Holiday brews - stop thinking of work and taste the flavors

In anticipation of my first set of holidays in my latest jobs, I went out and made some friends.

As you can see, they seem to be a pretty rowdy but fun bunch (especially that chick with the beard)...

Yes my two weeks break is still another week away but there's nothing like being prepared and so having a spare half hour yesterday and some change left on my beer buying gift card, I organised my next few beer tasting/sampling/reviewing sessions.

In the process I think I impressed the woman behind the counter with my willingness to actually try different beers instead of just grabbing the usual same 6 in a box and hoping for the best.

'You don't see that much anymore, usually people just buy the same beers over and over again...'

I explained that I like my beers random and experimental without getting too nerdy and explaining that I drink with my notepad app on my phone handy so I can jot down my random thoughts before transcribing them all to here. I'm learning not to waffle on, this is good.

So in no particular order lets meet the crew who are currently chilling together at the bottom of my fridge:

BURLEIGH FIG JAM INDIA PALE ALE - Made here on the Gold Coast where my beer fridge calls home. Will the home town flavors really reinforce how much I enjoy being here? Will an India Pale Ale have me whipping up a chicken Korma in anticipation? What is an India Pale Ale anyway? Does it taste like figs? (I hope not...) Let's find out!

ESTRELLA - Recommended to me by the very helpful woman behind the counter. 'My favourite beer at the moment, I think you'll like it.' Was that a come on? No idea, been out of the game for quite some time. Still in the spirit of trying something new, it made it into the latest sampling batch.

FIRE FALCON HOPPY RED - Given the title I can only assume it's one of those red tinged beers I was quite fond of drinking back in the day. Honestly I have no idea but that will be half the fun. The fact that it's called 'Fire Falcon' was more than enough for me to give it a whirl.

3 PUB CIRCUS HAIRY MARY PALE ALE - So will this beer put even more hairs on my chest after drinking it? (That's a challenge, it's pretty hairy already) Or is it a warning to keep it away from my wife in case she sprouts a better beard than any I could attempt? Regardless it's a hilarious enough label for it to be included here for a review. Also it reminds me of...

KIRIN - After the slightly disappointing washy flavours of Asahi Soukai, could this brew redeem my faith in beers from the land of the Rising Sun? Can it stand up to the sword like crispness of an actual Asahi minus the Soukai part? Let's hope so!

So stay tuned for the reviews as they happen over the next two weeks as I try not to think of work and instead focus on aromas, tastes and the wonderful world of beer tasting and impressing random people at my local bottle shop.