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Beer of the Week (w/e 12th May 2024) with Mobyduck
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Quinno _
Submitted on Wednesday, 8th May 2024
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Detail Pages
The Australia, Porthmadog
Porthmadog
LL49 9LR
Served areas
Reviews of The Australia (Average Rating: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Quinno _ left this review about The Australia
Finally managed to make it in here after two previously aborted attempts. No longer a ‘gang of four’ pub and now fully Purple Moose. Very nicely done with Moose branding everywhere and the corporate purple in abundance – I like purple so it suited me just fine. Six of theirs on cask, scoops of Madog's (NBSS 4) and Dark Side (3.5) cemented it’s GBG listing for me. There were also two of theirs on keg alongside some other lesser-spotted options. I really liked it, a good attempt at bridging the traditional pub ethos with an appeal to the local mums and yoof market.
On 14th May 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5167 recommendations about 5150 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Australia
After a 13 years hiatus, I finally got back to Porthmadog on a recent Thursday evening. The Australia is the brewery tap for Purple Moose and I've wanted to visit for some time.
In all honesty, I was left feeling a little disappointed. Ales were all from Purple Moose. The usual ones are Snowdonia Ale, Elderflower Ale & Dark Side of the Moose. Glaslyn & Madog's Ale were also on, whilst the real cider was Rosie's Triple D. Craft beers from Purple Moose were Black Rock, Mwsh & Antlered IPA.
The pub does seem quite commercialised. Food seems to be a big proposition here. In fact, I appeared to be in the minority as a drinker. There are two rooms to choose from. The one to the right is the main bar area, whilst one to the left down a step or two seemed to be all diners.
The Australia is undoubtedly a good addition to the Porthmadog drinking scene. Whether it's the best place these days, I'm not sure. I remember Spooner's Bar and the Station Inn being better. But that was some time ago.
On 17th October 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2501 recommendations about 2500 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Australia
Since my previous visit this is now run just by Purple Moose and is externally billed as their brewery tap. Their has been no structural changes to the split level bar but it's been all moosed up both externally and internally. There is a "Legend" on one wall explaining the name Purple Moose which is an even bigger load of cobblers than the one about the dog Gelert at Beddgelert North of here. I came here three times in all and found it to be very busy around meal times and that was midweek in October.
There are now just six hand pumps with one unused, presumably the cider one which would suggest they only do it in summer. The rest had five Purple Moose beers, Glaslyn, Whistling Sands, Cwrw Ysghawen, Dark Side Of The Moose and Snowdonia. There are also three keg beers, Chocolate Moose, Mwch Lager and Antlered IPA. During my visits I tried the Glaslyn (£3.25), Dark Side (£3.25), Ysgawen (£3.40), Mwch Lager (£3.30), Chocolate Moose (£3.30) and Antlered IPA (£3.40). All were in good nick and it's worth noting the tiny difference in prices between cask and keg. The keg was cold but not freezing and not overly gassy.
I got to quite like this place but it's probably worth avoiding in peak holiday times. The score remains unchanged.
Visit September 2016
I've known this pub for some forty years and even when draught Bass was on offer (before the brewery ruined it) the place was a right dump. The last time I looked in during the late nineties it seemed a hostile place and I don't think I stayed for a drink. It's hardly surprising that despite past visits to the town by various PUG stalwarts it had remained overlooked.
Last year (after the failure of Y Gestiana) the "Gang Of Four" North Wales brewers took the place on to add it to the two in Conwy including the Albion which is arguably the best pub in North Wales. On my return I didn't recognise the place as it has all been completely modernised. It's now a split level wide room with an upper area as you enter and a lower area to the left with the bar servery covering both sides. I went to the lower area which annoyingly had a TV with Radio 2 playing.
Although there are eight hand pumps stretched along the bar only the four as you enter were in use with one beer each from the "Gang Of Four". These were Purple Moose Glaslyn, Nant Cwrw Coryn, Conwy Weissebier and Great Orme Atlantis IPA. I went for the Cwrw Coryn (£3.20) and Atlantis (£3.30) both of which were in excellent condition.
Porthmadog is almost certainly the best place for a beer on the Lleyn Peninsula and while this is no Albion it does add to the town's credentials. I combined it with a visit to the Spooner's bar and the Main Line Station pub making three places that are refreshingly varied. It's definitely worth a visit.
On 8th October 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
View more reviews of The Australia (5)
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- Facebook - The Australia, Porthmadog.
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Australia - whatpub.com
Porthmadog, 0.52 miles, 10 min walk (show)
Minffordd, 2.23 miles, 43 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Beer Garden : No last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- CAMRA Discount : Yes - 5% - last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Car Park : No last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Darts : No last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Function Room : No last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Jukebox : No last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Karaoke : No last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Live Music : No last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Micropub : No last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Pinball : No last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Pool Table : No last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Real Cider : Yes - Welsh - last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- Wheelchair Access : Yes last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
- WiFi : Yes last updated 14 May 2024 by Quinno _
