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Critics’ Choice Countdown #1

March 30, 2012 by Editor

Well, time for the big reveal…although anyone following the countdown will most likely have already picked the winner with the number one in the Critics’ Choice Top 100 going to Feral Brewing Company’s Hop Hog India Pale Ale.

Fans of good beer gush when they talk about this beer. The Critics’ Choice panel of 39 of Australia’s most respected beer connoisseurs agree and have voted it the best Australian beer for 2011.

The brewer’s notes explain that ‘originally a beer style brewed in Britain and shipped off to colonial India, our Hop Hog is an American incarnation of the India Pale Ale with strong pine needle and citrus aroma followed by an aggressive bitterness and a dry finish.’

Critics’ Choice Editor, Pete Mitcham, writes that ‘awards and accolades and the praise of beer lovers across the country shower down upon this beer which is a consistent Top 10 performer. It’s lucky its brewer, Brendan Varis, is such a humble and unassuming bloke for, if his head was allowed to swell in harmony with the quality of this beer, he’d not fit it inside his tiny Brewhouse.’

In absolute terms, ‘best’ beers are a nonsense as there are so many factors and individual preferences that make the question an impossible one to answer definitively. Even polls rely to an extend on availability and distribution. However, looking at the table below, which presents the last two Taphouse Hottest 100s and the last two Critics Choice top 12s, I think we can  a pretty good idea of Australia’s three most highly regarded beers. With the annual Taphouse poll very much a popular vote and the Critics’ Choice a select poll, definite preferences are thrown up in both.

Select venues around the country will be launching the Critics’ Choice by featuring the top 12 beers tonight. Get along and try some of Australia’s best beers.

The Critics’ Choice: Australia’s Best Beers
RRP $14.95
Available April 2
from newsagents & bookstores

www.beerloversguide.com.au

Comparison of Australia’s ‘Top 12’ beers…

 

WordsKindClassLodgedOwner 
BREW GARAGEWord3201 Jul 2020Liebenau Brewing Pty Ltd
RINSE VODKA SODAWord32, 3304 Jul 2020Clean Collective Ltd
EAST POINTFigurative3206 Jul 2020Fermentum Pty Ltd
DRAG QUEENWord32, 3301 Jul 2020FIRST DROP WINES PTY LTD
TINY TIGERWord32, 3301 Jul 2020Southcorp Brands Pty Limited
BAXTERFigurative32, 3301 Jul 2020GX Spirits Australia IP Pty Ltd
ST ANDREWS BEACH BREWERYWord32, 33, 35, 40, 4301 Jul 2020St Andrews Beach Brewery Pty Ltd
AMSTEL ULTRAWord3202 Jul 2020Amstel Brouwerij B.V.
LION LITTLE WORLD BEVERAGESWord32, 4302 Jul 2020Lion – Beer, Spirits & Wine Pty Ltd
BERGWord32, 3310 Jul 2020Lion – Beer, Spirits & Wine Pty Ltd
DOPEWord32, 3302 Jul 2020Garth Eather
NW TALE ENDER BREWERY EST 2017Figurative3206 Jul 2020MR Christopher Wood
LONG RAYSFigurative32, 33, 3503 Jul 2020Long-Rays (IP) Pty Ltd
FLIPSIDEWord3207 Jul 2020Launch Liquor Pty Ltd
BONDI DRAUGHT THE BEER FOR DRINKINGFigurative3213 Jul 2020Paul Parks
FOREVER BITTERWord3208 Jul 2020BRIGHTER DESIGN PTY LTD
NOZECCOWord3206 Jul 2020LES GRANDS CHAIS DE FRANCE S.A.S.
Cabarita BrewingWord3206 Jul 2020Lachlan McLean
OzcoholWord32, 3306 Jul 2020Matias Jeldrez
NOSECCOWord3207 Jul 2020LES GRANDS CHAIS DE FRANCE S.A.S.
THE DISCERNING DRINKS COWord32, 33, 35, 4207 Jul 2020Ultimo Investments Pty Limited
Broken Bay DistilleryWord32, 3309 Jul 2020ONYX MARKETING PTY LTD
Drunky McDrunkfaceWord32, 3309 Jul 2020Julia Mushet
KANGAROO GROUND BREWERYWord3210 Jul 2020Steven Bond
Keyboard WarriorWord3215 Jul 2020Red Island Group Pty Ltd As Trustee for Red Island Group Unit Trust
Blur VinesWord3215 Jul 2020Red Island Group Pty Ltd As Trustee for Red Island Group Unit Trust
STONEY CREEKWord3213 Jul 2020Sergio Carlei
Craig Carter
Steven Pratt
The Nineteenth (19th Hole)Word32, 3317 Jul 2020Christopher Sands
WFigurative32, 3313 Jul 2020WAYWARD BREWING COMPANY PTY LTD
WAYWARD BREWING CO.Figurative32, 3313 Jul 2020WAYWARD BREWING COMPANY PTY LTD
JUST. BEERFigurative3221 Jul 2020Just Drinks Co Pty Ltd
DUDIESFIgurative32, 3314 Jul 2020Australia Wine Merchants Pty Ltd
TILTEDFigurative32, 3320 Jul 2020Tilted Beverages Pty Ltd
Bollard GroveWord16, 32, 33, 4114 Jul 2020C2 Industries Pty Ltd
VYBNWord5, 3217 Jul 2020Sophia Elizabeth Franzini
Nathan James Green
MalternativeWord3215 Jul 2020HAWKESBURY BREWING COMPANY PTY LTD
JUJUBES SA ESTD 2015Figurative29, 3223 Jul 2020Jujubes SA Pty Ltd
REFRESHALICIOUS IT'S A STATE OF MOUTHFigurative32, 3321 Jul 20204 Pines Brewing Company Wholesale Pty Limited
THE AMALFI WAYFancy8, 14, 18, 21, 25, 29, 30, 32, 33, 35, 4316 Jul 2020Estro Concept Pty Limited
MALT SHOVEL CRAFT BEER CO.Word32, 33, 35, 4316 Jul 2020Lion-Beer, Spirits & Wine Pty Ltd
GRANITE BELT BREWERY & DISTILLERYFigurative32, 33, 35, 4016 Jul 2020Castle Glen Liqueurs Australia Pty Ltd
5PMWord25, 32, 3319 Jul 20205PM BEVERAGES PTY LTD
MOTIVE MATCHAWord5, 30, 32, 3324 Jul 2020The Madness Co Pty Ltd
Craft & CoastWord32, 33, 4320 Jul 2020THE CRAFT & CO PTY LTD
Shit the BedWord32, 3320 Jul 2020Bunsters Worldwide Pty Ltd
SUMMER OF SELTZERWord32, 3320 Jul 2020St Andrews Beach Brewery Pty Ltd
SWEETWATERWord16, 32, 33, 35, 4020 Jul 2020Sweetwater Hunter Valley Pty Ltd
HFigurative3, 5, 30, 32, 3521 Jul 2020AUSTRALIA 3H NATURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES PTY LTD
3H NATURALFancy3, 5, 30, 32, 3521 Jul 2020AUSTRALIA 3H NATURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES PTY LTD
HIGHCASTLE DRINK LIKE A KINGFigurative3221 Jul 2020Xebra Brands, Ltd.
BACKYARDERWord3221 Jul 2020Brick Lane Brewing Co Pty Ltd
Crooked ChefWord25, 32, 33, 4122 Jul 2020Kosta Nikas
Rambler Brewing CompanyWord3223 Jul 2020David Rooney
MadockeWord32, 33, 4023 Jul 2020Madocke Trading Pty Ltd
MOON DOG FIZZER HARD SELTZERWord32, 3323 Jul 2020Moon Dog Brewing Pty Ltd
Secret StatesWord3224 Jul 2020Acintya Acintya
TC TOWN & COUNTRYFigurative3224 Jul 2020THE WICKED CULT PTY LTD
RETA GLOBALWord29, 30, 32, 33, 3527 Jul 2020RETA GLOBAL PTY LTD
NORTFigurative32, 3328 Jul 2020M. O. BREWING COMPANY PTY. LTD.
JUST EXCEPTIONAL BEERFancy3228 Jul 2020NOOSA BREWING COMPANY PTY LTD
DANDANNING BREWERYFigurative3228 Jul 2020Calvin Squire

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Top Gun says

    March 30, 2012 at 1:48 pm

    Great News!

    3 Top beers battling it out for the last few years in Stone , Feral And Little Creatures Pale.

    Love the chart – Though i had to laugh at Vale Ale, it sticks out like an imposter with a sore thumb.

    Congrats to the Deserved winners!

  2. Phil says

    April 3, 2012 at 12:17 pm

    I would definitely have to agree with Hop Hog as number 1! Great choice. Big big fan of the Angry man coming in at Number 10 also. I must agree with Top Gun, Vale Ale tastes like dishwater.

Category: News Tagged: critics choice, Feral Brewing Company, Hop Hog

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