Consumer beers

David Russell's former fiefdom, the Consumers' Institute, has done a beer tasting. Russell's replacement Sue Chetwin told Breakfast News this morning some of their results, which included awards for, wait for it, Speights Gold and Black Mac -- and I'm sure I heard her say that the latter was a prize for best lager! If there hadn't been a prize to Emerson's brewery for their Emerson's Old 95, I might have had something more acerbic to say.

Let me know in the comments if you hear the full list of results. In the meantime,whatever you do don't use Consumer magazine as a guide to buying beer. It'll only end in tears.

UPDATE 1: Ah, that makes more sense: Black Mac is best dark lager. Well, in their mind.

• Best NZ Draught: Speight's Gold. ["Best" is clearly relative. Second is DB Draught!]
• Best Dark Lager: Black Mac
• Best Ale: Emerson's Old 95
• Best Porter: Speight's Porter
• Best Stout: Cascade Stout [poor Guinness, the locally brewed stuff, comes in fourth!]

Consumer's recommendations are Founders Organic Long Black, Emerson's Old 95, Wigram Brewing Co Munchner Dunkel, Speight's Porter, Black Mac, Moa Noir, of which Speight's Porter would be the best for value. Comments?

UPDATE 2: Greig from the Society of Beer Advocates (SOBA) reckons I'm too negative.

We at SOBA had some input into this. Remember that it aimed at the mainstream consumer. The tasting panel were fairly knowledgeable, and included a sensory scientist and Geoff Griggs, the well known beer writer - both SOBA members. Stu and I also had some input into the article itself, and I think the end result was fairly good. I was a little suspicious of Black Mac's - especially when noting that Colin Paige (Mac's brewer) was also on the tasting panel. ;)

Oh, and the Speight's Porter is pretty damn good. Don't write it off just because it's made by the same crowd who bring you "Distinction Ale". :)