Author Archives: 2hopheads

Devilbend Coffee Brown Ale

Rating:

“Rich, roasty and quietly indulgent. This American Brown Ale is layered with smooth coffee from our friends at ​Red​ Hill Roast and a touch of lactose for a silky finish.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Deep brown pour with some light cutting through at the base of the glass. It forms a thumb of cappuccino head which slowly peels off. Laced well as it subsides.

Aroma: Loving the heady coffee notes lifting off. It has that super savoury cold pressed vibe to it which is very appealing. The coffee also entertains a hint of creamy vanilla and lactose that balance out the natural bittersweet roasty-ness. Decent brown ale base behind it too…toasty, nutty, chocolatey. Some caramel and toffee sweetness. Earthy hops playing a vital role as well. Diggin’ it.

Flavour: Like the aroma, the cold pressed coffee provides a distinct nutty sweetness along with milder notes of burnt toast and dark chocolate. Again, the creamy vanilla and lactose provide that milkiness which is crucial to the overall balance. A gentle earthy hop underlines the mid palate while it all rolls seamlessly into a nutty, toasty and slightly dry finish.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, chewy, a tad creamy. Medium body and finely carbed. The 5% ABV slots in nicely.

Overall: This is now our 4th review of Devilbend’s beers and we must say, not only did they stack up quickly, they’ve all been on point too. Keep em coming lads!

Allagash ‘Little Sal’ BA Sour Red Ale w Blueberries

Rating:

“Few things are more synonymous with Maine than blueberries. After years of making wild beers without ever using Maine’s state fruit, a tiny farm in Windham, Maine, asked us to try a beer with their blueberries. The beer tasted so good that we asked to use their entire crop.To make Little Sal, we add wild lowbush blueberries to a barrel-aged sour red ale. The resulting beer is dark violet in color, with earthy aromas of blueberry and oak. Its flavor is juicy, tart, and unmistakably blueberry: a true taste of Maine.”

Glassware: Teku.

Appearance: Uncaged, uncorked and presenting a light redish-brown with a finger of fizzy head over the top. Rapid reduction, settling to a collar with minimal lace work on the glass.

Aroma: We were lucky enough to bag one of these as Carwyn Cellars have fortuitously connected with a US distributor who’s massively overstocked on a bunch of rare barrel aged American beauties. For this expression the blueberries are the main event. Offering their tart and juicy sweetness to a lacto-heavy sour red ale. Gorgeous layers of oak, barnyard funk, tannic red berries, red wine vinegar, sour grapes and sour cherry.

Flavour: This is a 2019 vintage so the 7 years it’s had laying down has had a significant effect on mellowing out the sharp lacto sourness that it would’ve once had. There is a short cameo of funk and sourness upfront but it tapers off into rich oak and juicy blueberry notes, subtle wine tannin, earthy farmyard, hay/wheat and sour red grape juice to finish. Nicely drawn out on the back palate too.

Mouthfeel: Light on, not overly sharp or astringent as these types of sours can be. Light-moderate body, the Co2 has dropped out a bit from age and the 6% ABV is neatly tucked away.

Overall: Well, it’s not every day that we get to sink a 7yo sour by Allagash. Kudos Carwyn cellars! We soaked up every sip of this complex and delicious little number. Impressive stuff.

Allday X Evil Twin ‘Even More Daylight Jesus’ Imperial Stout

Rating:

“When the opportunity came to brew with Evil Twin Brewing NYC , there was only one answer — go BIG. Inspired by their legendary Even More Jesus lineage, Even More Daylight Jesus is our take on excess. A monstrous 12% Imperial Stout loaded with coconut and vanilla, delivering huge body, thick texture and layer after layer of rich dessert character. Toasted coconut. Silky vanilla. Dark chocolate. Roasted malt. Pure decadence. Collaborating with Evil Twin is a genuine bucket-list moment for us and one we don’t take lightly. This is the kind of brewery that helped shape modern beer culture worldwide. So we turned everything up. Bigger. Richer. Darker.” 

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Looks ominous. Pitch black with a fizzy three finger dark brown head which gradually reduced to a collar. Not a whole lot of lace left behind though.

Aroma: This was one of those uncertain purchases coz on one hand we’ve got Evil Twin – a highly respected American brewery who birthed the popular ‘Even More Jesus’ variant. On the other is Allday Brewing, which seems to be an offshoot of Forward Hops (a distribution company). First thoughts are a tad underwhelming. The toasted coconut is the most prominent, followed by a fairly rich stout base of bittersweet espresso, dark chocolate, burnt cookies and vanilla.

Flavour: Slightly delayed onset but once it kicks into gear we get a mouthful of toasted coconut, burnt vanilla, burnt toast, warming alcohol, dark chocolate and treacle. There’s good carry through the mid where the creamy vanilla plays a crucial role in quelling the big roasted notes. The vanilla drops off and in turn it all finishes with seriously rich and bitter dark chocolate and espresso that lingers.

Mouthfeel: Thiccc. Almost oily but the bitterness gives it a bit of lift. Full bodied. The 12% ABV is a tad too noticeable at times.

Overall: Not crazy on it but it does offer some good characteristics here and there. The toasted coconut and the brawny base stout would be the most notable. Not bad.

Brasserie Lefebvre ‘Barbar Bok’ Belgian Dark Ale

Rating:

“Barbãr Bok is a solid and expressive beer that offers similar characteristics to Barbãr, enhanced by malty, chocolate notes that are especially appreciated in winter.”

Glassware: Trappist tulip.

Appearance: Pours redish-brown with deep amber edges. It forms a rocky three finger head which slowly collapses. A smattering of lace is left in its wake.

Aroma: We’ve done a little bit of research on this one and from it we’ve seen this classed as a bock, a brown ale, a Belgian dark ale and a Belgian strong ale. The only classification it hasn’t been given yet is a dubbel! What is for certain is that it’s nothing short of a malt bomb. Very malty-sweet with honey, toffee, caramel, subtle maple and dark fruits like raisin, fig and blackberry. Notable yeast ester, mixed spice and a dank earthiness.

Flavour: If we were blindfolded our first guess at this would be a Belgian brown ale. There’s a distinct toasty/nutty malt base which screams brown ale. From there though, the yeast esters, honey and dark fruits send it Belgian-wards with a bunch of nuanced flavours like cola, fruit cake, musk and banana bread adding to the mix. It finishes rather toasty, malty-sweet and yeasty and it sits on the back end for days.

Mouthfeel: Kinda bulbous, light-feeling, fizzy. Slightly lifted Co2, medium bodied. The 8.5% ABV is extremely well concealed.

Overall: Quite a complex number and one that doesn’t really make a lot of sense at times. It’s a decent drop…we just don’t really get what it is and where it’s going.

Banks ‘Citra Feels’ DDH Oat Cream IPA

Rating:

“Our first Feels of 2026 pours an opaque, glowing orange haze and is bursting with pure Citra hop intensity. On the palate, vibrant waves of sweet mango, passionfruit, and fleshy”¦

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Exactly what we want an oat cream IPA to look like; proper turbid pastel orange to yellow with a thumb of frothy white head perched on top. Gradual reduction and healthy lace deposits as it ebbs.

Aroma: This one definitely goes straight into the “we can’t believe we haven’t reviewed this” pile. Outrageous! The nose is absolutely fricken divine. Sweet and juicy fruits overlaid with tonnes of smooth and creamy oats and lactose. Citra clearly shines (obviously) with its super oily rind, ruby grapefruit, lime/lemon, pineapple, mango and orange. Hints of pine, lemongrass and shallot also coming through.

Flavour: Tastes fresh AF which is ideal. Wave after wave of tropical fruits, mixed citrus, pine, herbals and even a slightly dank character. All of that wrapped up in a delicious, smooth and creamy oat base. Hardly a hint of bitterness too…only in the supremely smooth and creamy finish is there just the slightest dryness at the back of the tonsils.

Mouthfeel: Creamy, pillowy, smooth as silk. Very finely carbed, medium body. The 8% ABV is completely hidden. Incredible.

Overall: It blows our minds that we hadn’t reviewed this yet. We’ve just realised that we haven’t reviewed anything else (except for Motueka) in the whole ‘feels’ series. What are we even doing?!

König Brauerei Pilsener

Rating:

“Life’s big events and everyday moments of refreshment are all the more enjoyable with König Pilsener. Germany’s first premium pilsener beer owes its exceptional taste to its high-quality production process. The brand has played a leading role in the German beer market since the 1960s, and is now exported to more than 40 countries worldwide.”

Glassware: Half Stein.

Appearance: Crystal clear bright golden complexion with a big and fluffy three finger head. It’s retained well and weaves a fine lace down the sides of the glass.

Aroma: European pilsener personified! Brewed to the Reinheitsgebot too so you could have 10 of these and not be hungover (we feel that statement should come with some type of health warning). Crisp and clean as a whistle. The balance is exquisite – Noble hop spice, florals and herbs against a backdrop of water crackers, steamed rice and cereal grains. Just the slightest hint of DMS but that’s 100% fine in a pilsener. Superb.

Flavour: Quite similar to Weihenstephaner pils with its slightly sweeter malt profile. It’s interesting as we didn’t pick up much honey-like sweetness on the nose. There’s also a notable black pepper spiciness amongst more Noble hop notes of grass/hay, earthy herbals and florals. A mildly assertive bitterness forms late then delivers a dry, slightly bitter and grassy finish which lingers.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, clean and uber refreshing. As anticipated for the style. Light-moderate body, perfectly carbed. The 4.9% ABV is bang on.

Overall: It’s a damn fine pilsener. Up there with the likes of Radeberger, Warsteiner and Jacobinus. Juuuust missing the last bit of finesse that breweries like Jever and Flensburger possess.

Du Cane ‘Mountain To Mountain’ Stout

Rating:

“Export stout with a high proportion of oats. Full bodied, dark roast, light smoked malt, dark chocolate (think 90% Lindt).”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Pitch black pour with a finger of brown head nestled in on top. Steady reduction but minimal lacing on the glass.

Aroma: We’re picking up a distinct smokiness right off the bat. It then morphs nicely into more of a charred wood/campfire quality then into rich molasses, cigar skins and dried tobacco. There are also significant amounts of dark chocolate and spice with more nuanced espresso, licorice, musk and earthiness. It’s damn impressive for a modest 5.8% stout.

Flavour: It packs some serious heat for its size. Everything we listed in the aroma transfers over – the smokiness/campfire, the cigars, dark chocolate and licorice. The bittersweet molasses and espresso develop later in the piece. The charred malt and bitterness continually ascend as it all hits a crescendo then gradually deconstructs into a long and drawn out roasty finish.

Mouthfeel: Fairly dense and muscly. Co2 is kept low but the slightly lifted IBU makes it feel higher. Medium-full body and a 5.8% ABV that punches well above its weight.

Overall: That concludes our little journey into Du Cane’s range. We must say we’ve been impressed by the quality of all 5 of them. This stout in particular is a brilliant drop for its size. An excellent way to finish it all off.

Modus ‘Brewer Series #5’ American Brown Ale

Rating:

“Meet the fifth instalment of our Brewer Series: an American Brown Ale that’s rich, smooth and full of character without losing drinkability. Born from the US craft beer movement, this style takes traditional English brown ales and dials up the hops – bringing subtle citrus and pine notes into layers of toasted nuts, caramel and dark chocolate malt.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Chestnut brown with mahogany hues. It forms a three finger head which takes ions to recede. Thick, blotchy lace trails cling to the glass as it ebbs.

Aroma: Smells magnificent. Really impressive depth to the malts. Down deep is this light roasted quality which we love in brown ales. Backing up are heady wafts of burnt toast, toffee, treacle, cocoa and wood shavings. The American aspect is represented darn well also… displaying oily citrus/rind, pine needle and herbal spice. An underlying earthiness to it all as well.

Flavour: Doesn’t possess the depth and richness it had on the aroma unfortunately. Alas, it still offers a hearty mix of toast, chocolate, cocoa and caramel that is nicely cut through by the citrusy, piney and earthy hops. As expected, the Citra, Centennial and Simcoe hops provide a nice line of bitterness that carries it all into a dry, toasty finish with lingering pine and nuttiness on the rear.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and silky then slightly drier post-swallow. Modest Co2, medium body and a neat little 5% ABV.

Overall: Jeez it’s been a long time between drinks for us and Modus. 6 years to be exact. This American brown ale is the perfect reminder as to why they were one of our top 5 Aussie breweries at one stage. Solid offering.

Smog City ‘Amarilla Gorilla’ Tropical IPA

Rating:

“This is one big, beautiful tropical hop bomb of an IPA with enough malt balance and restrained bitterness to keep it super drinkable.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: It pours that atypical golden-orange colour which is topped off by a creamy two finger head. Good retention and a thick lace deposit on the glass as it subsides.

Aroma: Proper fruit salad vibes. Loads of sweet tropical fruit such as pineapple, mango, rockmelon, paw paw. There’s a good dose of orange citrus too…more in the form of orange soda as opposed to the real fruit though. Mostly clean pine needle aspects as well. Maybe a hint of resin coming off the back of it. Malt bill is nice and chewy, caramelly, some doughy accents. It’s got some good depth to it.

Flavour: The tropical vibes have been dialled down while the orange citrus has been promoted. The soft fleshy melon and papaya also carry over. Lucky for the piney notes and discernible bitterness as the flavour profile flirts with getting a bit cloying. A rich malt bill of doughy bread, caramel and buttery biscuits fills it out but also adds an extra layer of sweetness as it finishes a little dry, bitter and fruity.

Mouthfeel: Rather chewy and a little creamy. Medium body and nicely carbed. The 7.4% ABV was well buried.

Overall: Definitely more of a sipper this one. It has a notably bigger and more rounded body, plus the stewy fruits really bed down on the palate post-swallow. Good but not great.

Brouwerij De Molen ‘Maple & Pecan’ Imperial Stout

Rating:

“Maple & Pecan is a rich Imperial Stout with the addition of pecan, maple syrup and blueberry puree. The beer offers a complex flavor profile with sweet notes of maple, roasted pecan, subtle blueberry, and caramel. The deep flavors are balanced by a soft roasty finish for a refined experience.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Solid black pour with a fizzy dark tan head. It slowly retracts and forms a collar with decent lacing on the glass.

Aroma: We were kinda thrown off initially as we were expecting big, rich notes of maple and pecan so when we copped whiffs of tart and fruity blueberries we’re like wtf?! But in very small text on the label it does mention that there’s a “blow of blueberry puree”. We’re unsure what they mean by “a blow” but in their measurements it must mean a lot coz it makes up around 75% of the aroma. The maple and pecan unfortunately are mere bystanders.

Flavour: Thank goodness we’re tasting a lot more of the maple here. The pecans, in their somewhat buttery and nutty nature, creep in softly too. They’ve managed to correct the dominant blueberry here as the tart sweetness integrates nicely into the rich maple and nutty pecan. What seems to be MIA now is any sign of their base stout. It seems very pedestrian as it all finishes on a mild roast, subtle maple and nutty malt.

Mouthfeel: Fairly light for 10% ABV. It’s good and bad as it’s easily smashable but we were hoping for a bit more body and grip.

Overall: Not sure what’s going on with this one. We recall De Molen informing everyone that they were closing their doors last year so they’ve either been bought out and operating under new owners or they’re having one last (quite average) crack before they bow out.

Bright Brewery ‘Imperial Hellfire’ Amber Ale

Rating:

“First brewed 20 years ago, Hellfire Amber Ale is our longest-running core beer and a true constant in our range.

A favourite of those who have visited our High Country home and drinkers across Australia, Hellfire is a throwback to classic amber ales built on balance, quality and consistency. It has stood firm through decades of change. To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we have turned things up with our first-ever Imperial Hellfire. Everything you love about the original, dialled right up. Expect a malt-driven amber with rich notes of caramel and toffee, finished with a subtle nuttiness.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Bold amber complexion with a kiss of candy red. It forms a thumb of finely beaded khaki head which gradually peels off. A beautiful cascading lace clings to the glass.

Aroma: So it turns out that we haven’t even reviewed the OG hellfire amber ale. This blows our minds as we’re massive fans of the style and equally massive fans of Bright’s core range. Looks like we’ll be reviewing them the wrong way around! Anyways, it’s giving off gorgeous caramelised malts, oodles of toffee, caramel, brown sugar, butterscotch and honey with more subtle maple, mixed nuts and canned peach in support.

Flavour: Follows on with a semi-rich and caramelised malt profile. Toffee, caramel, honey-roasted nuts and golden raisins. Plenty of support in the form of stewed fruit, pear, honeysuckle and a delicate woody note. It’s quite bitter through the mid plus the booze could’ve been dialled down a bit as it finishes rather dry and warming with a lingering sting in the tail.

Mouthfeel: Sticky and chewy with a hint of dryness. Medium body, nicely carbed, but the 8% ABV was too prominent in our opinion.

Overall: Started strong but it slowly fell off unfortunately. Not already trying the OG hellfire makes it difficult to compare but the boosted ABV does it no favours. Keen to try the OG version now.

Du Cane ‘Ascending Falling Mountain’ Pilsner

Rating:

“This Pils is a classic, German-style pils with notes of hay, sweet malt, black tea, with a creamy texture and a dry finish. Prost!“

Glassware: Footed flute.

Appearance: Slightly hazy straw-golden pour with a rocky one finger head capping it off. It holds together fairly well and leaves a reasonable lace deposit as it subsides.

Aroma: Mostly conventional vibes from it initially. It doesn’t really strike us as a Saaz-based hop profile. Yeah, it has the typical Noble grassy, floral and spicy notes but there’s something a little different in there. It’s slightly fruitier and displays a notable black pepper spiciness. A wild guess would be Hersbrücker or Hallertau-Mittelfrüh. Clean malt bill… delicate straw, cereal grains and crackers.

Flavour: Excellent showcase of balance. Upfront we get a good dose of grassy, spicy and floral hops against a backdrop of dry cereal grain and straw. There’s almost a hint of citrus rind which is emphasised by a pronounced bitterness that kicks up early in the mid and reaches well into the finish. Again, the grassy and black pepper spice tail in late and helps punctuate it all.

Mouthfeel: Ultra clean, crisp and crushable. A mildly heavier body on this one but it’s still proper neck oil. The 4.8% ABV is spot on for the style.

Overall: The brewer(s) clearly have extensive brewing experience. Their repertoire and the quality of their range speaks for itself. Their sour, IPA, pale ale and now their pilsner are all highly enjoyable and on-point expressions.

Boatrocker ‘Black Forest Jet’ BA Imperial Stout

Rating:

“Ramjet infused with black cherries, chocolate and vanilla to create a decadent take on Ramjet. Rich and lush, with all the dessert notes you’d expect from a Black Forest Gateau.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Impenetrable black pour capped off by a finger of finely beaded brown head. Steady reduction and spotty lace on the glass.

Aroma: We’ve kinda gone off the Ramjet series as the best variant in our opinion (Roger Ramjet, which is aged in American bourbon barrels) has, from what we understand, ceased production. Instead the brewery opts for variants like Dramjet, Nordjet and this…which does provide a very pleasant mix of cherry, vanilla, coconut, dark chocolate and sponge cake over its decadent imperial stout base.

Flavour: We must say, it’s pretty darn good. The black forest cake aspect is well represented with good lashings of macerated cherry, vanilla, chocolate, sponge cake and creamy coconut. Another subtle yet notable flavour profile is the “grape and grain” co-ferment barrels which add a little bit of whiskey and a little bit of wine. It’s a very complex BA stout and we dig it.

Mouthfeel: Thick and oily but still slick and easy-drinking. Full body, low-ish Co2 and a well behaved 10.7% ABV.

Overall: We mentioned before that there’s a fair bit happening. The co-ferment (grape and grain) is actually a world first and it was achieved by Starward – an Aussie distillery. All in all it’s an impressive drop. Not only the flavour but the background work too.

Brouwerij Vanhonsebrouck ‘Kasteel Donker’ Quadrupel

Rating:

“Kasteel Donker boasts a thick beige head that sticks to the rim of the glass. On pouring, the glass is filled with aromas of caramel and toffee. The roasted malts create a complex flavor profile that is simultaneously strong, smooth, and sweet. The intense flavors and long finish render this first Kasteel beer a truly premium experience.”

Glassware: Trappist goblet.

Appearance: Pours a rather dark brown with gorgeous crimson hues. It forms a thumb of creamy tan head which slowly recedes. Thick, wavy lacing on the glass as we go.

Aroma: Giving of quintessential quad vibes. Extremely rich and sweet but exquisitely balanced by a distinct roasted note and Christmas spices. Super earthy, woody, nutty, cocoa powder and gingerbread. Also a notable scent of cherries and fig. This thing just keeps evolving. We’re now getting a brown sugar sweetness, toffee, mocha and pumpernickel. Superb!

Flavour: We say this a lot but honestly only the Belgians can brew a proper Trappist ale. How they cram so much flavour, depth and complexity into one beer and keep it balanced and highly drinkable is beyond us. It’s just chock-full of fortified and ripe fruit sweetness, spice, toffee and caramel, earthy, nutty, chocolate, cocoa and dark breads.

Mouthfeel: Unbelievably smooth for its size (11% ABV). Medium-full body with low-ish carbonation.

Overall: We can’t believe it has taken us until now to review this quad. In our defence we thought we already had so we were perplexed that we hadn’t. This is up there with the best quads in the world. Exceptional.

Du Cane ‘Hut To Hut Walk’ Pale Ale

Rating:

“Made using 100% Cascade & Galaxy Hops. Simple, crushable pale ale. Passion fruit, pineapple, stone fruit.“

Glassware: Shaker.

Appearance: Pastel orange pour with a notably golden hue. Quite a haziness to it as well. It knocks up an easy two finger head that gradually peels off. Excellent lace work as it ebbs.

Aroma: It has a fairly meaty body to it. The hop combo of US Cascade and Aussie Galaxy provides a mix of bright orange citrus, grapefruit, passionfruit and peach whilst the chunky malt bill fills it all out with notes of semi-sweet honey, cereal grains and subtle toasty-ness. All in all a pretty impressive aroma for a modest pale ale.

Flavour: That robust and full-flavoured vibe we got from the nose transfers over. With even more vigour too! It almost drinks like an IPA with its pronounced yet measured bitterness and densely layered hop and grain characteristics. Citrus, some tropical and stone fruits, bread crusts, fibrous cereal grains and toast roll into a kinda dry, slightly bitter and resinous finish.

Mouthfeel: Pretty smooth initially then it dries out post-swallow. Mild-medium body, nicely carbed. The 5.4% ABV certainly adds to the overall body and complexity.

Overall: We’re 3 from 3 at this stage of this breweries range. Really decent pale ale with extra body and ABV than the average. Diggin’ these guys.

Mountain Culture X Lark ‘Stone Guardian’ BA Imperial Stout

Rating:

“This heavy-hitting collaboration barrel-aged stout with our mates in Tasmania at LARK Distillery is a masterclass in balance. Aged in their famous Dark Lark whisky barrels for six months, the result was worth the wait.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Pitch black pour with a short brown head perched on top. Good retention and lacing as it ebbs.

Aroma: We don’t typically review beers from MC due to their high frequency of limited releases but when in Tassie one must partake in an MC (Hobart) X Lark BA collab impy stout. Dark Lark is a unique expression. It’s matured in ex-muscat casks so a naturally fortified fruit sweetness does take centre stage. Usually we’d be against any type of sweet fruit in a BA impy stout but this works well. Lovely oak/barrel qualities coming through too.

Flavour: The muscat barrels are providing a good amount of fortified fruit sweetness again. We’re also getting a hint of flambeed orange and Christmas spice too. The base stout is solid (in the past this has been a weak point for MC), it’s nice and rich, full of molasses and bittersweet dark chocolate. Enough bottom end to carry the barrel characteristics into a sweet yet rich and roasty finish.

Mouthfeel: Rather light and oily for its size. Slightly lifted Co2 and a well behaved 10% ABV.

Overall: Decent offering from MC. As we’ve mentioned, their stouts as a whole are very hit and miss so we must give some accolades when they do pull one off.

Du Cane ‘Rendezvous At Pelion Gap’ IPA

Rating:

“Malt base, dry palate with full bitterness, stone fruit and citrus. Mix of Tassie and US hop varieties. Malt, citrus, stone fruit, pine resin.“

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Slightly hazy golden-orange pour which caps off with a big and fluffy two and a bit finger head. Excellent retention and healthy lace work as it subsides.

Aroma: Pretty mellow for an IPA. It’s a mostly fruit-laden expression…mixed citrus (orange/peel, tangerine, ruby grapefruit, candied lemon), paw paw, rockmelon, peach and a hint of pineapple. There’s a delicate resinous scent which is certainly more piney than weedy. Bready malt structure, some biscuit getting amongst it as well. Very stock-standard IPA aroma.

Flavour: There’s a significant step up here. It’s like the whole beer has come to life. The hop bitterness, soft booze burn and citric acidity gets us underway. Oily citrus rind, bittersweet grapefruit and pine resin are emphasised by a dry and toasty malt profile. Good carry through the mid-palate and into a bone dry, slightly bitter and resinous finish that draws out well.

Mouthfeel: Somewhat prickly and sharp then drying out in the swallow. Mild-medium body, finely carbed. The 6.5% ABV is noticeable but intermittent.

Overall: After our recent Tassie beer tour we wanted to bring one brewery’s whole range home to review. We decided on these guys a little off instinct and a little off a nudge from the shop attendant. And it appears our gut instincts are correct!

Du Cane ‘Sunset Over The Southwest’ Raspberry Sour

Rating:

“The perfect marriage between a delicate, lightly acidic base beer and a huge addition of fresh Hillwood raspberries creates a year-round quencher. A dry finish and distinct effervescence makes this raspberry-laden beer as euphoric as a sunset over the south west.“

Glassware: Teku.

Appearance: Beautiful colour. Pours pastel red with a soft crimson highlight. It forms an extremely fizzy two finger head which rapidly disappears. Zero head = zero lacing.

Aroma: Definitely getting those delightful raspberries. We’re loving the freshness…it literally smells like we’ve opened up a fresh punnet of raspberries. There’s also an authentic acidity supported by a tangy tartness and a naturally floral undertone. There’s also a delicate citric quality…almost like lime/zest. A light woody note too. Diggin’ this.

Flavour: Notably drier and less sweet and fruity in comparison to the nose. The woody note we mentioned before is given a raise whilst a mild natural fruit acidity cuts through. Ultra clean finish. Kinda dry and flinty, a touch of sweetness and tart raspberry. It does fall off a cliff on the back end though.

Mouthfeel: Super light and refreshing. Mineraly, slightly spritzy Co2. We were surprised at the modest 3% ABV. It’s well in Berliner Weiss territory there.

Overall: Our first crack at this Tasmanian brewery. It’s an unusual choice to drink a 3% fruited sour in the middle of winter but we wanted to try their whole core range so it is what it is. Tasty little number though. We likey.

Hawkers ‘2026 Vintage’ Imperial Stout

Rating:

“See beyond conventional dimensions in the astral depths of our 2026 Imperial Stout. Rich, gravity-bending notes of espresso, dark chocolate, and deep roasted malt take you for a ride from which you may never return.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Pours as black as midnight with a finger of brown foam resting on top. Good head retention and healthy lacing on the glass.

Aroma: We’ll admit it, we’ve been straight up ignoring these guys over the past 5 or so years as we’ve never properly felt the pinch of American (mainly) and a lot of Euro breweries ending importation to Australia. The void of high quality BA/imperial stouts available has never been larger so we thought it was high time we revisited Hawkers. Anywho, a hint of RIS to this with its kinda musky scent. Espresso, molasses, vanilla, dark chocolate, licorice. Noice.

Flavour: Comes on really strong with a boozy bite, bittersweet dark chocolate, rich molasses and a stewy dark fruit sweetness. Enveloping it all is a charred wood roasty-ness that settles into a roasty yet dry and ashy mid palate. Again, the booze ascends, bringing with it another wave of rich dark chocolate, licorice and molasses. Finishing with burnt wood, espresso, licorice and cigar skins. Excellent length on it too.

Mouthfeel: Thick with a good viscosity. Carbonation is kept low and the body is full. The 10.5% ABV is noticeable yet well behaved.

Overall: Our longing wish for more American BA/imperial stouts to return to our shores has brought us back to Hawkers. Look, their stouts are good but they are not worth their price tags. It’s unfortunate.

El Segundo ‘Santas Secret Stash’ Rum BA Christmas Ale

Rating:

“El Segundo Santa’s Secret Stash 2025 Spiced Christmas Ale Aged in Rum Barrels 10.6% ABV Our Holiday Christmas Break Spiced winter ale was aged for over a year in Rhum JM barrels!”

Glassware: Teku.

Appearance: Pours an attractive crimson red with deep amber highlights. It forms a wispy khaki head that quickly retreats to the rim. Scarce lacing as it peels back.

Aroma: We must say we were taken aback from the first whiff. Here we were expecting a boozy and spicy malt bomb but we’re met with what can be best described as kriek. There’s definitely a fruity sourness but it tapers off as the beer warms. Slowly but surely being replaced by tart berries, gingerbread, sugar cane juice, damp oak, Christmas cake, mixed spice and toffee apple.

Flavour: Even more perplexing. We ain’t even gonna try to categorise this beer as it takes a hint of sour berries from kriek, some spice and malt sweetness from dubbel and then splashed on top a bit of booze-drenched fruit and rich cakey decadence from a Christmas ale. Then the rum barrels are just thrown in for good measure!

Mouthfeel: Smooth and slick. A little slippery though. Medium body, Co2 is kept fairly low. The 10.6% ABV, although noticeable, is kept pretty well in check.

Overall: We don’t dislike it. But we don’t really like it a whole lot either. Maybe it’s that there’s a little too much going on? What with the kriek, dubbel and Christmas ale all rolled into one. It all ended up a bit like beer soup.