There is a lot to be said for a good local pub. We have a few to choose from all within walking distance (which a good local should be) and they all have their specific strengths. Chooses are made on what type of food we feel like and who has the most interesting beer. Bobbie Peels is one of those locals.
It is a traditional Australian style pub, which means it's about 100 year old, on a corner, is fairly large, will have multiple rooms downstairs, with a bar in one of them and has a little beer garden out the back. Upstairs is as I understand it living quarters. The old publican used to live upstairs, but it's changed ownership in the last year and I'm not sure what's up their anymore.
Bobbie Peels has moved a little bit upmarket, the food is more towards the gastro pub end of the spectrum in terms of quality and price. Bobbie's has always had a pretty good beer selection and when I saw an instagram post showing the three new beers they had just put on it they became hot favourites for Saturday nights dinner location, so let's see what got me so excited.
Beer 1:
Lost Palms Quick Thinking. It had the magical word 'Citra' on the label which was enough to pique my interest, the fact that it was Lost Palms who are a brewery from the Gold Coast in Queensland which you don't see very often down here in Melbourne was even more interesting.
This beer did not disappoint. It is a hazy IPA which is actually Hazy - which in itself is a rarity nowadays - it looked like cloudy apple juice, it tasted oh so fresh, bitter and hoppy without being fruity and gimmicky, honestly the best Hazy IPA I've had in quite some time.
Beer 2:
Fox Friday WCIPA - A West Coast IPA from a brewery in Tasmania (although they are opening a second brewery in Melbourne shortly) this was a solid rather than spectacular beer. Again it was true to style in that this IPA was clear, more resiny, less fruity but still nice a hoppy and refreshing.
Beer 3:
Sailor's Grave - The fruit thereof - So fancy that this beer came in a stemmed glass. Sailor's Grave and known for their unusual beers and unusual styles. The most striking thing with this was a banana smell as I took my first sip, I was thinking that maybe I was getting a true old school Hefeweizen, but alas it was not that, it was a Spelt and Fig Leaf Saison. And I have to say it's probably the best Spelt and Fig Leaf Saison I've ever had (and maybe the only one but technicalities) It was a very nice beer, heavier than I would expect from a Saison, but as with all Sailor's Grave beers very interesting and tasty.
Also always good to be around other beery people
