All eyes on the beers of the year

Results of the 2014 Australian International Beer Awards will be announced in Melbourne on May 22.

The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria is offering tickets to the awards presentation dinner, to be held at the Peninsula in Melbourne's Docklands district. Tickets cost $185 each and cover a three-course meal, accompanied by winning beers from last year's awards.

The awards now slot in with Melbourne's Good Beer Week (May 17 to May 25), giving beer-lovers an opportunity to learn what the judges like and to enjoy the many hundreds of beers served at venues all over the city during the week.

The RASV is also offering through its website (rasv.com.au) tickets to the Hop Off Judges dinner (May 30) and Good Beer Week closing party (May 24).

Henry of Harcourt Duck and Bull Cider
★★★★½
500ml $7.20
Alcohol content of 9.3 per cent adds considerably to the wine-like body of this cider, made from apples grown around Harcourt, Victoria. It tastes of apples, too, unlike so many of the sugary little alcopops parading under the cider name. Bottle conditioning gives it a pleasing natural fizz.

Shepherd Neame Brilliant Ale
★★★★
500ml $6.35
Shepherd Neame's pale golden ale offers a full, smooth, malty body, seasoned with cascade hops. The hops provide herbal appeal to the aroma and give a lingering, gentle bitterness to the palate. It's a subtle but complex beer, best enjoyed chilled but not icy-cold, as the cold masks the delicate aromas and flavours.