Murray's Punch & Judy
Murray's Craft Brewing Co.
- From:
- Murray's Craft Brewing Co.
- Australia
- Style:
- English Bitter
- ABV:
- 3.9%
- Score:
- 86
- Avg:
- 3.82 | pDev: 12.04%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 29
- Status:
- Inactive
- Rated:
- Jul 19, 2015
- Added:
- Apr 27, 2010
- Wants:
- 3
- Gots:
- 3
SCORE
86
Very Good
86
Very Good
No description / notes.
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Reviewed by Mosant from Australia
3.5/5 rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I had a 330ml bottle.
Appearance: pours a beautiful golden Amber colour with slightly off white head that has some resistance and retention qualities.
Aroma: fresh tropical fruits and citrus hops aroma reminiscent of sweet orange.
Flavour: freshness of the hop flavours are very upfront and full flavoured. This is a lively carbonated beer which when combined with the flavours from the hops and lower alcohol make this very refreshing and sessionable.
Overall: there is only mild bitterness on the finish and I would prefer a little more however the beer is very enjoyable and well balanced.
Jul 19, 2015Appearance: pours a beautiful golden Amber colour with slightly off white head that has some resistance and retention qualities.
Aroma: fresh tropical fruits and citrus hops aroma reminiscent of sweet orange.
Flavour: freshness of the hop flavours are very upfront and full flavoured. This is a lively carbonated beer which when combined with the flavours from the hops and lower alcohol make this very refreshing and sessionable.
Overall: there is only mild bitterness on the finish and I would prefer a little more however the beer is very enjoyable and well balanced.
Rated by KenOath73 from Australia
2.99/5 rDev -21.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
2.99/5 rDev -21.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
A good tasting mid strength ale with a nice hint of spiciness in the malt profile.
Dec 31, 2014
Reviewed by pagriley from Illinois
4.09/5 rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.09/5 rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Cloudy mid amber. Thin head with some lacing
Some roasted malt and caramel notes
Slightly sweet with nice malt and nuttiness
Surprisingly robust mouth feel. At only 4% I expected it to be thin, but this is quite rich. A touch prickly- would prefer a little less carbonation
Overall very nice beer. Lots of nice flavor. I could pound these.
Dec 25, 2014Some roasted malt and caramel notes
Slightly sweet with nice malt and nuttiness
Surprisingly robust mouth feel. At only 4% I expected it to be thin, but this is quite rich. A touch prickly- would prefer a little less carbonation
Overall very nice beer. Lots of nice flavor. I could pound these.
Reviewed by doktorhops from Australia
3.12/5 rDev -18.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
3.12/5 rDev -18.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Murray's sweet dependable Murray's have been a bit of a standard-bearer for decent craft beer in Australia for a while now, and to be honest I'm surprised Punch & Judy has thus far eluded review as it is a drop I've had at least once before. Time for me to right this... I wouldn't say 'wrong' and 'injustice' would be a bit melodramatic, let's say 'neutral' - time for me right this neutral! (has a good ring to it actually).
Poured from a 330ml bottle into a nonic pint.
A: Wow, do not shake this one up - hazy amber-brown bodied with a 2 inch white foamy head... also there is now beer on my kitchen floor... perhaps a bit on the fizzy side then.
S: Nutty malt mixed with some caramel malts provide a hefty base for some floral and citric hops. Not bad but there is a bit of a tavern mop aroma mixed in as well (yes, I know what a tavern mop smells like, I have worked in taverns before). Bit of a mixed bag here.
T: Flavour is as expected; nutty/caramel malts, floral/citric hops. Passionfruit makes a surprise appearance as well. There is a chemical aftertaste that one finds in Aussie macro lagers - like some sort of cleaning agent - not good. Aside from this the balance is alright, a bit on the boring side but that is always expected from a mid-strength.
M: Mid to light bodied with that fizzy carbonation that was noted above in the exuberant head.
D: Bit of an average brew from Murray's then. This ale has promise but is let down by the odd aftertaste, tavern mop aroma and ebullient carbonation. Feels like a missed opportunity for me as I quite enjoy the nutty flavoured brews, and this has nuts in spades. Also this is a mid-strength and my opinion of mid-strengths is 'why even bother' and at 3.9% ABV this brew does somewhat epitomise my opinion.
Food match: Tavern stew is the first thing that sprung to mind, along with a crusty bread loaf, despite being a mid-strength there is a certain heartiness to this brew too.
May 21, 2014Poured from a 330ml bottle into a nonic pint.
A: Wow, do not shake this one up - hazy amber-brown bodied with a 2 inch white foamy head... also there is now beer on my kitchen floor... perhaps a bit on the fizzy side then.
S: Nutty malt mixed with some caramel malts provide a hefty base for some floral and citric hops. Not bad but there is a bit of a tavern mop aroma mixed in as well (yes, I know what a tavern mop smells like, I have worked in taverns before). Bit of a mixed bag here.
T: Flavour is as expected; nutty/caramel malts, floral/citric hops. Passionfruit makes a surprise appearance as well. There is a chemical aftertaste that one finds in Aussie macro lagers - like some sort of cleaning agent - not good. Aside from this the balance is alright, a bit on the boring side but that is always expected from a mid-strength.
M: Mid to light bodied with that fizzy carbonation that was noted above in the exuberant head.
D: Bit of an average brew from Murray's then. This ale has promise but is let down by the odd aftertaste, tavern mop aroma and ebullient carbonation. Feels like a missed opportunity for me as I quite enjoy the nutty flavoured brews, and this has nuts in spades. Also this is a mid-strength and my opinion of mid-strengths is 'why even bother' and at 3.9% ABV this brew does somewhat epitomise my opinion.
Food match: Tavern stew is the first thing that sprung to mind, along with a crusty bread loaf, despite being a mid-strength there is a certain heartiness to this brew too.
Reviewed by wordemupg from Canada (AB)
3.47/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.47/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
330mlbottle poured into pint glass 4/4/14
A hard little bugger to get into a glass, hazy dark amber with plenty of sediment and half a glass of lose tan head hangs around leaving foam at the very bottom, very carbonated, chunks of lace stick out from the glass
S citrus, leafy and herbal hops, nutty caramel, a little musty damp basement, almost smells like an apple orchard after harvest, bruised mushy apples and wet leaves
T a little more sweet malt, caramel comes out a little more then the nose, lots of bruised apple and pear, still herbal, I want to love it but only like it
M has some body for 3.9%, very foamy, almost explodes when it hits your mouth, leafy on the finish
O I thought I might have an old bottle but I found a BB 7 months away so I'm guessing this is a 5 month old bottle, a little musty and I'm not sure if its intended and its way over carbonated
not a bad brew but I'm wondering if I got this bottle in perfect condition, if I see this again on my travels I might give it another go
Apr 04, 2014A hard little bugger to get into a glass, hazy dark amber with plenty of sediment and half a glass of lose tan head hangs around leaving foam at the very bottom, very carbonated, chunks of lace stick out from the glass
S citrus, leafy and herbal hops, nutty caramel, a little musty damp basement, almost smells like an apple orchard after harvest, bruised mushy apples and wet leaves
T a little more sweet malt, caramel comes out a little more then the nose, lots of bruised apple and pear, still herbal, I want to love it but only like it
M has some body for 3.9%, very foamy, almost explodes when it hits your mouth, leafy on the finish
O I thought I might have an old bottle but I found a BB 7 months away so I'm guessing this is a 5 month old bottle, a little musty and I'm not sure if its intended and its way over carbonated
not a bad brew but I'm wondering if I got this bottle in perfect condition, if I see this again on my travels I might give it another go
Reviewed by admiral from Australia
3.78/5 rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.78/5 rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
An excellent English session beer that packs a fruity punch for it's low alcohol content
aroma: predominately citrus/fruit with some malt and yeasty aromas. Opens up nicely for a bigger aroma the closer you get to finishing it.
taste: initially pear and lemon come to the fore with citrus, spice, orange peel, caramel-yeast and mineral flavours all coming through along with tropical fruit flavours once the beer opens up more. Good malt flavours to balance it out (although more fruit than malt flavours overall) and a nice moderate bitterness on the finish.
Great session beer and a lot more flavour than I expected.
Jan 23, 2014aroma: predominately citrus/fruit with some malt and yeasty aromas. Opens up nicely for a bigger aroma the closer you get to finishing it.
taste: initially pear and lemon come to the fore with citrus, spice, orange peel, caramel-yeast and mineral flavours all coming through along with tropical fruit flavours once the beer opens up more. Good malt flavours to balance it out (although more fruit than malt flavours overall) and a nice moderate bitterness on the finish.
Great session beer and a lot more flavour than I expected.
Reviewed by PolarBear3 from Australia
3.38/5 rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.38/5 rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A - Pours a lovely amber colour with off white head that retains well
S - Tropical, citrus including some passion fruit, sweet candy.
T - Sweet candy apple, toffee, nutty caramel biscuit with a nice balanced hoppy finish
M - Nicely balanced with medium body and medium carbonation
O - Pretty nice beer that is balanced nicely with its sweet malt and gentle hops
Recommended
Sep 30, 2013S - Tropical, citrus including some passion fruit, sweet candy.
T - Sweet candy apple, toffee, nutty caramel biscuit with a nice balanced hoppy finish
M - Nicely balanced with medium body and medium carbonation
O - Pretty nice beer that is balanced nicely with its sweet malt and gentle hops
Recommended
Reviewed by danieelol from Australia
4.51/5 rDev +18.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
4.51/5 rDev +18.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Decided to grab some of this as it was at a more reasonable price ($15 per 4-pack) than I've seen in the past. Did buy a case direct upon its release, which I enjoyed similarly; but I don't think I ever reviewed it previously.
Pours a caramel gold with really billowing and overdone head. Causes some issues with the initial pour. But does retain well with good lacing. Yeast chunks left in the bottle means this needs a bit of a mark down here though.
Smell has the classic "passionfruit" NZ hop smell, and a more nutty hop aroma. There is faint toast and candy apple, and a malt presence too. Just great layers of flavour here. The NZ hops in this beer don't offend me like they've been known to.
Taste is a beautifully balanced and subtle blending of hop and malt. Lots more candy apple flavours here and just great passionfruit flavours.
Mouthfeel is a winning point too. Has hop bitterness and a hint of sweetness to help it down. Also it feels extremely refreshing and "watery" in a good way as it goes down.
Overall just a fantastic beer. This is really what I always expected great English beer was supposed to taste like, although obviously the prominent NZ hops mean it's a little off-kilter.
Fantastic beer and really shows Murray's to be a trendsetter. They were amongst the first in Australia making Barleywines and Imperial Stouts, and with this and Retro Rocket they're the first Australian brewer to do great things at the lower ABV spectrum. The quality of this beer cannot be understated. Its low ABV and big but delicate flavour make it perfect for a Sydney summer.
Jan 12, 2013Pours a caramel gold with really billowing and overdone head. Causes some issues with the initial pour. But does retain well with good lacing. Yeast chunks left in the bottle means this needs a bit of a mark down here though.
Smell has the classic "passionfruit" NZ hop smell, and a more nutty hop aroma. There is faint toast and candy apple, and a malt presence too. Just great layers of flavour here. The NZ hops in this beer don't offend me like they've been known to.
Taste is a beautifully balanced and subtle blending of hop and malt. Lots more candy apple flavours here and just great passionfruit flavours.
Mouthfeel is a winning point too. Has hop bitterness and a hint of sweetness to help it down. Also it feels extremely refreshing and "watery" in a good way as it goes down.
Overall just a fantastic beer. This is really what I always expected great English beer was supposed to taste like, although obviously the prominent NZ hops mean it's a little off-kilter.
Fantastic beer and really shows Murray's to be a trendsetter. They were amongst the first in Australia making Barleywines and Imperial Stouts, and with this and Retro Rocket they're the first Australian brewer to do great things at the lower ABV spectrum. The quality of this beer cannot be understated. Its low ABV and big but delicate flavour make it perfect for a Sydney summer.
Reviewed by SmashPants from Australia
2.95/5 rDev -22.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
2.95/5 rDev -22.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Bottle: standard 330mL brown bottle. Fantastic stylish label, per the Murray norm.
Appearance: deep golden colour with ruby tints and thick, white head. Light bodied, and a light carbonation of fine bubbles.
Aroma: light toffee malts, some complex hops over the top. Quite light aroma, not all that much to it, to be honest.
Taste: some tropical fruits here, with the same malts backing up. Really far too weak.
Aftertaste: the bitterness does come through afterward, but not strongly enough. A bit of a wishy-washy beer.
Mouth feel: light bodied with medium carbonation. I expected it to be a bit lighter, to be honest.
Overall: a light English bitter, with light flavours - toffee and caramel, with good English hops. Not my style, and not strong enough flavours.
Jul 02, 2012Appearance: deep golden colour with ruby tints and thick, white head. Light bodied, and a light carbonation of fine bubbles.
Aroma: light toffee malts, some complex hops over the top. Quite light aroma, not all that much to it, to be honest.
Taste: some tropical fruits here, with the same malts backing up. Really far too weak.
Aftertaste: the bitterness does come through afterward, but not strongly enough. A bit of a wishy-washy beer.
Mouth feel: light bodied with medium carbonation. I expected it to be a bit lighter, to be honest.
Overall: a light English bitter, with light flavours - toffee and caramel, with good English hops. Not my style, and not strong enough flavours.
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