USA beers tasting like crap in Aus.

[NickAus]

Hi guys,

If anyine has the contact details for Sam Adams, Big Eye IPA (brewery?) and Tower 10 IPA (brewery?) could you please pass this onto them? It's a shame that nice beer is spoilt somewhere along the journey. Keep it all there and just tell us how good it is!

Email to Sierra Nevada and online form submission on my local bottle shops website below.

Hi guys,

Firstly, this isn't a complaint about your beers, it's a complaint about whatever happens to them from when they leave your fine brewery until they hit the shelves in my local bottle shop. I've tried both your IPA and Pale Ale lately and both were unfortunately atrocious. Here's a copy of the email I sent to my local bottle shop. I look forward to finding a decent example of your beers here in Australia! I was really looking forward to trying your beers and seeing just how good they are. I won't take these recent examples as an indication of your beers, I just feel that poor handling or time has ruined them. The hop aroma was barely there, the taste was bland and they were nothing like the descriptions on many sites such as ratebeer (unfortunately). I look forward to coming to the states and sampling them firsthand one day.

You aren't alone, Sam Adams Boston Lager, Big Eye IPA, Tower 10 IPA and others have unfortunately all been terrible. I've obviously stopped buying USA beers in Australia (unfortunately).

Email (online form, Dan Murphys Australia).
It won't let me select my store in Queensland. I'd like to complain about the treatment and taste of USA IPA beers sold in Dan Murphys Australia. You bring some of the USA's finest IPAs to your store, but unfortunately they just taste awful, I know they don't leave the USA brewery tasting awful, so at some stage they are mishandled. This could be either:
1. Not refrigerated at some point,
2. Too old (aroma and taste have suffered), or 3. Stuff knows.

Whatever you are doing before these fine beers get to Queensland, it's wrong.

Australian IPAs are fine thanks, with Hop Hog and Vale IPA being two fantastic examples. It's just a shame about the quality of the overseas IPAs.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

I'll get right on that.

 

[NickAus]

I'll get right on that.

Not sure if you're being sarcastic mate? If not, thanks.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Hi guys,

If anyine has the contact details for Sam Adams, Big Eye IPA (brewery?) and Tower 10 IPA (brewery?)

Sam Adams:
http://www.samueladams.com/
Scroll down to the bottom of the page & click on "Contact us" (on the left side)

For Big Eye, Ballast Point Brewing:
http://www.ballastpoint.com/beer/big-eye/
Scroll down to the bottom & click on the envelope icon.

Tower 10 IPA, Karl Strauss Brewing:
http://www.karlstrauss.com/beer/tower10ipa.html
Scroll down & click on "Contact."

Regards, GF.

 

[unionrdr]

They're probably shipped by boat rather than by air, which would be more timely?

 

[satph]

All three of those brewers date their bottles, check Fresh Beer Only to see what method they use. You'll then know if it's old beer, and don't buy old IPAs.

I do know your problem, when I was in Australia a long time ago, I liked Cooper's Sparkling Ale. When I found some in the states, it was undrinkable.

 

[Tin4]

Nick,

What part of Australia are you in? My guess is there's no temp control in transit, and if you're in the interior it can take some time for beer to get to you meaning it's probably going through more temp fluctuation. You couple that with the fact you guys are in summer and you have a recipes for a ton of bad beers.

 

[b-boy]

I'm guessing it's just too long of a journey. The beer probably gets tied up in warehouses all over the place along the route. I've looked for Australian beers here and I can't find anything besides Fosters. Maybe that's the reason.

You don't have to worry about fosters. You can't make it taste any ****tier.

 

[beekeeperman]

USA beers tasting like crap in the USA
Heck i had some Shipyard ale brewed 50 miles from me that tasted like it had been shipped to Australia and back. Some Sam Adams lager too.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

We have had some good nz brews here in az. That is crazy to me since it is a big pond. It has got be be very challenging to haul beer all that way without spoiling.

 

[NickAus]

Nick,

What part of Australia are you in? My guess is there's no temp control in transit, and if you're in the interior it can take some time for beer to get to you meaning it's probably going through more temp fluctuation. You couple that with the fact you guys are in summer and you have a recipes for a ton of bad beers.

Hey Austin, far North Queensland, so pretty remote, but I had the SN in Canberra which is close to Sydney (but another truck voyage probably).

Cheers mate.

 

[NickAus]

Thanks mate! I'll let them know.

Sam Adams:
http://www.samueladams.com/
Scroll down to the bottom of the page & click on "Contact us" (on the left side)

For Big Eye, Ballast Point Brewing:
http://www.ballastpoint.com/beer/big-eye/
Scroll down to the bottom & click on the envelope icon.

Tower 10 IPA, Karl Strauss Brewing:
http://www.karlstrauss.com/beer/tower10ipa.html
Scroll down & click on "Contact."

Regards, GF.

 

[NickAus]

That's f'n gold! Unfortunately there's a beer called VB that's worse than fosters!

I'm guessing it's just too long of a journey. The beer probably gets tied up in warehouses all over the place along the route. I've looked for Australian beers here and I can't find anything besides Fosters. Maybe that's the reason.

You don't have to worry about fosters. You can't make it taste any ****tier.

 

[Pkrd]

If they taste bad compared to Aussie beers then they must be truly horrible indeed.

 

[beer_expert]

Just wanted to chime in , that I really liked Victoria Bitter but I cant find it in USA anymore. The regular fosters is too sweet for me but so are a lot of domestic beer too.
Fosters tends to be pricey here in USA but that might be because of the travel distance.
Does anybody know were I can get a case of foster bitter beer for about 14 usa dollars including taxes? I'm on east coast.

 

[NickAus]

If they taste bad compared to Aussie beers then they must be truly horrible indeed.

we have some really good beers here now.

 

[unionrdr]

I think a lot of commercial lagers & such, including Foster's use too much crystal malt. A bit too sweet for my liking.

 

[Tin4]

we have some really good beers here now.

Yes you do, and an growing commuinity of Homebrewers really making a difference in the brewing world and culture.

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/

I'm the admin, so I would be partial, but really the guys at AussieHomeBrewer are top notch. Aussie homebrewing, to an outsider, was for the longest about making cheap beer. The focus has shifted to culture and quality in the last 10 years, but especially the last five or so.

If the craft beer revolution taught us anything, you guys are only a couple of years off of having to much quality beer to try.

As for the bad beer you're getting in the interior, ouch mate.

Can you describe the taste a little more? The guys here could tell pretty quickly if it light, age, temp fluctuation, etc. at the heart of the issue.

 

[NickAus]

I'll try mate, but I have an amateur palate! All of the beers had one similar flavour which was a dank thick hops taste that wasn't good. Is dank a word? The taste drowned out any citrus or fruit flavours and there was little or no aroma.

Hope that helps!

 

[b-boy]

That sound like the description of an old, stale IPA to me. Probably sitting in a sealed shipping container near the equator for a few months.

 

[unionrdr]

That was my first impression as well. Sounds like they're sitting somewhere too long?

 

[b-boy]

Have you tried anything else like Stouts from the US? Maybe they'll survive the journey in tact.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Wasn't the IPA invented to survive the long, hot voyage via sailing ship from England to India?
Just a thought. Regards, GF.

 

[NickAus]

Have you tried anything else like Stouts from the US? Maybe they'll survive the journey in tact.

I haven't seen a single USA stout over here yet, a fair few UK ones though. If I see any I'll definitely give them a go.

 

[NickAus]

Wasn't the IPA invented to survive the long, hot voyage via sailing ship from England to India?
Just a thought. Regards, GF.

Yep, so wonder if they arrived without aroma etc and exactly how the hop flavour turned out!?

 

[Hamaki]

Yep, so wonder if they arrived without aroma etc and exactly how the hop flavour turned out!?

Hey think of it like this - you're getting an authentic taste of history! :rockin:

 

[Hanglow]

The SN beers we get in the UK tend to be in pretty good nick. A lot of US beers though really suffer and I've reached the point that I don't particularly see the point of buying an american IPA/pale ale etc that has taken six weeks to get here and sat in god knows what condition, when I can buy british beers that are so much fresher and cheaper. I'm sure they are fine closer to home. I'll still try more robust beers though

As for IPA being meant for long shipping, back when it made it's way to the upper classes in India it had already sat for a year or so to ferment fully out in vats and/or barrels (with the associated brett and pedio etc), so would be a very different drink to the modern american version

 

[NickAus]

The SN beers we get in the UK tend to be in pretty good nick. A lot of US beers though really suffer and I've reached the point that I don't particularly see the point of buying an american IPA/pale ale etc that has taken six weeks to get here and sat in god knows what condition, when I can buy british beers that are so much fresher and cheaper. I'm sure they are fine closer to home. I'll still try more robust beers though

As for IPA being meant for long shipping, back when it made it's way to the upper classes in India it had already sat for a year or so to ferment fully out in vats and/or barrels (with the associated brett and pedio etc), so would be a very different drink to the modern american version

Yeah me too mate, no point buying a beer to try if it tastes horrible and nothing like it should taste like.

I'll just write a list and do my best to drink each beer when I visit the states one day.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

Yeah me too mate, no point buying a beer to try if it tastes horrible and nothing like it should taste like.

I'll just write a list and do my best to drink each beer when I visit the states one day.

you into motorcycle rallies and such? my BIL is an Aussie. he and my sister do this Black Hills tour thing for the Sturgis Rally for Aussies, Kiwis, and South Africans. they help out with cultural differences and such.

 

[Bobcatbrewing42]

Nickaus: I have had similar experiences with Euro beers here in the Western US. I hope that you are a homebrewer. There are tons of great recipes on Homebrewtalk.com Personally, I have had great luck with Ed Wort's postings that I have modified a bit or done my own recipes, trying to draw on other's experiences.

 

[NickAus]

Nickaus: I have had similar experiences with Euro beers here in the Western US. I hope that you are a homebrewer. There are tons of great recipes on Homebrewtalk.com Personally, I have had great luck with Ed Wort's postings that I have modified a bit or done my own recipes, trying to draw on other's experiences.

guilty as charged! i just did the fantastic zombie dust clone, what a brew, especially surprised for a single hop beer! it unfortunately evaporated very quickly... oh well that's what happens in the heat.

there's not enough time to brew everything i want, perhaps i need one of those boggle balls and i'll hit it and it will tell me a recipe.. stuffed if i can make my mind up what to brew next, so many options!

although a double batch (VIF) zombie dust will have to happen very very soon.

 

[NickAus]

you into motorcycle rallies and such? my BIL is an Aussie. he and my sister do this Black Hills tour thing for the Sturgis Rally for Aussies, Kiwis, and South Africans. they help out with cultural differences and such.

not really mate, i like the older style bikes but i'm more of a go catch a fish or shoot something type of guy.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

not really mate, i like the older style bikes but i'm more of a go catch a fish or shoot something type of guy.

me neither. I grew up around Sturgis and have no real appeal to bikes. if you ever make it my way, you'll have some home brews waiting for you!

 

[NickAus]

Deal!