James Boag Brewery, Launceston — Attraction in Launceston

Today I had the absolute pleasure of touring the James Boags Brewery while I was in Launceston. When I arrived I arrived at the brewery I wasn’t sure what to expect but as soon as I walked through the bar doors I was greeted by two extremely friendly ladies named Rachel and Shannon who I quickly discovered were going to be my guides on the tour.

Once the introductions were out of the way we stepped off and both Rachel and Shannon took me on a journey back to 1881 so I could learn about the rich history associated with the Boags name and also educated me about the history of the site where the brewery stands today. After that they then educated me on the history of beer production, as well as a walk through of the brewery so I could see the impressive and complex machinery used to brew, bottle and dispatch the beverages produced on site.

Upon the conclusion of the tour I was treated to a couple delicious beverages and some fascinating stories associated with each different style of beer brewed on site including the history of the names and insignia seen on the bottle/can labels.

I can not speak more highly about how delicious the beers were that I had the pleasure of sampling at the bar upon the competition of the tour. The only experience from the tour that trumps that however was the wonderful opportunity I had to meet Rachel and Shannon. They both had an absolute wealth of knowledge that they were more than happy to share with me. Their friendly and approachable natures paired with their exemplary customer service skills made the tour of the James Boags Brewery the highlight of my Tasmanian adventure.

Thanks for the wonderful experience! Keep up the great work Rachel...

I gave this a one star actually it should be a no star ..it was the biggest ripoff in Tassie ,,$66 for 2 to look at some barley in a jar smell some hops in a jar.. and look at some brick building and a plastic plaque outside on the footpath,,,go inside with all the safely gear climb a shitload of stairs,( pity if u got bad knees)to look at some stainless steel silos tops . And I did say silo tops,,then down the stairs to see a room where the beer is,, boring,, It like looking at a piece of concrete,,,then walk to the video room to watch a silent movie/doco.5mins long which u can see on foxtel better, (heineken) .no actual tour though the factory.TOP SECRET and guess what the bottling plant never seems to work, it's broken down,it seems like it's always broken down,,or they doing cans .. the tour was rushed,, ( oh we are falling behind time) too many old people with bad knees. ,,one way I wished it ended quicker,I ask some hard questions ,she didn't know the answers, ang the beer and cheese If u are driving u can't have 3 beers in 10 minutes. Any body who said this is a great or good tour ,u got to be kidding me or yourself cos u all got fleeced ,,unless you like looking at bricks and silo tops,, Like I said the worst ripoff in Tassie give your money to charity instead.or get a carton...

On my first day at Launceston, I decided to visit James Boag. I didn't know they have a tour of their brewery. I signed up on the spot and paid $33. Then I walked back to my hotel to rest, Clarion Hotel City Park Grand, which was only 5 minutes away.

The tour started on the first floor of James Boag Bar where all tour participants were introduced to the essential ingredients of beer. After that, we were asked to wear the hi-vis vest and take hearing protection and glasses. All health and safety gears were to be used inside the factory.

During the tour, we visited different areas where James Boag Breweries used to be. We got to learn about the various stages of the brewing process as well. At the end of the tour, we got to taste 3 different beers and a platter of delicious Tasmanian cheese! My favourite was the smoky cheddar, just couldn't get enough of it!

It was an exciting experience, and the tour lasted for 90 minutes. There are usually 3 different times of walking tours per day, at 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm with additional tours in between during peak season. If you visit Launceston, Tasmania, this brewery tour is not...