2 Halfs ESB

Rating:

“Copper-hued extra special bitter, crowned with a creamy bone white head. Medium in body with a malty, caramel and estery flavour and aroma. Punchy assertive bitterness moderating the malty sweetness.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Bold amber pour with 100% transparency. Good Co2 activity. Only manages a finger of off-white head which quickly reduces. A kind of wet lace is dragged down the glass.

Aroma: As we sat here writing out the appearance we kept getting Lager-like aromas i.e DMS (corn), vegetal notes and cereal grains. Not a lot changes under the nostrils either, the malt profile definitely offers more chewiness though… caramel, buttery biscuits and toast. Floral and herbaceous hops, a fleeting hint of watermelon buried deep. Interesting.

Flavour: It’s certainly unique how it’s straddling the line between Ale and Lager. It has Lager flavours reinforced by Ale complexities and body. Old world hops – florals, herbs, earthy/woody spice mixed in with caramels, honeysuckle, biscuits and toast. A gentle bitterness enters at the right moment and helps set up a well balanced, slightly fruity but mostly malty finish.

Mouthfeel: Slick, gelatinous. Medium body and mild-moderate Co2. The 4.5% ABV is a bit light for an ESB in our opinion.

Overall: Not totally sold on it but at the same time we can respect the idiosyncrasies on display.

Monkish ‘Float Like Gravity’ Triple IPA

Rating:

“Triple IPA with Galaxy, Simcoe, and Nelson hops. (Triple IPA version of Relax Your Mind/Conscience Be Free).”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Exemplary. Muddy, deep pastel golden yellow hue crowned with a loosely packed two finger head. Gradual reduction and sudsy lace left on the glass as it ebbs.

Aroma: We detect a bit of simcoe! By far one of our most favourite older new world hop varieties. Pine resin is always one of the telling qualities but also distinct ruby grapefruit and thyme. Also picking up huge stonefruit notes, pineapple, mixed citrus (orange, lime, lemon zest), softer notes of passionfruit, green mango, fennel and green grapes. More of a grainy, cereal-esque malt profile to this one.

Flavour: Hot damn there’s been some amazing triple IPA’s released lately. It’s impressive how well the ABV has been buried. Tasting similar to the nose – pine resin, zesty citrus, bitter grapefruit, then the chewy stonefruits arrive. Very subtle minty/woody herbal accents cutting through. Again, picking up grainy, wheaty malts and a peppery spice late in the piece. Quite a bitter, zesty finish which lingers.

Mouthfeel: Smooth upfront, bitter in the swallow. Dry, creamy texture, medium body. The 10.3% ABV is well concealed for its size.

Overall: Our only criticism would be that the bitterness is a little too eager. The ABV also shows through a bit too but at 10.3% ABV it can be excused. Respectable.

Monkish ‘B-boy Apostle’ DDH IPA

Rating:

“DDH IPA featuring Nelson Sauvin from @freestylehops
(DDH version of Prehistoric B-boy).”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Pours as we’d expect – turbid pastel orange with pastel yellow highlights. Two fingers of loosely packed head, slowly reducing to a thick overlay. Thick, sudsy lace crusts up on the glass as we go.

Aroma: It’s ticking all our boxes initially. It’s Monkish so that’s a massive tick, it’s turbid and looks the goods…big tick, and it’s all Kiwi hops (single hop Nelson Sauvin to be exact) so another big tick. Beautiful fruit characteristics – fresh squeezed OJ, yellow grapefruit, green mango, pineapple, tart green grapes and passionfruit. Also getting delicate peppery spice, shallot, pine needle and fennel.

Flavour: Feels like we’re getting our vitamin C intake for the day. Oodles of juicy citrus like orange, grapefruit and lime then a nice balance of green mango, pineapple and green grapes. Dry, chalky and crusty malts in the mix. Some hints of vanilla sweetness. Our one and only gripe with Nelson Sauvin is that it can sometimes impart soft ammonia-esque (cat piss) qualities which, unfortunately, it’s doing here.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth. Dries up nicely in the finish though. Mild-moderate body, finely carbed. The 6.9% ABV reveals itself a little.

Overall: Not one of their best NEIPA renditions but we ain’t gonna complain. It’s still a very decent drop from one of the best IPA producers in the world.

2 Halfs ‘De Dubbel’ Belgian Style Dubbel

Rating:

“This Belgian style Dubbel has caramel and cocoa notes with subtle fruity esters. Mahogany in colour with medium malty sweetness. Perle and Mittelfruh hops give this beer a mellow but spicy aroma.”

Glassware: Trappist chalice.

Appearance: Somewhat deep rusted orange to amber with a finger of khaki head perched on top. Steady reduction and healthy lacing as we go.

Aroma: No where near as layered and intense as a Belgian-brewed Dubbel but it still offers a hearty caramel base, light chocolate and woodiness with the delicate old world hop additions of earthy spice, herbals, pine forest and wet grass. Well tempered yeast esters bring that classic banana and caramelised pear/apple scent as well. Picking up strong coriander as it settles in. Pretty good.

Flavour: One of the things we hate about non-Belgian brewed Trappist ales is the overload of sweetness. Thankfully, this interpretation doesn’t have that. It’s got a good base of earthy caramel malt and it’s nicely balanced by the spicy, herbaceous and woody/piney hops. A touch of dried cocoa and clove develops late and shifts into a mostly malt-driven finish with piney and herbal notes drawing out.

Mouthfeel: Nice and thick, chewy, gelatinous. Medium bodied, nicely carbed. The 7.6% ABV is pretty well concealed.

Overall: This is our first crack at this brewery. We’ve had our eye on them for some time now and we’re pleased to say we’re liking what we’re seeing so far. Trappist style beers aren’t easy to perfect so they’ve done quite a decent job here.

Range X Garage Project ‘Lights & Disco’ Triple IPA

Rating:

Lights & Music is a Triple IPA brewed in collaboration with cult NZ icons Garage Project from Wellington, NZ. Remaining the #1 rated beer in Australia, it was originally brewed for our 3rd birthday, to be a punchy, juicy and luxurious TIPA. We’ve brought it back for another spin because, well, it’s awesome. This year’s version is dry-hopped with our hand selected Freestyle Hops Motueka plus the freshest Citra and Galaxy we could lay our hands on. Lights & Music is about as smooth and tropical as anything we’ve ever made.

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: What a sight! It’s summed up the best when described as having a “milky haze”. The colour is strikingly light and milky with a turbid freshly squeezed apple juice consistency. Good head/retention and a caked-on sheet of lace is draped down the sides of the glass.

Aroma: Impressive. Super silky, creamy and luscious. There’s wave after wave of zesty citrus, ripe peach/skin, mango smoothie, passionfruit nectar, tart gooseberry and delicate hints of lychee. The malt profile is equally as impressive… displaying chalk, grains and white bread crusts. Unsure if there’s any lactose in here but there’s a distinct creamy sweetness as well.

Flavour: Sweet baby Jesus how is this 10% ABV?! It drinks exactly like the aroma – packed with tropical fruits, citrus and stonefruit then pumped full of creamy goodness. A kind of dry chalkiness, a touch of peppery spice, bread crusts and grainy malts fill it out. Ridiculously smooth, fruity and lightly drying finish which lingers.

Mouthfeel: Super creamy, aerated beer clouds. So light and silky, mild-medium body. The 10% ABV…how do they conceal it like this? It’s remarkable.

Overall: This is something else. No wonder it’s selling out so quickly everywhere we look. This is USA-level NEIPA right here. Superb.

Zig Zag Brewery ‘Seven Valleys’ IPA

Rating:

“Medium Body, citrus and stone fruit hop aromas and flavours, with a balanced medium bitterness. The hops mellow and give way to a toasted malt backbone with a subtle hint of caramel sweetness.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Fairly deep amber pour and a finger of off-white head forming on top. Decent retention and lace work as we hook in.

Aroma: Pretty straightforward…smells like there’s a bit of diacetyl in here but it’s pretty subtle. Kind of has this English IPA vibe with its heavier-than-usual sweet malt structure, orange citrus and melon qualities. A touch of light florals and resin also coming through. Certainly not your typical “new world” IPA that’s for sure. Don’t mind the simplicity of it actually.

Flavour: If we had to sum it up in a few words we’d say English IPA meets Australian IPA. It has that old English robust malt profile but it’s set apart by the resinous notes and extra fruitiness. Just the right amount of bitterness to cut through the semi sweet biscuit malts as it finishes reasonably dry, grassy and resinous. The length on it ain’t half bad either.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, a little soapy, dries up in the swallow. Slightly under-carbed but the 6% ABV is well positioned.

Overall: We’ve known about this brewery for some time but have never seen their beers in a can in a bottle shop in Sydney. We have now and we can now say we’ve tried one. Probably won’t return though as it’s not often we long for this style of IPA.

Deeds ‘Ruinous Arches’ BA Imperial Stout/Quadrupel blend

Rating:

“As time passed, the abbeys aged. While the great building fell, the barrels in their cavernous cellars remained. In late 2021 we brewed The Untangling of Chaos Belgian Quad for the Carwyn Cellars Canvent. We loved this liquid so much we decided to age some in bourbon barrels for a special occasion. After a year of aging, we blended in The Fourth Horseman Imperial Stout and left it for another six months. Enjoy this Bourbon Barrel Aged Blend of Belgian Quan and Imperial Stout bursting with candied orange, dark fruit, toffee and of course bourbon!”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Somewhat Porter-esque with its near fully black body apart from the little bit of light breaking through at the foot of the glass. Hardly any head formation and minimal lace in its wake.

Aroma: Smells rich, complex and distinguished. This beer has undergone quite the journey too… beginning its life as a Quad which was barrel aged and then blended with an Imperial Stout – Fourth Horseman to be exact – resulting in this opulent fusion of Bourbon oak, molasses, burnt candi sugars, dark fruit chocolate, red wine, coffee, cracked pepper and dates/prunes. Ooft!

Flavour: Striking a very fine balance between the rich sweetness of the Quad and the roasty/charred elements of the Stout. The Bourbon barrels play this crucial bonding role as well. The Quad aspect really brings out the unique side of the beer with chewy dark fruits, dessert wine and or Port, spice, candi sugars and treacle which work back into the roasty stout qualities really well.

Mouthfeel: Thick, oily, chewy. Quite warming, medium-full body and the 12.3% ABV was noticeable but gatekept well enough.

Overall: Once again Deeds add to their supremely impressive range of barrel aged beers. Love the creativity here. Well executed too.

Small Gods ‘Janus’ American Amber Ale

Rating:

“As the pains of the world fade away your eyes flicker back open on an empty hall. A doorway stands at one end, its complex and ornate filigree surrounds chipped and worn with the gentle wear of passing aeons. The yawning portal stands open and within you glimpse a featureless void offering the inviting darkness of a peaceful oblivion. Hesitant, you turn 180 degrees. Behind you stands a starkly different door, trimmed in knife-sharp lines of shining steel. The antiseptic white glow from beyond calls out with a disquieting offer of eternal bliss. Here beside you, Janus appears, both faces implacable and stern. His single word breaks the echoing silence. “Choose.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Pours a deep amber with strong candy red highlights. Very active Co2 streaming upward to help retain the rocky two finger head. Steady reduction and healthy lacing on the glass.

Aroma: The humble old Amber Ale. Such an unappreciated and underrated style which can be so satisfying when brewed properly. As this one has. It’s all malts initially – particularly toffee and caramalt which is throwing out oodles of toffee and caramel (shock horror), some earthy dark fruits and honeysuckle. No surprise that there’s a clear hop profile to it as well – kinda spicy, citrusy, slightly herbaceous in its delivery. Very nice.

Flavour: Excellent progression. Quite nicely poised upfront. The malts and hops are balanced like a beer on a barrel. It’s not until around the mid palate when the earthy yet sweet/caramelised malts edge in front. But just as quickly as they came, the hop bitterness, spiciness and herbals even it all back out. It takes on a mild toastiness late in the piece which finishes more roasty, a tad peaty, sweet and dry.

Mouthfeel: Rather chewy, gelatinous texture. Dries up in the swallow. Medium body and a nicely positioned 6.5% ABV.

Overall: A fine offering from this new-ish Auckland brewery. We’re certain those Aucklandians(?) are enjoying another craft brewery option in the city. By God, they needed it.

Monkish ‘Long Groovin’ Cold IPA

Rating:

“Hoppy West Coast Lager w/ Mosaic and Citra.”

Glassware: American pint.

Appearance: Slightly pale straw golden complexion with a loosely packed overlay. The head quickly disassembles and forms a collar. Not a great deal of lace to speak of.

Aroma: Pretty clean and crisp which is synonymous with this style…Cold IPA, West Coast Pilsner, India Pale Lager. Take your pick! Never have we come across a beer with so many different names. Anywho, we’re getting subtle citrus sweetness, a distinct shallot/onion, almost garlic sprout quality, hard boiled candy, pineapple, passionfruit and lemongrass. Super clean grain bill as well – water crackers, cereal, raw white rice etc.

Flavour: Drinks with a lot more body than what the aroma is giving away. Still lots of that herbaceous character carrying over i.e shallot, garlic sprout, chives, lemongrass, all those somewhat oily and savoury herbs. The fruit aspect is dialled back a little which allows the grainy, cereal-driven malts to reach into the reasonably clean, dry finish which endures.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, lightly sparkling with a mild-moderate body. The 6.4% ABV was a tad noticeable but well behaved.

Overall: We never thought we’d see the day when Monkish was for sale on Aussie shelves. These guys are one of our top 5 US breweries and for good reason. This unique beer is a good example why.

Ballast Point ‘BA Victory At Sea – Coffee Vanilla’ Imperial Porter

Rating:

“Our Ballast Point Victory at Sea Imperial Porter is a bold, smooth brew with just the right amount of sweetness. We infused this robust porter with vanilla and San Diego’s own Caffe Calabria coffee beans. The subtle roasted notes and minimal acidity of the cold brewed coffee, balances perfectly with the sweet caramel undertones of the malt, creating a winning combination for your palate.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Impenetrable black complexion and a short brown head resting atop. Decent retention and some wavy lace here and there.

Aroma: We think we’ve left the best until last. All the other releases thus far haven’t had anywhere near as much upfront impression as this. Straight away the olfactory’s are in a scramble trying to work out the dominant scent. It’s just chock-full of Bourbon barrel goodness, coffee, vanilla, brown sugar, milk chocolate, coconut, marshmallow and pine forest. Yum!

Flavour: Good follow through. Pretty harsh upfront though…a slight bitterness coupled with every bit of that 12% ABV is eventually (and thankfully) smothered by the Bourbon/barrels, coffee, vanilla/coconut and milk chocolate. A soft return of the bitterness and roasty-ness through the mid fortunately leads to a delicious finish of bittersweet coffee, chocolate, delicate Bourbon and charred malts.

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly light for the style. It’s oily, a tad thin and the Co2 is a little higher than we’d like. The 12% ABV, again, shows through a bit too much.

Overall: Talk about a tale of two sides. The aroma was next level but the flavour and mouthfeel weren’t really up to scratch. Seems this series followed a pattern of strong aromas and weaker flavour profiles. We’re kinda on the fence with all of them to be honest.

White Bay Doppelbock

Rating:

“Using a selection of German malts, with a majority Munich base, this beer is packed with rich toasty, bready, caramel aroma and flavour. Huell Melon hops used to provide some underlying bitterness without overpowering the palate. Underwent a 3 step mash and cold conditioned for many moons to ensure the best result for our Oktoberfest punters.”

Glassware: Dimpled mug.

Appearance: Pours somewhat crimson merging into mahogany topped off with a frothy three finger head. Steady reduction and a tonne of thick sudsy lace clinging to the glass as it ebbs.

Aroma: Very nice fusion of rich sweet malts and delicate roasted notes. We’re getting some interesting fruity hop scents but it’s the malt show here…caramel, toffee, dark fruits, cereal grains and even a touch of rice crackers and umami. Showing the whole grain spectrum. We’re quite fascinated by the hops used in the brew. Huell Melon hey.

Flavour: Unique, we must admit. Falls somewhere between a Dark Lager and a Dark Ale. The Huell Melon hops which have us intrigued impart ripe melon (quite obviously) and maybe pear? Subtle touches of roasted malt, mild bitterness and warming booze are softened by treacle and toffee. The slightly burnt flavours push into a smooth-ish finish with a hint of bitterness and booze on the back palate.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, a little prickly. Co2 is spot on. The 7.5% ABV shows through a tad more than we’d like.

Overall: A little confusing. The can portrays a traditional Doppelbock but it’s anything but. It’s distinctly roasty, slightly bitter and boozy and the hops (although interesting) don’t really gel in our opinion.

Jindabyne Brewing ‘Frothin’ Hoff’ English Pale Ale

Rating:

“A smooth and malty flavoursome pale ale with low English hops and low bitterness.”

Glassware: English Pint.

Appearance: Deep golden amber pour with a moderate haze. It constructs a finger of off-white head which slowly peels off. Laces well.

Aroma: One of our most favoured styles of Pale Ale. And one that is rarely attempted by non-English breweries. We love the simplicity of this – a nutty and slightly biscuity malt structure and a well balanced old world hop profile of jammy orange citrus/marmalade, soft peppery spice, florals, mild earthiness and wood. Cracking aroma.

Flavour: Excellent transition from the nose and such a tidy, well balanced beer in general. Upfront it’s offering light nutty malts and marmalade on toast then a perfectly tempered bitterness early in the mid. Very subtle pith and spicy notes tack on and lead to a dry, earthy and toasty finish which draws out for days on the back palate.

Mouthfeel: So well balanced. A little chewy, mild-medium body with the ideal amount of bitterness and Co2. The 4.8% ABV is also spot on.

Overall: Jindy Brewing hey! These guys would have to be our go-to brewery for old world styles. Really liking this switch back to bottles. It just completes the Euro vibe. Solid

Burlington Beer Co ‘Seances & Sacrifices’ BA Imperial Maple Stout

Rating:

Seances & Sacrifices Imperial Maple Stout aged in Maple Bourbon Barrels showcases the best of Vermont’s maple traditions. This stout’s rich maple flavor and aroma are derived from local maple sugar from Butternut Farm. The beer is then aged in freshly-emptied maple bourbon barrels, which infuse the beer with additional notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak.

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: As black as midnight with a short brown head which disappears rather quickly. Practically no head left so no lace on the glass.

Aroma: Ooft…smells fiery. This is the 2023 vintage so we dare say the booze is going to burn. After a few whiffs it still maintains the warming booze but the sweet Maple Bourbon barrels are beginning to filter through. Thankfully! Other than that it’s just all out richness – leather, molasses, licorice, dark chocolate and espresso. We’re somewhat priming our palates for what we believe is coming.

Flavour: Much to our surprise it’s nowhere near as fierce as we’d anticipated. Yeah there’s a booze burn but that’s just immaturity which will settle after a year or so. We get some spice from it, reminiscent of rye but we’re pretty sure they haven’t used any in this brew. Most likely a by-product of the Maple Bourbon which is unfortunately shy and could do with a bit more oomph. Rich chocolate, molasses and oak rounds it all out. Good length on it.

Mouthfeel: Slick and oily, medium-full body, low-ish Co2. The 11.5% ABV doesn’t try and hide. It’s all out there baby.

Overall: Nothing will ever top Founders’ CBS in our opinion. Not a whole lot of breweries try their hands at Imperial Maple Stouts so there’s not much to compare to. This one clearly needs aging but even then the beer itself is only OK.

Toppling Goliath X Radiant ‘Places I’ve Been’ Double IPA

Rating:

“Float down the long and hazy road with Places I’ve Been Double India Pale Ale, a collaboration brew with Radiant Beer Co. out of Anaheim, California. This trippy DIPA has notes of tropical fruit and dank citrus that are out of this world.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Hazy pastel orange with three fingers of tightly beaded foam nestled in on top. Excellent head retention and lots of lacing on the glass as it ebbs.

Aroma: On Aussie shelves it’s not often we see TG beers we haven’t already tried a dozen times before so it’s fair to say we were a bit excited to bag this one. Classic hazy notes of fruit juice/concentrate backed up by other fruits such as grapefruit, orange, lemon/lime, passionfruit, mango and melon. Quite dank and weedy, a tad herbaceous. An element of pine resin also floating around. Very nice.

Flavour: It tastes exactly like its geographical position on a map – smack bang in the middle of both coasts with just the slightest lean towards the East. Juicy, piney and weedy upfront with the herbals in support. A discernible bitterness opens up around the mid with zesty/rindy citrus in tow. It all converges in a mildly bitter, fruity, piney and herbal finish which draws out nicely.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth at first then a little more prickly and dry in the swallow. Medium body and Co2. The 7.8% ABV is noticeable but generally behaves well.

Overall: Nothing flashy or out of this world. It’s just a solid No Coast IPA that embodies the best of the East and West.

Phase Three ‘Niu’ Toasted Coconut Porter

Rating:

“Re-inspired by a recent trip to Hawaii, came about. The recipe has come full-circle. Over a decade of experience combining coconut and beer and brewing dark beers, we brewed Niu to be sort of a peek behind the curtain at Phase Three. Big, adjuncted, dark beers are extremely labor intensive, involve a lot of planning and unfortunately, don’t offer a lot of drinkability. Niu is 6.3%. It’s not meant to be a big pastry stout/porter, however it’s not small. The base porter is light, but uses full-flavored UK malted grains, including Maris Otter, crystal malts and chocolate malts. It’s rich, but refreshing. It satisfies a dark, adjuncted beer craving but in a way where a pint of it is appropriate.”

Glassware: American Pint.

Appearance: Hits the glass with a pitch black complexion and rouses a thumb of finely beaded tan foam. Reasonable head retention and a beautiful cascading lace decorates the glass as it ebbs.

Aroma: This smells bloody magnificent. The way they’ve integrated the coconut throughout is genius. The fact that it’s toasted as well makes a significant difference as the singed elements of both coconut and malt come together harmoniously. The coconut also offers a creamy aspect which works back into the subtle coffee, chocolate and cocoa…adding some balance at the same time.

Flavour: Yummo. Loving the progression of it. Just a short cameo of classic Porter roast and bitterness initially then the creamy and delicate toasty coconut courses over the top. It hits a crescendo of equal parts coconut and equal parts coffee and chocolate then it all delivers an ultra smooth, creamy and mildly sweet finish with a touch of dryness to counter.

Mouthfeel: Nice and thick but not heavy. Creamy if you will. Medium body, perfectly carbed. The 6.3% ABV is bang on.

Overall: Our first crack at this brewery out of Illinois, USA. Very adept and measured in the delivery of this beer. These guys certainly know what they’re doing…may have to return and try a few more of their wares.

Burlington Beer Co ‘It’s Complicated Being A Wizard’ Double IPA

Rating:

“It’s Complicated Being a Wizard is our flagship Double IPA. It pours a radiant glowing orange, which we then add a massive quantity of hops for a bold hop flavor. Brewed with Barley, Wheat Malt, and Flaked Oats. Hopped with Simcoe, Idaho 7, and Chinook for flavors and aromas of Ripe Papaya, Nectarines, Orange Zest, and Dank Cannabis.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Hazy light orange pour and a rocky two finger head resting on top. Good retention and an absolute smattering of lace left on the glass as it subsides.

Aroma: The first thing we notice is just how dank and resinous it is. Surely a characteristic of the Simcoe and Chinook combination. It almost gives off a hint of cryo it’s that oily and concentrated. Love it. Other than that we’re getting a good amount of fruits like orange citrus (particularly mandarin and orange), stonefruit, lychee and pear/apple. Very nice.

Flavour: It’s all somewhat coming together here. Strong notes of dank pine, resin, weed etc but there’s also notable and juicy orange citrus and stonefruit overtones. Tasting a wee bit cloying with its stewed fruit sweetness which seems to be an unfortunate trait plaguing all of the NEIPA’s we’ve had from these guys recently. It does correct itself in the slightly dry, zesty and citrusy finish though.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth with a light effervescence. Medium body and a well concealed 8% ABV.

Overall: Far better than the last one we tried (Intangible Tides). We’d still prefer an MC or Banks’ Cake Eater over this every day of the week. We find the NEIPA’s from this mob are a tad artificial and a bit too heavy on the sweetness.

Logsdon ‘Spontane Wilde’ Lambic

Rating:

“Spontaneous beer brewed in the traditional “Methode de Lembeek.” Cave aged in oak 1-2 years.”

Glassware: Teku.

Appearance: Bright and glowing orange complexion with no head formation. A very fine collar around the rim is as much froth as we’ll get. Some dotty lace here and there but it’s pretty much absent. As to be expected.

Aroma: Brewed in the Lambic tradition and it’s immediately apparent as the strong wafts of sour apple, lime juice, horse blanket/barnyard, black peppercorn and a sweaty funk meets the olfactory’s. There are some milder wheat grains, orchard fruit and apricot accents but it’s mostly about that brilliant musty and sweaty funk it has going on.

Flavour: Oh yeah…the sourness punches hard upfront. For a 5yo Sour it still packs a lot of heat – sharp citric acidity, sour grapes, vinegar, manky/sweaty funk and barnyard with hints of woody tannin, apricot and bretty earthiness in support. Excellent carriage into the grainy, white wine-like finish which goes the distance.

Mouthfeel: Light on, acetic, crisp and mineraly. Mild-moderate body and a nicely disguised 7.5% ABV.

Overall: Wow! Who the hell are these guys and how have we only just heard of them? This was our first entry from these Oregonian masters of wild ferment. As good as any Lambic you’d get from Belgium. Very impressive.

Ballast Point ‘BA Victory At Sea – Dulce De Leche’ Imperial Porter

Rating:

“High West Bourbon barrel aged Victory at Sea Dulce de Leche Imperial Porter. Brewed in New Zealand by Behemoth Brewing Co.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Glossy black pour and a thumb of light brown head perched on top. Steady reduction and a wet lace is dragged down the glass as we imbibe.

Aroma: Smells super sweet initially – vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, a hint of maple. Then the dark roasty malts enter the fray and bring light smoky notes, coffee and chocolate. The High West barrels are a little shy unfortunately. Prairie is one of our favourite Bourbons at the moment so it’s a shame not to get more oomph out of it. Nice wood character though.

Flavour: Picking up more of the Bourbon here which is great. The dominant sweetness on the nose is dialled back which allows the Bourbon/oak and roasted malts to shine. Kinda wishing that sweetness would come back coz it was damn delicious…not to mention that it’s all a little dry without it. There is a very subtle return of it in the finish but it’s mostly shadowed by the booze, roast and Bourbon.

Mouthfeel: Slick, somewhat oily and surprisingly lean for what it is. Medium body and a noticeable 12% ABV.

Overall: We won’t lie we were expecting a bit more from it. The aroma was superb but the flavour profile and texture left us wanting a little bit. Not bad though.

Burlington Beer Co ‘Intangible Tides’ Triple IPA

Rating:

“Intangible Tides is a Triple IPA and a supersized version of our flagship New England style IPA, Uncanny Valley. Brewed with Citra and Mosaic hops, this Triple IPA has waves of flavors and aromas of Citrus Zest, Dank Cannabis, Peaches, Mango and Papaya.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Murky, deep pastel orange pour and a big creamy three finger head assembling over the top. Excellent retention and healthy lace work on the glass.

Aroma: We still find it amazing how much depth and intensity that can be extracted from a humble old hop combo of Citra and Mosaic. All of the hallmark citrus is here in spades – orange, grapefruit, rind and candied lemon. Lots of pine, herbal spice, weed, rockmelon, paw paw/papaya, apricot and canned peach also. The malt bill is mostly creamy/porridge/oats. A really well structured aroma.

Flavour: We were just saying how well the ABV was concealed…then we took a sip. But then again, to be fair it is 10% so some warmth was expected. The general flavour profile is quite stewy and cloying and the ABV just adds another level of difficulty. Dank pine, resiny/weedy, zesty, canned fruits and spice at its core then shifting into a thick fruity finish with a fair sting in the tail.

Mouthfeel: Slightly prickly yet sticky with a mildly sharp booze burn. Medium body and bitterness.

Overall: Not really fans. We guess it goes to show the vast improvement of Antipodean NEIPA’s/Hazy’s when we’d prefer an MC, GP or Banks over an actual OG brewery from Vermont. Just not diggin’ it.

Deeds ‘Fade Into Darkness’ BA Imperial Stout

Rating:

“The bottle, viewed in the dimmest of lights from the storm outside the cave, was full of promise.  As you desperately tip the bottle, nought comes out. It’s empty. As the shattered glass falls from the cave wall, thrown in disgust, a single drop of liquid forms. You watch petrified as it rolls to the shadows and grows into the shape of the beast. Your scream cuts out as a creature grabs your neck. Eyes wide in fear and disbelief; can this be real? You cling to this, weakening though as you fade into darkness.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Holy hell. It pours like engine oil but it whips up a frenzy of dark brown head which quickly recedes. As it ebbs it drags long wet legs down the glass. Similar to wine.

Aroma: Insanely rich, indulgent, nutty and warming. The roasted walnuts have an immediate effect and impart an almost buttery accent which softens the overall intensity of the aroma. The Bourbon/barrels are equally fantastic, adding caramelized sweetness, vanilla and burnt sugars. Vigorous dark chocolate, espresso, licorice and leather provide an ample foundation for it all to work off. Brilliant.

Flavour: Heavens to Betsy. Intensity overload. The palate is in a scramble trying to break down the set of flavours. The richness upfront is immeasurable…packed in with molasses, licorice, dark chocolate, vanilla, espresso and charred malt. The Bourbon/barrels are also layered over perfectly…integrating the sweet and spicy notes and rounding it all off on a nutty, rich, roasty and warming finish.

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly lighter than expected. Oily, warming, medium-full body. The 13% ABV was pretty well behaved.

Overall: It’s clear now. These guys wear the crown for the best BA Imperial Stouts in Australia. This expression right here is exactly why we say that. Magnificent.