Comments on: VB goes back to ‘Voi-Boi’

By: Glenn

Glenn — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 09:55:13 +0000

The taste did change and it’s changed again. It is noticeable to me. I drink a range of beers, usually hefeweizen, US styld IPA and most stouts. I picked this up out of curiosity, though to say the taste hasn’t changed is incorrect.

By: Pete Mitcham

Pete Mitcham — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 03:32:16 +0000

I reckon that’s the second time I stuffed up the maths part of the ABV discussion. In my blog back in 2009 when the first change came about (from 4.9 to 4.8, I think, I arsed up the decimal pointing) Sorry. Again.

I still think (and tasting after tasting over ten years has proven to me) that taste is very subjective and blokes who swear on their kids that they can detect Vb from the pack have been left red-faced when they discover that they have sworn by either Crown Lager, Foster’s, Melbourne Bitter and even Toohey’s New.

I may have even worked in venues that have, at one time or another, poured a beer other than that displayed on the font decal without raising so much as an eyebrow.

My pidgeon-holing of the VB loyalist is, I think fair. He’s the one who drinks only VB and all else is inferior. There are many more who will also drink Crownies for special occasions and Heineken to impress friends and Cascade Premium on Fridays after work with the suits.

At the end of the day, most drink what their tellys tell them to drink in the same way as they wear the clothes, eat the food, drive the car and learn about the world from what TV says.

By: Gary

Gary — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 03:19:37 +0000

The world has change CUB. You might grab back some drinkers from Tooheys or XXXX, but most of that lost business has gone to craft beer (of course). Having seen the light, those customers wouldn't go back to "Veebs" if you gave away gold bars with every carton.

By: Mrs Quintock

Mrs Quintock — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 03:19:28 +0000

Correct me if I’m wrong, but a deviation of 0.02% from 4.9% is a range of 4.88% to 4.92%.
A margin of 0.2% would give the ranges of 4.7%-5.1% which you state Pete.

The only other thing is that unless the difference between 4.6% and 4.9% is purely glucose (which it probably is) but let’s pretend it’s not. Well there is more malt content in the beer for a start, any malt conversion is never 100% efficient so an increase in 4.6 to 4.9 would (if they use more malt) also carry with it an increase in other unfermentables which could ostensibly alter the flavour profile. Whether that is detectable is another matter.

However I wouldn’t assume all VB drinkers to be of the profile you describe. I know scientists, professors, doctors, lawyers, international businessmen, who all drink VB and it’s ilk. Whether they are oi oi oi or how’d’you do, their tastebuds are as valid as anybody’s. Whether they are sheep following the herd is a different story.

Disclaimer: I never drink VB, nor work for any brewery. I drink my homebrew. So it’s not really a disclaimer, just pointing out a few important things about the nature of the brewing process.

By: Editor

Editor — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 03:07:17 +0000

Yeah, but Prof, I still don't know what they are apologising for. They're sorry, even though they never accepted the premise of people's complaints. "The beer doesn't taste any different", they swore black and blue, and "there are only noisy few complaining - most people don't care". They had focus groups to prove the beer didn't taste different. Oh, hold on, didn't Vincent Ruiu tell us recently that they had also focus groups telling them that people thought The Fifth Ingredient campaign meant Crown Lager has more than five ingredients? Well, based on the VB debacle, I'm calling it....unless Vincent comes up with the market research, then Vincent, liar, liar pants on fire!