A top tap night

Barney, Paul and I each got leave passes on Thursday night; time for a visit to the Local Taphouse at Darlinghurst.

As is my wont, I headed into town a little early and dropped into Harts. I selected a pint of Hans Klopek Hefe Weizen (5%, $11). If I may say so, it reminded me of my own offering with home-made crystal malt, although probably a little more professionally balanced.

After this, a half pint of Pickled Monkey Belgian Golden Ale (7.5%, $7.50/half). Pickled Monkey is a brewing collaboration that includes Harts' own Scott Morgan. He kicked off this brand at the first Harts Brewers Fest, dressed as an ape and offering Imperial Pilsner.

This Golden Ale is excellent. Quite a dry offering, lacking the cloying characters that so often accompany Belgian Ales, yet plenty of pronounced yeasty phenolics. I even got some pear which made me think fleetingly of Coopers Pale Ale.

I then headed down to Schwartz Brewery in the Macquarie Hotel, where I was due to meet the guys. On tap and on special is a St Pat's day offering, "Goodness" dry Irish stout. At $3.50 a schooner, this was great value in anyone's language. I'm not much of a stout drinker, yet found this to be very approachable. Not so approachable was the pilsner, which has an overt honey character that seems to disguise any hop aroma.

Then the reason for the trip.  A quick walk up the hill to the Local Taphouse, and into some very interesting stuff.  We tried (on tap):

• Feral Runt APA
• Mountain Goat "The Craig" APA
• Nogne O Two Captains IAIPA (Imperial American IPA)
• Feral Hop Hog IPA
• Bridge Road Big Red Rocket
• De Glazen Saison D'Erpe (bottle)

(links are to BeerAdvocate reviews)

Needless to say, all were excellent beers, with the grapefruity sourness of the Saison cleansing the palate nicely at the end of the session.

By this time of night, I tend to lose interest in jotting things down; one's taste buds tend to be sub-optimal also. Barney took a few notes, so he may kindly offer them for consideration.

The highlight for me was "The Craig". It was served through a glass & stainless "Randall", which contains a pile of fresh hops through which the beer passes on its way to tap and glass. The beer was murky, the aroma intense, the flavour intense, and we all agreed that a half pint would have sufficed. An amazing offering, like a bowl of muesli mixed with potpourri.

Great beers, great place.

Best Sydney microbreweries ?

My good friend Barney points us towards a recent Fairfax article: Finding Sydney's best microbreweries.

For the click-averse, here's the list:

• Redoak  (24%)
• Lord Nelson  (50%)
• Schwartz  (6%)
• James Squire Brewhouse (8%)
• Harts Pub (12%)

All up, a reasonable list. What interests me is the reader survey attached to this article: "Which do you think is Sydney's best microbrewery ?" The percentages are those shown above.

The Lord Nelson is arguably Sydney's most handsome pub; sandstone, wood & brass, local ales. But as a 'microbrewery', the Lord's ales have never quite met expectation. "Best pub" for sure.... "Best microbrewery" not likely.....

For Schwartz to lose to James Squire is merely an indication of the former's relative obscurity. Squires successfully showcases the range of Malt Shovel beers, plus a couple of other local niceties, but does not have the edge that Schwartz has.  If the 1,959 survey respondents had visited all establishments (which I'm sure they haven't), the results would be different.

Although glad to see Harts on the list, it's not technically a microbrewey. But as a bona fide, local-focused-and-committed pub, there is none better.

And Redoak ? Again, not technically an onsite microbrewery.  Yes, there may be a couple of conditioning tanks in situ, but you won't find a mash-tun for at least a mile.... and that will be at Schwartz.....

What the journalist fails to consider (and this may be a result of editorial bias) is the possibility of microbreweries in Sydney that exist OUTSIDE the CBD.

Consider 4 Pines at Manly, or Paddy's at Flemington, or the new Australian Brewery at Rouse Hill.

Probably worth an update tour in itself. Anyone interested ?