The Pale Ale battle sees the Coles effort (left) up against the offering from Woolworths.

Round Two: The Pale Ales
Monkey’s Fist Pale Ale (Woolworths) vs Ghost of Eyre Pale Ale (Coles)

Here’s the thing: when Steamrail beers first came out I went and bought some to see what they were like. Not being a great fan of amber ales, and figuring golden ales to be dull I only bought a bottle of each. But, with the pale I went and bought a six-pack because I figured that might actually be an interesting beer. And also, it seems to me you’d have to put in a bit of effort to bugger up a pale ale.

Well, I found that, while Coles’ brewers hadn’t buggered up their pale ale, they had made a pretty ordinary one. There’s a nice, foamy head but less fruity flavours than I expected and indeed wanted. The malt was noticeable but not so much those light citrussy notes.

The first time I tried the Woolies’ take on the pale I thought it was crap. Which isn’t too hard to remember as I thought all five of them were crap and thought I’d be unlikely to drink them again (except, perhaps should I come up with an idea like ‘‘Supermarket Stoush’’).

So, when I gave it another go here, I was a bit surprised to find it wasn’t as awful as I recalled. Made with Chinook and Cascade hops, there is a mild yet pleasing tropical fruit aroma. That tropical theme is reflected in the taste, with an interesting hint of pineapple at the back end.

However, like the Woolies’ Golden Ale, they’ve overbalanced the scales in favour of malt. While not as strong as with the golden ale, it’s still enough to lack total balance. As well as limit the refreshing nature of the beer.

The winner: Monkey’s Fist Pale Ale after an uninspiring six-round bout where neither side seemed like they were keen on winning.