainsbury's, in Leigh, had it at the weekend. Not seen it there before.

Cheers johnnysaint

I'll find out where my pal got his from when I see him at the weekend.

Not that many bottled real ales yet (although they do carry a few) but Sainsbury seems to have upped the quality and range of its beers dramatically over the last 3 months. I used to pass the beer section without too many temptations, but sadly for my wallet this in so longer the case. They had little creatures at 30p per bottle off this week and last.

My pal got his from Oddbins. They have been on special offer as well.

Reproduced this from the current 'What's Brewing'.

LITTLE CREATURES PALE ALE origin: Fremantle Western Australia ABV: 5.2 per cent Buy from Sainsbury, Waltrose, Oddbins specialist suppliers.

ASIDE from Coopers of Adelaide with its unique sparkling ales, Australia is a disappointing country beer-wise, awash with the sort of cheap and nasty lager that most discerning drinkers wouldn't give a XXXX for. New brewpubs and micros are on the rise, however, and now one of their products has reached the UK.

The Little Creatures pub opened in 2000 on the fishing harbour at Fremantle, just outside Perth. The building was originally a boatyard and then a crocodile farm before being converted into a spacious modern brewpub.

Its original mission was to brew a well-hopped premium pale ale inspired by American examples. The resulting beer proved a major success with Australian critics and the public in a very short timer winning several trophies at the Australian International Beer Awards.

Australian malts are produced to the brewery's specifications by a supplier in Ballarat. The beer is bottle-conditioned: in fact the name itself is intended as a reference to live yeast.

Hops figure highly in Little Creatures publicity: the brewery is proud of its large hopback. It is also the only brewed in Australia with a quarantine license allowing it to import and store whole hops from the USA. But rather than going for bitterness, the brewers have chosen to exploit the wide range of surprising flavours it's possible to extract from the Cascade and Chinook varieties it selects for its pale ale.

The beer is a rich golden colour, with a light sediment and soft white lace. Take a sniff and you're overwhelmed by aromatic fruit and flowers: honeysuckle, new-mown hay, lychees and pineapple.

The refreshing palate is similarly rich in fruity hop notes: fruit salad, more pineapples rosewater, fresh lemon and pine over a lightly syrupy malt backbone.

More familiar bitterrish hop resins become evident as the flavour develops.

Some bitterness does emerge on the swallow, slowly spreading in a long finish with more tangy flavours and a persistent honeysuckle and fruit lift. The hops become quite peppery but always controlled and never overbitter.

Of course it wouldn't take much to make a beer that books good when compared with the desultory products of Australia's megabrewers, but Little Creatures even stands up well in more international company: it could give some of its Amerlcan inspirations a run for their money. Overall a fresh, joyful and light-hearted beer that just has to be tried.

• Try also ‘t IJ Plzen (Netherlands, curiously similar to this beer), Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (USA), Butts Barbus Barbus (GB).

Yeah, it's good stuff and I'm happily into my 4th stubby as we speak.

Get's ya pissed good.

Must go to Perth and find out more about these ppl as they brew good beer.

btw it's 31 degrees in Melbourne and 6pm and "beer o'clock" so I picked the right time to respond on this ng.

Kind regards' Dave Milligan

Welcome to the ng, Dave.

so "the right time to respond on this ng" is more than 2months after the subject appeared ;~)

Oddly the beer turns up in the UK in long-necks, not stubbies, but yes it's very nice.

It's about 10 degs where I am (nr Liverpool) but I did get sunburnt today - it's effing April - what's going on!? cheers Mike McG.

Shipping time to the colonies :-)

Global beer warming?

Thanks, Mike.

When you have 3 stubbies of Rogers (Little Creatures Brewing Co in Fremantle) under your belt, mere details like time & date become less important.

I understand the Rogers Beer is not available in the UK, only their Pale Ale.

A little while later I was testing some Bluetongue Premium Lager. Very nice and apparently it's won several awards here in Australia.

Where is it bottled? I'm assuming they send it to the UK in bulk aluminium kegs and repack it over there.

I'll be in the UK early May but don't expect too much sunburn then.

Will be in Felixstowe,Suffolk, for several days unloading a shipment of Aussie motorcycles - we're off to the TT of course, and am wondering which are the best outlets there for real ales.

I will however be testing plenty of different beers to make sure it's all OK for you guys to be drinking. The beers I will be concentrating on are some of Bushy's Ales several differnt labels on the Isle of Man. Tried some of theirs last year and was most impressed.

Kind regards Dave Milligan

Try the Shore Hotel, Old Laxey, Laxey. Did produce its own beer: Old Bosun Bitter. If you are in or near Ramsey in the North of the Island, try the Trafalgar Hotel on West Quay, Ramsey - Bushy's, Cains (Liverpool) and guests.

Tony.