A lot of nice tips on this thread.

I love the Leffe and the Duvel, they are rich special occasion beers for me. The Leffe is a bit fruity to be sinking regularly. Is there really cardamon in it?

If you made me choose one beer, I'll take the Guinness on tap in Dublin (in particular the tap down the brewery) over anything anywhere. I am a stout fella with Irish heritage, after all.

I wish our Aussie beers kicked English arse like we do at everything else but sadly we have been corporatised and while there are some decent micros and a few good big brand beers (esp the clean Tasmanian beers) there are a host of fantastic English beers better than ours. Our stuff has to be drunk cold, or there's a problem. The poms can be done cold up to cellar temperature with no effect on the enjoyment.

I love the handful of German beers I have had too (that 16th century purity law is a wonderful thing), and to be frank there's nice products from all over. I recall fondly a brown scots beer that tasted like burnt wholemeal toast, but in a good way (yes I am a Laphroaig man too).

Best thing I had recently was a James Squire (Aussie micro) Golden Ale, nice and rich. I'm not drinking like I used too, but i like to spend the same amount so its smaller amounts of more expensive stuff. Still gets me shitfaced so I pass out on NYE, just the puke smells classier .