Tap Handle #835: James Boag's Brewery (Lion) - Razor Edge Lager (v4)
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Tap size: 8"
Rarity: 10 or less seen, beer and tap no longer produced
Mounting: internal 3/8" nut
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| Versions 1, 2 & 3 |
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J. Boag & Son Brewing, also known as the Boag Brewery or James Boag's Brewery, was founded in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia in 1883 by James Boag and his son, also named James. James Boag I arrived in Australia with his wife, Janet, and their four children in 1853 from Scotland. After three months in the Victorian goldfields, they came to Tasmania and settled at Launceston, where young James II was born in 1854, followed by five more children. James I soon joined John Fawns's Cornwall Brewery as manager and chief brewer. James II joined his father at the Cornwall Brewery in 1870. After father and son left the Cornwall Brewery in 1878, James II went into partnership with John Glenwright at the Cataract Brewery and James I became the licensee of the All Year Round Hotel. In 1883, James I and his son took over the Esk Brewery, which was housed in a Queen Anne style building on the busy artery of William Street. J. Boag & Son was officially formed in 1883, a partnership between James Boag I and his son, to operate the Esk Brewery. The company's initial output was seven hogsheads of beer weekly. The name 'Esk Brewery' was retained, although it was frequently referred to as "Boag's Brewery".
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In 1887, James II began management of the company on the retirement of his father. A new malthouse was built and weekly production had increased to more than 500 hogsheads, with the brewery employing 30 workers. James Boag I died in 1890. In 1898, J. Boag & Son purchased the Cornwall Brewery and merged it with the Esk Brewery. In the same year the company bought the Globe Brewery in Hobart, and its name was changed to the Hobart Brewery. By 1900 James II had surpassed the Esk Brewery's original production by over 7000 percent and established Boag as northern Tasmania's favorite beer. In 1911, J. Boag & Son purchased the Union Brewery from the Tasmanian Co-operative Brewery. The Tamar Brewery was bought and closed in 1917, and in 1922 the company purchased and closed the Derwent Brewery (formerly the Jolly Hatters Brewery). But in a twist of fate, J. Boag & Son was itself purchased by the Cascade Brewery.
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James II had died in 1919 and was succeeded by his son James III, who had been training at Tooth and Co.'s brewery in Sydney. In 1924, James III retired temporarily from the company, and returned in 1930 as Managing Director, a position he held until his death in 1944. In 1957, a new company called Tasmanian Breweries Pty was formed, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cascade Brewery Co. in Hobart, which controlled both the Boag’s and Cascade breweries. Boag’s Brewery retained the Boag and Esk breweries’ package names on all products produced in Launceston. George Boag, James III's second son, took over James III's seat on the Board; he was the last Boag to work for the company, retiring in 1976 after the death of his wife.
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Tasmanian Breweries Pty was taken over in 1984 by Industrial Equity of New Zealand. Ownership changed again in 1988 to Wilson Neill Australia, and in 1990, the name was changed to the Cascade Group. In 1992, the Cascade Group was acquired by Cadenza International. A joint venture was formed in 1993 between Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) and the Cascade Group. The Cascade Brewery was sold to CUB. J. Boag & Son was appointed as an agent by Scottish & Newcastle, the Boston Beer Co. and Carlsberg to represent their brands throughout Australia. In 1998, the company’s flagship brand, James Boag’s Premium Lager, was awarded the title of Grand Champion over 425 beers representing 100 breweries entered into the Australian International Beer Awards, the first time an Australian beer had won this prestigious title.
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In 2000, San Miguel acquired J. Boag & Son for $92 million. The existing Tasmanian management was retained to continue running the company; production had increased annually for the previous 3 years and this growth was planned to continue. In 2004, Boag's Brewery was expanded to occupy the complete block enclosed by William, Tamar and Shield Streets and The Esplanade. San Miguel sold J. Boag & Son to Lion Nathan Ltd in November 2007 for $325 million. Another change of ownership took place in 2009 when the Japanese brewer Kirin purchased the assets of Lion Nathan, which included Boag’s Brewery. Later that year, a new state-of-the-art brewhouse was installed as part of a $25 million expansion. The expansion received financial backing from the Australian Government under the Enhanced Project By-Law Scheme. A high-speed bottling line was installed, which doubled the brewery's previous bottling capacity. By 2010, J. Boag and Son employed over 150 people, sales had doubled since 1998, and the brewery produced over 20,000,000 US gallons of beer annually, making it the fourth largest brewery in Australia. The James Boag Brewery Bar, situated in the Tamar Hotel, consisted of three bars, a beer garden, and two levels of James Boag history and memorabilia, plus the ability to host functions for up to 120 guests.
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In 2023, a decision to scrap Boag's tourism experience amid a downturn in beer consumption was unpopular with local politicians. Boag's owner, Lion Australia, said declining beer consumption, rising costs and the impact of COVID on the hospitality and tourism industries had made operating difficult. They could not afford to support operations that did not directly relate to brewing beer. The tourism experience had been world-renowned, with the late Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip, having visited the brewery in 2000. The brewery was given a $1 million state government bailout to keep operating. In 2024, Lion Australia made the decision to shift production of Boag beers from Tasmania to mainland Australia for beers sold in that market. This was a devastating blow to the brewery, as up to 60% of their production had been going to the mainland. The ongoing decline of the beer market, overall cost challenges, and rising costs to ship raw materials to Tasmania and then ship the finished goods back to the mainland were all cited as factors in the decision. The brewery dropped from two production shifts to one, and 13 workers were offered work at other Lions breweries, on top of the 13 relocated or downsized the previous year. The brewery still produces beer for the local Tasmanian market.
Curiously I can find absolutely nothing on Razor Edge Lager, except that it was a pale style lager for export only. It's almost as if it never existed. There are 2 bottle pour reviews on Beer Advocate (both from Las Vegas between 2010 and 2016); and Untappd has 8 bottle pour check-ins (from 2019-23) and states that the beer is no longer brewed, but that's all I found. Nowhere did I find an "on tap" reference. Despite having 4 different tap handles and at least a 13-year window of production, this beer remains a mystery for now.
Ratebeer: no entry for Razor Edge Lager
Beer Advocate: no rating
James Boag's Brewery Official Website
Source Material
Australian Dictionary of Biography
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