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On the weekend I was on the Gold Coast drinking large quantities of Cooper's Pale Ale (all from the same carton and with a best after date of 31/1/05).

They tasted remarkably like a Little Creatures Pale Ale, with a pronounced Cascade hop character (citrusy). It was like nothing I'd had in a Cooper's Pale Ale before.

Has anyone else come across this? Would Cooper's dare experiment with additions of different hops to change the flavor of their famous Pale Ale? Would there be another reason for this remarkable citrusy taste?

Oliver

Everything tastes fruity in Queensland

I recall way back in the day that Coopers Sparkling had a fruity flavour to it that it no longer has. I put this down to an ale yeast induced fruitiness rather than a hop induced fruitiness. I'm pretty sure that this flavour is less pronounced now.

Could just be me.

BTW, nice reply Mahaba.

Evo,

I think you're right about that fruitiness having disappeared from Cooper's, particularly from the Sparkling Ale.

But this citrusy taste was different. I haven't experienced it before in Cooper's.

Oliver

So would the lack of fruitiness in CSA then tie in to that other thread about ale/lager yeast being used ?

Maybe Coopers have seen the light about the dreaded POR and have jumped onto something good like Cascade.

Evo,

In my view, Cooper's beers changed when they moved from their brewery at Leabrook to the high-tech one at Regency Park. I reckon the stout has also lost some of its fruitiness.

They get very touchy when this is mentioned.

I reckon that the modern brewing techniques (like grinding the grains to a flour before they're mashed so as to get the maximum extract) can't possibly produce the same flavour as the methods used at Leabrook. Their beers are also released after less conditioning time. They say changes made to the brewing process allowed this and that the beer tastes the same. I don't quite understand how you can make a beer differently (and condition it less) and ensure it's exactly the same as it was before.

They also had a problem with the yeast there, and had to narrow it down to one strain from the previous mix.

I'm not by any stretch saying their beers are worse now, just different.

Oliver

Yep, right with you Oliver. I didn't know about the move but it's a sad state of affairs. I guess to compete with the other "battery beers" they had to "modify" their brewing practices.

I mean, being a nerd, I love technological advances everywhere else, but good beer should be left alone.

...like you said though, still a great drop. Just don't want it devolving into Carlton Cold.