tj5553's Travels - Fiji Beer Tasting
Hello all!
I have been out of commission for a few days due to vacation and way too much time on airplanes. That being said, I presently have access to a computer and will try to get out some posts while I can!
To begin with, I would like to share one of my interests with you all, and that would be...
...well, beer.
I am a huge fan of craft beers and many foreign beers as well (not so much a Bud, Miller, Coors guy...). While I would not necessarily call myself a connoisseur, I can confidently say that I have significant knowledge and familiarity with a wide range of brews, as well as the brewing process itself.
All that being said, let's get to the real reason you all are reading this:
The Beer!
Source
The first leg of our trip brought us to Fiji for a bit more than a day before proceeding on to Australia. Here's a shot from our room there the morning we left:
The photo does not really do the place justice, but Fiji is a beautiful country.
Unfortunately, we were unable to do much here, due to an unexpected prolonged rainfall, but in the end it worked out as we got to catch up on some much needed rest and relaxation (we also found out about a week before the trip that there had been Zika virus cases here in recent months, so with my wife being pregnant, we were not overly keen on exploring the great outdoors too much anyway).
While waiting for our taxi to pick us up and take us back to the airport, I decided I had better try a local brew, just so I wouldn't regret not doing so in the future.
There was not a wide variety of beers available at the resort (and some of them were Australian), so I ended up going with the one that looked the most domestic and native to Fiji (it was even bottled in a clearly re-used bottle, so you KNOW it's local).
The beer I chose was Fiji Bitter.
Here is the beer before the pour. I apologize for the small plastic cup. It was either that or nothing...
Here is the beer immediately after the pour. Notice the nice, medium, white head and pale amber color.
This shot was taken shortly after the pour (within a few minutes). Notice how quickly the head dissipated.
Fiji Bitter
| Fiji Bitter | Brewed in Walu Bay, Suva, Fiji, by Paradise Beverages (Fiji) Limited |
|---|---|
| Style | Lager |
| Alcohol | 4.6% ABV |
| --------- | --------- |
| Appearance | Pale Amber, almost a golden orange, darker than expected. Medium, white head that dissipates quickly. |
| Aroma | Typical lager. Light smell of malt and grain, followed by hop bitterness. Little to no aromatics or adjunct aromas/flavors. Website claims a hint of fruitiness and aroma, but while I can see what they are talking about, this fruitiness is virtually non-existent. |
| Taste | Slight malt, hint of sweetness, followed by a bite of hop bitterness. This soon fades back into a slight sweetness before leaving you with a slightly bitter and grainy finish. |
| Mouthfeel | Light-bodied, with medium to medium-high carbonation. Overall smooth with slight carbonation bite. |
| --------- | ---------- |
| Tasting Notes | Overall, this beer was crisp and refreshing. It is certainly nothing fancy, but would be an excellent beer after mowing the lawn, working outside on a hot day, or chilling at the beach/a cookout. The carbonation fits this style of beer well, giving it a slight bite that matches the refreshing nature of this brew, without leaving you feeling bloated. This beer is quite one-dimensional, so don't get it expecting otherwise. Just a reminder, do not let this beer warm up. This is meant to be drunk while cold. Letting this warm up, will only take away from its good points, without adding any benefit and will not be enjoyable. This is not my usual beer or one that I would go out of my way for, but it certainly is one that serves its purpose well and will always have an audience. Unfortunately I was not overly hot, nor was I out on the beach when drinking this. As a stand-alone beer, it just does not make the mark. |
| Score | 5.5/10 (this is my subjective score) I would rate this higher in certain situations, but this is an overall score on its merits. |
Bula
I love Fiji and need to go there again with some more time
Indeed. It's a beautiful place. I wish we were able to stay longer.
Need to find my Fiji Bitter T-Shirt for a picture....
Indeed you do! This beer seemed somewhat iconic. Not a great brew, but refreshing when cold. My only regret with it was that I time and weather did not allow for me to have a 6 pack on ice at the beach...
That is sad 😞
so we have to go back for some longer time to get the iced beer at the beach thing done
Great review mate and welcome to #beersaturday. It’s a great competition.
Where are you traveling to in Australia? I’m in Melbourne but can give you pointers to many locations around the country if you need any. I also know some great local breweries too. :)
Thank you! We actually left Melbourne a few days ago. We are presently in Canberra and will be heading to Sydney in a couple of days before heading home. While I would love to visit some local breweries while I'm here, I have a pregnant wife with me that would get a bit jealous and probably more than a bit annoyed, heh. That being said, if you have any recommendations for brews I should be on the lookout for while in Canberra or Sydney, I'd certainly appreciate it! Any Porters/Stouts, Sours, or IPA's in particular. Though I'm a fan of most varieties, so if you think it's a good one, by all means point me in that direction!
Sadly I'm not too familiar with the breweries in those regions. Enjoy Sydney, it's beautiful up there. I hope you're planning on spending some time in Coogee and Bondi. They're great spots and there's a very nice waking trail inbetween the two suburbs along the coastline (if you're wife can handle it of course).
No worries, and thank you for the suggestions! My wife has sadly ruled out the walk (I think I exhausted her too much today...) However, we still might make it out that way, even if we don't end up doing the walk. We are planning on hitting up the zoo and the Opera House for sure. Any suggestions for Sydney beers that are fairly accessible in stores? If I can, I would like to try picking up one or two before we have to head on home.
These guys make some unique beers, I'm not a huge fan of their tonic beer but they're talented brewers: http://www.doctorsordersbrewing.com/www/About.html
You might also want to try this one out:
https://www.younghenrys.com/home
Dang, those both look great. It's too bad I wasn't able to hit up any bottle shops while I was in Sydney. I will have to look and see if I can find any of those beers, and if not, what it would take to import them.
Absolutely. I hoe you enjoyed your trip. :)
It was fantastic! Just too short. I would have loved an extra day or 2 in each of the cities. Also, it's too bad my wife couldn't drink, as I'm sure she would have loved to hit up some of the wineries and breweries, especially around Melbourne. At any rate, I'll keep an eye out for some Aussie beers and run them by you before I nab them ;)
Will it destroy it for you if I tell you Paradise brewing is owned by Coca-Cola Amatil (who are the Australian bottlers of Coke)? Having said that I've enjoyed many a Fiji Bitter on a hot afternoon in Fiji.
Look forward to hearing about the Australian brews when you get here to the land downunder.
Haha, surprisingly not. I actually became aware of that when I was trying to make sure I had the right brewery. I thought it seemed strange at first, but then again, a lot of beverages are owned by larger corporations, so it didn't surprise me too much.
I should be posting my first Australian beer tonight or tomorrow. Hopefully there will be more to come in the near future as well!
This was my entry: https://steemit.com/beersaturday/@dadview/have-another-drink-with-dadview-absent-landlord
I am trying to support as many of the other entrants as possible! I love reading and writing about beer!
Thank you, I'll give it a read! I've been amazed at how supportive and close the beer community is here. It's like finding some long-lost family members, haha.
Thanks for sharing, yes, I am sure this beer would go down much better on the beach, like you said!!
Thanks for reading! It definitely would. This is the type you keep in an ice chest and drink quickly under the sun.
Cheers and welcome to #beersaturday!
Thank you!
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