It's May!

To all of you who were in any level concerned that I wasn't blogging much lately, you are so sweet. When even my brother asks me why I haven't been blogging, it means it's been too long.

Nothing wrong happened and I am healthy and well. It has been a wonderful month at my new job and I like it more and more each day. I work with great people, the job is fun and interesting, and it makes me feel useful and needed. Life is great.

M is doing well too, he got a haircut and he looks so handsome!!! I have been telling him for months to get it done and I'm happy to announce that he will never look back again :) 

So back to my promise... here's a couple of beers we tasted this month...

The brewery: Matilda Bay (Victoria)

The beer: Dog Bolter Dark Lager

Appearance: dark brown, however not really cloudy. Little to no head after pouring.

Aroma: Molasses, roasted coffee, very mild.

On the palate: As expected with most dark ales, a thick malty flavour, with a touch of sweetness similar to molasses. However it is not overpowering and a great addition to any warm meal of red meat or spicy food.

The brewery: Matilda Bay (Victoria)

The beer: Bohemian Pilsner

Appearance: Pale gold and clear (after a few seconds of settling). Lovely head retention.

Aroma: Very mild scent of hops.

On the palate: A classic Czech style lager, crisp and refreshing. A firm and pleasant aftertaste reminiscent of sourdough bread. A classic, in every sense of the word.

The brewery: McLaren Vale Beer Company (South Australia)

The beer: Vale Ale Pale Ale

Appearance: Pale and unfiltered (ie. cloudy), fine and dense head.

Aroma: Mild, of wheat or bread.

On the palate: Spicy and hoppy. Medium bitterness with a touch of fruity sweetness. Caramel-like aftertaste.







We've been cooking up some other amazing things around here lately and I hope I get to share some soon...

Australia's finest

I am a beer fan.

Always have been since that first chilly can of cheap watery beer. Not really, not then at least.

I *am* a huge fan of beer, and our love affair started when I moved to Boulder, Colorado to attend graduate school. The United States is the country with the largest number of breweries in the world, and did you know the state of Colorado has the largest number of breweries per capita? It is therefore little coincidence that the Great American Beer Festival takes place every year in Denver, featuring over 400 different breweries, over 2,000 different beers and hosts almost 50,000 beer lovers in one long, magical, beer heaven weekend.

I did attend the festival and I will leave those embarrassing stories for another occasion, my point here is I loved beer ever since and I love to drink my way to variety and look forward to the surprise of opening a new brew every time. 

Recently I was gifted with The Beer Lovers Guide to Australia, which I quickly devoured and learned (in general) about the history of beer, how it's crafted and how it can be served and enjoyed. The book also features a long list of Australian craft beers and micro-brews which in turn inspired me to go out and taste them!

So I give you...

20 OF AUSTRALIA'S FINEST BEERS

Randomly selected by me ;) 

I plan on enjoying each one of these over the next few weeks and sharing my tasting notes right here on Bongaloo, so stay tuned and don't blog and drive.