A sixpack of @Untappd uniques ending up on a Defibrillator

As mentioned in a recent blog, this correspondent went on mini pub crawl – ending up at the Hart’s Pub trivia night. As mentioned in another recent blog, a couple of blokes are looking at doing a different beer a night for 366 consecutive nights. Well had these blokes maintained the pace set on particular Tuesday night – their task would have been over in 61 nights.

BotF had some Melbournian visitors in town and we proudly showed off a small bar that wouldn’t be out of place in Melbourne. We popped into the Mojo Record Bar, and ordered a round of Dalgety Red Ale. A couple of us had tried the Dalgety Pale Ale previously, and were underwhelmed. There was nothing underwhelming about the Dalgety Red Ale. The lads were seriously impressive with the malty goodness and big flavour. Magnificque.

This correspondent slipped in a unique, whilst the rest of the shout doubled up on the Dalgety and went for a Goose Cider, which is made by Gilbert Family Wines. This is a winemaker from Mudgee that’s decided to pop out a cider. This is a blend with more apple varieties than you’ll find at your local grocer. Foxwhelp or Kingston Black anyone. This was crisp and good – but I know I prefer a cider over a beer.

Our second stop was West Wynyand and York Lane, which has been well and truly covered as was our third unique for the evening – Orion Beer. So, off to our final destination – Hart’s Pub and the trivia quiz. The great thing about Hart’s is that they have 12 taps going at any one time. Even though four or five are permanent Rocks Brewing beers – they do a remarkable job of turning over varieties. One brewer that’s been quite helpful to maximising tap turnover is Young Henrys. Launched in 2012, they’ve already punched 8 varieties – 5 of which I’ve now tried – all of which have been sampled at Hart’s. The Black Hart Weizen was purchased in a round and the quintet rated it fine. The promised banana was agreed to be prevalent and this is a beer to re-visit. Looking forward to actually visiting Young Henrys onsite.

This correspondent then made a fatal error, and like a pole vaulter at the Olympics – starting upping the ante. That’s fine if you are pole vaulting or high jumping, but if you are drinking and competing in a trivia quiz to step up through the alcohol strengths is not really pulling the right rein. After the relatively benign Black Hart Weizen, we stepped up to Illawarra Brewing’s Abbey Brune. The sign claimed that this was a sessionable beer. Whoever heard of a 7.6% sessionable beer. A beer brewed in the style of a Belgian dubbel just isn’t sessionable – bloody good – but 3 of these and you’d be face down mumbling flemish.

For those that have participated in a trivia night and been close to the lead the excitement is palpable. Often there’s a frenzy of drinking that accompanies this excitement. Many things were going through my mind including the fact that I was one beer away from an @Untappd unique sixpack in an evening and I ordered a pint of the last unique (for me) on the board. Doctor’s Orders Brewing is a BotF favourite – great names and great beers. I really did the good Doctor a disservice by ordering this last. This was like Steve Hooker starting at 5m and then stepping up to a world record height. Whilst I completed the beer on the night, I figuratively crashed though the bar and collapsed in a screaming heap, moaning. I achieved the single night @untappd unique sixpack – but barely. To give the fantastically name Defibrillator the credit it deserved I went back to Hart’s and tried it again. Interestingly, Hart’s has taken away the pint option so I opted for the schooner. This is a complex beer. Advertised as a “Weizen Doppelbock …aged in American Bourbon barrel oak” – it has plenty going on. It hides the 8.1% well, there’s definite banana and a spice I can’t place and it is a real sipper (no sessionability here). Couldn’t really spot the bourbon – but it is spiritous. Try it and judge for yourself. Thanks Doctor. BTW, we came second in the trivia by half a point.