No. 56 - April 27th 2006

Winetime 56

Welcome back, I hope everyone is well rested after the Easter break, hope it was as enjoyable as mine was.

Good to see the number of people paying their respects to the people who gave their lives for Australia on Anzac Day, with record attendances at a lot of ceremonies across the nation. Long live the Anzac tradition.

A lot happening on the beer side of things this week, with the new release of a James Squire beer and also new releases from our own local brewery this week all to coincide with Beer and Blues festival this weekend, which I' am hopeful that I will attend this weekend. Watch this space for upcoming tastings on the new release Mildura Brewery beers very shortly….

BEER TASTINGS

Ok, it doesn't seem that long ago that we had James Squire in for tastings, but to go with the Beer and Blues festival and the release of a new James Squire beer, we've decided to have them again. Also this time we will have Tony Jones, an actual brewer from the Malt Shovel Brewery to talk about the new beer and the original range. The tastings were really popular last time, so if you missed out, then this if your chance

JAMES SQUIRE HOP THIEF   -   LIMITED RELEASE

The Malt Shovel Brewery will showcase the best hops with a brand new limited edition brew – ‘ James Squire Hop Thief' , set to be released on the 20 th of March 2006.

In celebration of the southern hemisphere hop harvest which occurs in March every year in Australia and with inspiration derived from ex convict and brewer James Squire being the first person in the colony to successfully grow hops, the ‘ James Squire Hop Thief' is a tribute to all things hops or Hoppy!  

The ‘James Squire Hop Thief'   is  brewed as aromatic ale created to "highlight the hop" and  is  dominated by a delicious hop aroma. It  is  a fine addition to the James Squire family, welcomed by beer lovers and enthusiasts.

Tasting Notes:

This hand-crafted ale is a celebration of the hop harvest with a luscious passionfruit and citrus bouquet created from our secret selection of aroma hops.     Even the malt takes a back seat, providing a deep golden colour and a malty creaminess to cushion the hops. When poured the head is tenacious, the aroma seductive and the finish is brisk to say the least.

Why the Hop Thief Name? A chapter in history from the James Squire story ……

James Squire was well known as a larcenist. Even while incarcerated for highway robbery, he was found guilty of pilfering government supplies - a quantity of horehound to be precise. Although he pleaded the herb was for his sick girlfriend Mary Spencer, everyone knew that this horehound was used as a replacement for a bittering hop. And he got 150 lashes to prove it. But fifteen years later, irony hit. James had become a successful landowner and brewer, but more importantly, he was the first to grow hops on Australian soil - and that was worth more than gold.

With an influx of free settlers arriving with their own brewing dreams, James would do anything to protect his precious and vital ingredient, so the purloiner quickly became policeman.

And he must have done a pretty good job, because other breweries failed through lack of taste, and the next hop garden didn't come into existence for almost twenty years.  

For tasters that appreciate the bolder hop flavours, matched with alingering bitterness, James Squire Hop Thief Ale is the answer. Please enjoy our latest creation. 

THE TASTINGS HAT

This week with the tastings hat we have Ross Griffith, manager of the Mildura Liquor Department with a new wine label from Marlborough in New Zealand , we received here at the shop not long ago. He has road tested the new label and he will telling us what he thought of it.

JACKSON ESTATE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2005

I know it may be a little hard to take what I say seriously wearing the tasting hat but this is a very good wine. I caught up with my family in the burnt out Grampians a couple of weeks ago and my brother-in –law happened to have a couple of Crayfish. And with the particular wine I tried, it was match made in Heaven. Typical for a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, powerful tropical fruits and an underlying spice through the wine with a nice crisp finish. Perfect to enjoy on one of our autumn days outside.

Ross Griffith.

HIGH RATING WINES

  PENFOLDS CLUB TAWNY PORT NV

A stylish and elegant wine. Complex fresh oak, lovely fruit characters and good rancio on the nose. Great sweetness on the mid-palate. Lovely lingering flavours and pleasant drying finish. (Winestate Magazine 2006 Annual).

Rated 4.5 stars. Our price $9.97

BAILEYS OF GLENROWAN FOUNDER LIQUEUR MUSCAT NV

A luscious wine with great depth and length. An aged, rich, steamed pudding of a nose. Raisiny complexity in the mouth, excellent spirit to balance. “Maybe could do with some freshening up,” suggested one judge. (Winestate Magazine 2006 Annual).

Rated 4 stars. Our price $23.97

SPECIALS

Some quality specials again this week…..

Another busy weekend on the cards this weekend, hopefully the bombers can do better than what they did on Anzac Day or I' am never tipping them again….

Congratulations to our fellow worker in here at Deakin liquor, he and his wife just had a baby boy.
Well done on both their behalves.

From the team here at Fishers Liquor.

See you soon.

Fishers IGA Liquor team