United Nations of Beer

James Squire Original Amber ale

by Knoxy, with Jane Turner and friends
(Australia)

Great Beer Shirts!

James Squire Original Amber ale
Malt Shovel Brewery

As an Englishman in Australia, James Squire Original Amber Ale is what I have been longing for.

Deep copper in colour, not too much head and a rich malty aroma with tones of citrus. Brewed with a 140-year-old top fermenting yeast, according to the bottle, and three distinct hops.

It's got the bitterness of Australian hops, but a complexity of flavour that is inherently English in origin, just like James Squire himself.

A convict on the first fleet, he became possibly the first brewer in Australia, sticking true to form by stealing the ingredients for his first brew.

I love the history of this beer, I love the long hoppy finish with a slightly nutty feel about it and I love that I’ve found a decent beer in Australia. I think all Australians should celebrate their English roots and enjoy this brew.

Knoxy

From the Queensland beer tasting night:

The second beer tried during our Queensland beer tasting night was James Squire Original Amber Ale. This is brewed in New South Wales and perhaps the NSW beer delegate can provide better judgement on this one. Jumping in at 5% abv, it's classed as a 'heavy' beer, but yet again, no screw off cap.

The two regional Australian male tasters didn't like this beer. It had a strong afterbite to it and they both thought it was "crap." But I (being female and not a wine drinker) liked it once I got over that first kick of a bite on the first swig. It wasn't the smoothest beer, but it wasn't too gassy and although strong, the taste was quite malty. As I said, this got a big thumbs down from my regional male pals.

Jane Turner and friends