Premium beer reviews

Fancy a coldie? Our expert tasters rate 46 premium beers.
 
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  • Updated:30 Jul 2007
 

01.Introduction

Premium-beer

Test results for 46 premium beers priced from $11 to $23 per six-pack

CHOICE got together a panel of experts (four men and two women) to taste the beers and recommend the ones you’re most likely to feel are worth the extra money. We also threw a few more questions at them:

  • Do women like the same beer as men?
  • Do exotic beers (known as ‘premium’ in the trade) taste better than your normal drop?
  • Is there really a difference between lager, pilsner and ale? When you buy ‘premium’ beer, is the premium on the taste or just on the price?
  • If you’re into trying more exotic beers, this article’s for you — use our experts’ advice to try beers you’ll probably like and avoid expensive disappointments.

Please note: this information was current as of July 2007 but is still a useful guide today.


Findings:

  • Our expert tasters came up with a CHOICE six-pack of top rating beers in a variety of styles - lagers, pilsners, ales and stouts.
  • Two mainstrem brews included for comparison (Victoria Bitter and Tooheys New) scored higher than plenty of more expensive premium beers.
  • Beer is best when it's fresh. CHOICE would like to see Aussie brewers be more upfront and tell you on the label when their beer was actually brewed.

Brands tested

  • Asahi
  • Becks
  • Bitburger
  • Bluetongue
  • Boddington's Pub Ale
  • Budweiser
  • Carlsberg
  • Cascade
  • Coopers
  • Corona
  • Crackenback
  • Crown Lager
  • Grolsch
  • Guinness
  • Haagen
  • Hahn
  • Heineken
  • Holsten
  • James Boags
  • James Squire
  • Kilkenny Irish Beer
  • Kokanee Glacier Beer
  • Little Creatures
  • Matilda Bay
  • Michelob Ultra
  • Peroni Nastro Azzuro
  • Pure Blonde
  • Red Stripe
  • San Miguel
  • Singha Thai Beer
  • Sol Beer
  • Stella Artois
  • Tiger Beer
  • Tooheys
  • Victoria Bitter
 
 

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Related tags: Alcohol | Beverages | Drinking | Premium brands
 
 
 
 

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