Boags Strongarm Bitter

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

I love the label.... it's sparked hours (minutes actually) of discussion about the muscular anatomy of the arm. I always thought the bicep was a single muscle, not two... Anyway...beer.... Spidery lace, head sinks to a respectable centimetre or so, but sinks further, leaving a hub the middle ... Amber, no haze, a few bubbles. I'm getting a metallic twang on the nose, but also some burnt-match notes, some stewed vegetables... almost of line-up of the usual suspects of homebrew faults....but, actually, together it's not that bad. Maybe the bottle's a dud.... A strange blend of flavours, some nuttiness, musk-lolly. At the very end I get some green hop.... but not much. I have some difficulty reconciling my experience with the label description of "gutsy malt flavours, rich hop characters and a refreshing bitter finish". Quite dry, no residual sweetness, and a bit thin in body... not my cup of tea....

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

the 'worst and cheapest' of the boags range is heavily, HEAVILY hopped to be so bitter and refreshing. it really is a tru tasmanian beer, a cross between an australian bitter and an english bitter.