Ragged Jack
Van Dieman Brewing

From bottle, Orange gold pour with next to no head. Floral, earthy, caramel aromas. Taste is very similar, but slightly thin, very enjoyable worth a try.

Bottle poured into half pint. BB of Aug 2015.

L- golden, slightly hazy, thin white head with poor retention.

S- passion fruit, guava, pine musty malt, hint of licorice. Nice but weak.

T- floral hop bitterness kicks off from the start. Peppermint tea and apple taste comes on strong two thirds the way through. Sour lemon finish.

M- dry, medium bodied and moderate to high carbonation.

O- very refreshing. The fresh mint flavour makes this beer stand out.

Bottle enjoyed with dinner at Stillwater Restaurant in Launceston.

Pours a pale amber colour, slow bead. Head is white and foamy, nice lace behind. Looks slightly thin but otherwise nice.

Served a bit cold. Get some cereal notes and a touch of grassy bitterness. Bit of vanilla and caramel. Seems alright, a bit mild.

Taste is malty upfront, notes of English toffee, then resinous hops take over, big and dank and giving an almost roasty bitterness on the back. Lots of hop oils and resins. Touch of beetroot on the back and some yeast and pearl barley late. Decent character, not what I expected but bold, well-constructed palate.

Noticeable fizz on there. Body is OK but carbonation is sharp, finishes too dry.

Not an everyday drinker, especially compared to the English Pale Ale oeuvre, but some interesting characters.

Pours coppery brown with a large, lasting head.
Nose shows caramel, nutty malt, bananas and spicy, floral hops.
Nice, uncomplicated.
Similar flavours, lots more nutty malt and spicy hops. Finishes with a well-balanced bitterness.
Too much carbonation.

Gives a big hiss when popping the cap. Slightly overcarbed means you must pour carefully. Which means I made a little bit of a mess. Bottle conditioned so this is a cloudy beer. A bit more so than you normally expect. The head however is like that from a nitro can, thick and creamy, stable and decent lacing. Color is bordering on amber, and hazy.

Earthy sweet aroma. The label doesn't lie. Clean and light. Nice here, no complaints.

Clean, light and refreshing. The color had me thinking this might be too malty and heavy but that it is not. Superbly balanced malt and hops flow together across the palate. Nothing too overpowering, but enough flavor to make it enjoyable.

Very easy to throw back big mouthfuls of this. Excellent mouthfeel and body. Should have grabbed a few more bottles of this. If this beer gets around enough it will no doubt be one of the new Aussie gateway beers. Approachable and enjoyable for all.