Banks ‘Cake Eater – Motueka & Citra’ DDH Oat Cream DIPA

Rating:

“Showcasing 2 of the finest hops grown by 2 of the finest hop producers in the game YCH & FREESTYLE. This is straight up fire Jumping with dank pineapple & tropical fruit on the nose but quickly making way for a tropical storm of the juiciest pineapple, passionfruit, mango & melon on the palette. Layered & rounded with smooth oats & creamy lactose giving a silky mouthfeel all while maintaining a rich depth of drinkability. This is some damn fine Cake.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Pours an old-skool turbid off pastel yellow with two fingers of fluffy white head neatly perched on top. A good smattering of lace decorates the glass as it ebbs.

Aroma: The Cake Eater series is without a doubt one of the most anticipated releases of the year for us. Motueka & Citra is a dream hop combo too…keen to see what the 2025 rendition has in store. Getting that alluring hop oil scent synonymous with Cryo. Oily citrus rind, ruby grapefruit, pine needle, evergreen/rainforest, lime juice, sappy resins and a fresh doughy malt structure.

Flavour: A tad sweeter than the nose…thanks to the lactose and the more pronounced tropical fruits. Super citrusy – grapefruit, lime, orange peel etc. the Cryo injecting that oily resinous quality too. A mild bitterness and warmth from the booze but the oats make sure it finishes with a smooth texture surrounded by pine resin and citrus on the back.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth AF! Mild-medium body, finely carbed and the 8% ABV was well hidden.

Overall: Easily on par with the likes of Mountain Culture and Garage Project. Just an all-round cracking beer to drink. Kudos Banksy!

Brouwerij De Meester ‘Maitre’ Quadrupel

Rating:

“A very dark complex beer with a pronounced coffee flavor and a sweet aftertaste.”

Glassware: Trappist chalice.

Appearance: Rather muddy dark brown complexion capped off by two and a bit fingers of tan head. Excellent retention and a sheet of lace is draped down the sides of the glass.

Aroma: Interesting. First thoughts are that it smells kinda dirty…like ultra earthy, soil, flinty etc. Also picking up a rich and yeasty Vegemite quality too. Once it settles it turns more roasty and grainy, hints of coffee grinds begin to open up, as does the dark fruit component – displaying figs, dates and elderberry. There’s something tannic to it as well…almost red wine-like in its delivery. Unique!

Flavour: It certainly isn’t your typical trad Quadrupel. Yeah we get the dark fruits, spice and caramel chocolate characters but it’s different in the sense of a real rugged earthiness and a slightly tart and tannic vibe. Usually we’d be against those flavours (not in the right beer of course) but they kinda work due to their subtle and nuanced use here.

Mouthfeel: Chewy, viscous and saliva-inducing. Medium bodied, mild-moderate Co2 and a well behaved 9.5% ABV.

Overall: Our first crack at this Belgian brewery. Although we’re not wholeheartedly fans of this beer it still has a few positives to take away from it. Not bad.

Cornella Brewery ‘Old Town’ Dry Irish Stout

Rating:

“This creamy, Nitro-infused classic, channels the industrial spirit of dry Irish stout. The harmonious blend of roasty flavours, a velvety texture and classic dryness honours the essence of a bygone era.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Solid black with a creamy tan head nestled in on top. This little number is on nitro too so they’re going all out Irish Stout which is awesome.

Aroma: Extremely roasty…giving off ash tray vibes. In the nicest way possible though. The soft smokiness and the meaty aspect behind it all definitely assists in its appeal. Actually the meaty aspect really starts to open up as it warms, it hints at chorizo sausage, biltong and raw bacon. Meats that we could literally bathe in.

Flavour: Holy moly, for such a humble ABV (4.2%) this beer packs some serious flavour. It follows on from the nose with a wave of dry and roasty malts, ash, smoked meats and earth. We’ve never eaten a cigar box before but if cigar box could be eaten we reckon it’d taste a bit like this. That dry roastiness on the front palate returns hard in the finish and draws out nicely on the back end.

Mouthfeel: Creamy, dry, mellow AF. A tad watery but to be expected with nitro. Mild-moderate body and the 4.2% ABV is spot on for the style.

Overall: Cornella just keep hitting sixes every time. These guys may have to give up on wine and focus solely on their beer. They are kicking ass right now.

De Molen ‘Zoet & Zalig’ Apfelstrudel Quad

Rating:

“Apples, raisins and cinnamon are the main ingredients for the famous Austrian dessert Apfelstrudel. Combine these ingredients with a De Molen style quadrupel and you get a beautiful dessert beer. Full, sweet and heartwarming. The perfect beer for the holidays.”

Glassware: Trappist goblet.

Appearance: Muddy dark brown complexion capped off by a short tan head which quickly forms a collar. Scarce lacing as it subsides.

Aroma: Super rich and sweet. It kinda has this grape-flavoured Hubba Bubba quality to it. As we delve deeper it becomes far more complex. We get stewed apples, lots of warm spices like cinnamon, star anise and nutmeg, juicy raisin, flaky pastry, Christmas cake, Carribbean rum, candi sugars and toffee apple. This would be an absolute pearler in the middle of winter next to a roaring fire.

Flavour: Ooft, unbelievably sweet. Almost to the point of being cloying but thankfully there’s enough depth to save it. The apfelstrudel component is integrated well…just the slightest hint of tartness from the apples but the caramelised malts and spicy notes balance it out well. Uber rich sugars and dark fruits then set up for a boozy, sweet and spicy finish which draws out nicely.

Mouthfeel: Oily and gelatinous texture with medium body. Low-ish Co2 and the 9.3% ABV is well behaved.

Overall: It’s an absolute bummer that De Molen is set to shut their doors after 22 years in operation. The upside is that a lot of their beers (like this one) are well suited for the cellar so they can be enjoyed long after they shut up shop.

Sobremesa Real Ale

Rating:

“We have always had a deep appreciation and respect for the styles that hail from England. Complex in technicality & nature but designed to be drunken by the masses. We are proud to announce a new range that takes inspiration from these pub beers of old, with our Sobremesa spin & 100% independent Australian ingredients.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Deep golden-orange pour with a NEIPA-level haziness. It only managed one finger of bright white head before settling to a fine film. Reasonable lacing as we go.

Aroma: Pretty much a 50/50 split between an English real ale and an Aussie pale ale. With the addition of a very nuanced yeasty funk. It’s interesting coz it’s throwing out notable saison qualities i.e lemon rind, black pepper, wheat grains and clove. The longer this beer sits in the glass the more saison it becomes. We had a sneaking suspicion it may do this.

Flavour: It’s the beer chameleon. What started as a very unique and edgy golden/pale ale has completely transformed into a wheat ale/saison fusion. We’re now getting big yeasty overtones of bubblegum, clove, wheat grains, peppery spice and orange citrus. Delicate floral hops and a soft bitterness leads into a fairly dry and funky finish. Good length on it.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and approachable. Mild-moderate body and Co2. The 4.6% ABV is on par for the style…whatever that is exactly.

Overall: This would be a good beer to give someone as a gateway into saisons. It has the traits of one albeit scaled back. We’re unsure of it, it’s kinda all over the place to be honest. Not really our jam

Thirty Eight O Six Oatmeal Stout

Rating:

NO COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Impenetrable black pour with a finger of dark tan head nestled in on top. Good retention and spotty lace work left in its wake.

Aroma: Hhhmmm, nice set of aromas but it seems to be well short in the depth department. We’re getting muted notes of dark chocolate, coffee, metal, charred wood, toasted oats and cocoa. It’s rather frustrating coz the bulk of it is really good, it’s just too standoffish.

Flavour: Thankfully it pumps the accelerator a bit more here. Nice and roasty with bitter dark chocolate, charred wood, ash, espresso coffee, burnt toast and the oats coming through with a dry, bready earthiness. It’s still too shy for our liking though, especially considering it’s a stout, which are all about intense and in your face flavours. Needs more oomph.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, creamy and finely carbed. The 5.6% ABV is neither here nor there really.

Overall: We’d love to see the brewers boost that ABV up to over 6% and extract more intensity out of the malt bill. People will probably say “it’s only a core range stout, it’s meant to be approachable”. We’d say fair point but look at stouts like MC’s Moon Dust, Reckless and Boatrocker…all of them big and intense core range stouts that kick arse. This one, not so much.

Jervis Bay ‘Sunset’ Amber Ale

Rating:

“Golden hour in a glass! Our Sunset Amber Ale blends rich caramel with malty flavours for an ale that’s as captivating as the Jervis Bay horizon. Nature never tasted this good!”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Gorgeous amber pour with a distinctly reddish hue. It forms a light two and a bit finger head which gradually recedes. Not a lot of lacing to speak of though.

Aroma: It’s got that good base sweetness i.e toffee/toffee apple, caramel, honeysuckle and toasty malts. The hops counteract nicely, injecting a good dose of mixed citrus and rind, subtle stone fruits, pine resin and light florals. Maybe it’s coz we’re very recently coming off one of the best amber ales we’ve ever had (Fursty Ferret) but this one seems to be lacking juuuust a little bit in depth.

Flavour: Yeah, following on from what we’re saying about a small lack of depth, the same applies here too unfortunately. The flavour profile is good, don’t get us wrong, it provides a nice toasty malt with toffee, caramel, orchard fruit, orange blossom and tangerine but the issue is it’s a little restrained and watered down. Kinda falls flat on its arse in the finish where delicate toasty malts fade out pretty quick.

Mouthfeel: Holds up ok. Smooth and gelatinous, flat-ish Co2. Mild-medium body and a 5% ABV which is spot on for the style.

Overall: It’s been a while between drinks for us and JB. They’ve got a good core range to get amongst all year round, there’s no debate there, but their limited releases have been a tad uninspiring for a while.

Cornella ‘Festival Lager’ Festbier

Rating:

“Experience the essence of German tradition with our Festbier, a rich, pale lager created in our farming region from locally sourced grain. Embrace the robust maltiness, paying homage to the land’s agricultural bounty. Prost!”

Glassware: Half stein.

Appearance: A light and fluffy two finger head sits atop a pale golden body. There’s a subtle haze, good retention and lacing on the glass.

Aroma: The dichotomy between brewers is amazing. Recently we reviewed an 8 month old pilsner which was quite flat and lifeless. Here we have a pale lager at just over 7 months old and it still smells fresh and vibrant. Soft fruity notes, grassy, herbal and spicy with a fairly muscular malt body for a lager… biscuity and bready/crusty with delicate rice crackers getting a look in too. Solid.

Flavour: Really well structured and balanced hop to malt ratio. There’s a constant tussle for the attention of the taste buds. Very mild citrus fruits, semi-sweet honey, then grassy/herbal spice, bready/crusty malts, then into an earthy and grainy note before it punctuates on a clean, dry and grassy finish which lingers.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and light on, lively carbonation, mild-medium body. The 5.4% ABV hides its little of bit extra weight pretty well.

Overall: Another Cornella beer, another Cornella W. Even with 7 months on it she’s still tasting extremely good. Nice body, nice overall balance and vitality. Decent offering.

Cypher ‘Ogre Bones’ Imperial Stout w Coconut

Rating:

“Imperial Stout – 2x mash, extended boil condition on toasted Sri Lankan Coconut.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: pitch black with a finger of dark brown head. It slowly peels off and forms a collar with scarce lacing on the glass.

Aroma: First thoughts are that it seems a little disjointed and messy. The 11% ABV is very direct and the coconut aspect is super oily. Once it settles it starts to come together a bit more. We still feel like the base Stout gets a little lost though… we’re only getting a pungent mix of alcohol and rich molasses. To make matters slightly worse we’re now detecting a hint of ethyl acetate (pear drops/apple). Sheesh.

Flavour: Surprisingly far better than the aroma. The coconut provides more of a toasty note and the base stout is less convoluted. The booze burn is still present but it’s better integrated as well. Our main issue still is that it’s simply too harsh, unbalanced and untidy. It’s a mess of flavours that have been let off the leash to do whatever they want.

Mouthfeel: Sharp, oily and astringent. It does coat the palate nicely though. Full bodied, low-ish Co2. As already mentioned the 11% ABV overplays its hand.

Overall: Our first crack at this Canberran brewery and it’s probably obvious to say we’re not impressed. We like the black can, we like the label but unfortunately the beer inside on this occasion fell well short of the mark.

Badger ‘Fursty Ferrer’ Amber Ale

Rating:

“Keep this beer close to hand. Our Fursty Ferret amber ale takes its name from a real ferret with a taste for full-bodied, biscuity beer and a mischievous reputation. ‘Little thief’ by (Latin) name and opportunistic by nature, his memory lives on in the Gribble Inn. And who can blame him? With lemony, floral aromas of Celia, Cascade and Centennial hops, and the moreish-ly malty backbone of Premium Ale malt.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: We gaze over a gorgeous bold amber pour with full transparency. Two fingers of beige head on top with good retention and lacing as we go.

Aroma: We may have just entered amber ale heaven. The malt bill displays an amazing depth with brawny notes of maple syrup, toffee and caramelised sugars, bush honey, dark fruits such as golden raisin, dates and fig. We haven’t even touched on the hops yet…a superb balancing act of pine, blood orange, tangerine and orange blossom finishes off this magnificent aroma.

Flavour: Excellent progression, it just keeps intensifying as it rolls forward. Delicate malt sweetness and ripe orange citrus on entry. It’s not until the mid-palate that the malt flavours really take off. Caramelised sugars, toffee and honey integrate with the delicate pine and floral citrus. This delicious fusion leads into the semi-dry, rich and caramelised finish which draws out nicely on the back end.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, silky, gelatinous and chewy. Medium body with fine Co2. The 4.4% ABV goes hard for its size.

Overall: Without a doubt the best amber ale we’ve tried all year. Perfect time of the year to be drinking one too – a cool breeze but the Autumn sun is still shining bright. Top shelf stuff.

Chuck & Sons Original Pilsner

Rating:

“This classic German-style lager is brewed with traditional European hops, delivering a refreshing dryness, with a spicy herbaceous bitterness. Paired with a nasi goreng or green chili taco, you’ll be in palate cleansing heaven. But this brew can also be enjoyed by itself, savoured with the ideal balance of hop and malt.”

Glassware: Footed flute.

Appearance: Hazy golden-yellow body with a fluffy white head capping it off. The head retains well and weaves a healthy lace down the glass.

Aroma: We recently reviewed the American amber ale, only to find out it was eight months old, so we thought we’d check this can and whaddya know…canned on the same day (12/8/24). Eight months on a pilsner isn’t as bad as an American amber but it’s still enough to take some shine off it. We get a pleasant yet tired Noble hop profile of herbal spice and earth over a grainy, cracker malt base.

Flavour: We can tell it’s a damn good pilsner at its core but the age on it unfortunately gives it a flat and lifeless character. The remnants of Noble hop spice and herbals linger while the strong malt structure holds it together. Semi-sweet honey, grains and water crackers are underlined by a discernible bitterness that runs through to the dry and spicy finish.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, slightly dry and effortless in the swallow. Perfectly carbed, mild-medium body. The 5% ABV is right on the money.

Overall: As we eluded to earlier, the BBD on a pilsner isn’t as much of a net negative as an American amber so it was still an enjoyable drop. We’ll still most likely re-review a fresher can in the near future though.

Badger ‘Master Stoat’ Coffee Stout

Rating:

“A stickler for detail with a discerning palate, turns out the humble stoat isn’t so humble after all. Never happy to settle for second best, he prefers to brew his own thing. We have that in common.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Light black with a finger of tan head resting atop. Excellent retention with healthy lacing.

Aroma: Wow, definitely not what we were expecting. It reminds us of Big Shed’s Golden Stout Time with its exceedingly moreish caramel and toffee fudge overtones, buttery biscuits and milk sugars. It also displays robust milk chocolate, coffee and burnt toast alongside more subtle hints of treacle, cookie dough and plum jam buried a little deeper. Very pleasantly surprised.

Flavour: Absolutely delicious. They’ve dialled a bit of the sweetness back but managed to keep the intensity of the caramel ice cream, toffee fudge, burnt toast and coffee. It offers a notable bitterness that carries the heady treacle, vanilla and bittersweet chocolate into the roasty, sweet, creamy, yet dry finish which lingers on the back end.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, silky texture with fine carbonation. Medium body and the 5% ABV punches well above its weight.

Overall: Well, that was awesomely unexpected. Considering not only Badger’s range but most English beers in general are typically conventional so to experience this pastry-style coffee stout was wild. We’ll have to go back for more of this.

Cornella Brewery ‘Rancho’ Cerveza

Rating:

“Savour the sun-soaked spirit of Mexico with Rancho Cerveza. A crisp and refreshing lager that transports you to the heart of the ranch. ¡Salud!”

Glassware: Tulip.

Appearance: Deep golden complexion with a finger of white head perched on top. It steadily reduced to a collar with minimal lace work on the glass.

Aroma: Pretty standard Mexi lager vibes from it. Uber light and refreshing with distinct notes of corn and maize, cereal grains, earthy hops, mildew/wet grass and water crackers. Just a hint of DMS and starchy vegetable accents coming through as it settles. Very basic aroma but it hits the nail on the head.

Flavour: It’s surprisingly full bodied for a mid-strength lager. Full flavoured too! Like the aroma, the kinda sweet and starchy corn and maize get us underway. A very gentle bitterness plus an earthy and slightly grassy hop profile adds the balance. The longer it sits on the palate the more biscuity it becomes…finishing with a touch of water crackers, unflavoured corn chips and oats.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and super clean but carrying a slightly bigger body than most other Mexi lagers we’ve tried previously. Co2 is perfect and the 3.5% ABV bats well above its average.

Overall: It’s a good interpretation of the style. The brewers have done a magnificent job packing the amount of depth and body it has while carrying such a low ABV. Another impressive offering by Cornella.

Jackie O’s ‘Elle’ BA Sour Saison

Rating:

“Jackie O’s sour program started in 2008 with 3 carboys, a few smack packs of culture, and a little luck. Over the years, it turned into a few dozen barrels in the brewpub basement, then a dedicated barrel warehouse with 400+ barrels, and now a thoughtfully designed room for mixed fermentation. The L shaped room encompasses primary mixed fermentation, secondary souring/aging, and packaging on a sour beer only bottling line. Stainless tanks and large oak foudres line the walls with countless passion projects.”

Glassware: Teku.

Appearance: Slightly hazy light golden pour with a short white head that gradually forms a collar. Reasonable lace work left on the glass as we imbibe.

Aroma: Super funky. Probably leaning more to the lambic side than saison. Sharp sour apple and white wine vinegar tickles the nostrils immediately. It has a bit of that sweaty and manky funk happening too. Horse blanket, lemon rind, black pepper, grain husk, angostura bitters and kaffir lime all in support. Can’t ignore the lovely mustiness of the oak as well. Brilliant aroma.

Flavour: The sour acidity hits hard upfront but it tapers off rather quickly, allowing the taste buds to revel in the tangy, sweet and tart flavours. It has definitely flipped here, it’s now more saison than lambic which is a very impressive trick by the brewers. Bright zesty citrus, cereal grains, orchard fruits, peppery spice and white wine roll effortlessly into the tart, fruity and slightly funky finish.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and mineraly with a notable acidity. Light-moderate body with a sparkling carbonation.

Overall: We dig it. Love the switch between aroma and flavour. It was complex and well structured yet remained crisp and approachable. Solid offering.

Left Hand Peanut Butter Milk Stout

Rating:

“Rhythm and Blues. Batman and Robin. Peanut Butter and Chocolate. These classic duos never go out of style. Enter Peanut Butter Milk Stout. We took the pure milk chocolate bliss of our classic Milk Stout and added peanut buttery goodness. It’s like an adult peanut butter cup you can drink. It’s rich and decadent on the palate and lusciously lingers into a nutty, dry finish. A perfect pair you’ll want to share.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Impenetrable black with a finger of light brown head emerging on top. Decent retention and lace work clinging to the glass as it subsides.

Aroma: We can literally smell it as it sits idle on the table. Without even lifting it to our nostrils we get milk chocolate, cocoa, peanut butter and vanilla. Under the nostrils it’s amplified x100. The peanut butter also gives off hints of raw salted peanut and husk, bittersweet chocolate, lightly roasted malts, cookie dough and ice cream. Very moreish stuff.

Flavour: We get the sense that a foot has been taken off the accelerator here. It has all the same delicious flavours but it seems watered down. Peanut butter, milk chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, a hint of cookie dough….just at 75% which is a little disappointing to be honest as the aroma set it up to be an absolute corker. It all dies off into a fairly weak and insipid finish too.

Mouthfeel: Holds up ok. Slightly slippery texture, a bit oily. Medium body and Co2. The 6.2% ABV slots in nicely.

Overall: We reviewed the nitro version a month or so ago and honestly thought this Co2 version would be better. Not to be. It also doesn’t stack up against Belching Beavers expression either. Pretty average.

Chuck & Sons American Amber Ale

Rating:

“The appearance of this toffee-like brew invites a highly sessionable amber. With a medium malt body, kettle hopping with American hops provides both pleasant spiced and pine-filled flavours, while dry hopping creates slight citrus notes. Pair with a rich, fresh beef ragu and lifelong friends around the fire.”

Glassware: American pint.

Appearance: Pours a bold amber hue with a billowing four finger head. Seems far too fizzy for an amber ale. Excellent lace work on the glass though.

Aroma: Smells tired. A quick check of the BBD and yep, she’s a bit long in the tooth (brewed 12/8/24). For a traditional amber ale, 8 months wouldn’t change a whole lot but considering this is an American amber ale, it does. The hops have all but died off and we’re left with the malts only. Fortunately it’s still providing some toffee and caramel sweetness, honeysuckle, over-ripened mango, apricot and tangerine.

Flavour: This is where the age has really affected it. There’s a short surge of carbonation on entry which is followed by very tired notes of pine, citrus and tropical fruit. They’re lucky (in this case) as amber ales are still somewhat malty so the toffee, caramels, honeysuckle and delicate toasty notes are saving it from being a disaster.

Mouthfeel: Frothy and over carbonated. Obviously due to its age. Seems to be medium bodied with what would likely be a smooth and gelatinous texture.

Overall: The pitfalls of buying beer online we guess. This review is not a true reflection of the beer so we’ll more than likely re-review a fresh can sometime in the near future.

Badger ‘Tanglefoot’ Golden Ale

Rating:

“It was a tasting that started like any other. Yet the night that ensued became one for the history books. The beer we sipped was so golden and delicious that it had everyone and their dog celebrating into the wee hours of the morning. Such is the legend of our Tangle Foot.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Pours an attractive deep golden hue with 100% clarity. It forms a creamy two finger head which slowly peels off. Healthy lacing as it ebbs.

Aroma: Smells like pure British ale. For old world styles like this a hop combo of Challenger and Goldings is exactly what the doctor ordered. Just the right amount of florals and woody spice with a helping of earthy/grassy mildew and flinty minerals. Strong malt structure too – providing a good base of semi sweet honey, toast and bread crusts. Benchmark British ale aroma.

Flavour: Crisp and refreshing yet rather complex at the same time. Everything hits the palate at once…the floral, spicy and earthy hops, the semi sweet and toasty malts, a flutter of orchard fruits. A fairly subtle bitterness kicks up early in the mid. Kinda hints at citrus/rind as it punctuates on a clean, dry and mildly bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and clean with good consistency. Mild-medium body, finely carbed. The 5% ABV is bang on for the style.

Overall: A perfect example of a golden ale. Aussie brewers don’t touch this style anymore which is a real shame. Jindabyne Brewing is the only one we can think of that has a high-quality golden ale in its range. Even if a few more brewers would do them half as good as either of them then we’d be all over it frequently.

Evil Twin ‘Dayshift’ Robust Porter

Rating:

“A bold, robust porter with a touch of sweetness. Drinks with a light-medium body & offers rich notes of big chocolate, caramel, toffee, with a bit of roasted malt.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Black with a very faint tint of muddy dark brown around the rim. Of course we can only see this because the head disappeared almost instantly. Not a skerrick of head retention which is unusual for a porter.

Aroma: Not really offering anything out of the ordinary. We get medium intensity dark malts, a metallic tartness, milk chocolate/cocoa, an earthy and grassy hop profile and a blueberry-like fruitiness. A delicate roasted note opens up once it settles but other than that it’s pretty much it. Rather uninspiring start to be honest.

Flavour: Follows on from the frustratingly pedestrian aroma. Basic four-to-the-floor characteristics of lightly roasted malts, earthy hops, sweetened milk chocolate and a metallic/blood-like note. Granted, some light coffee accents eventually develop late as it finishes with a dry roast and medium bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Thin and far too watery. The lack of Co2 doesn’t help either. Mild-medium body. Just no oomph to it. They actually did quite a good job hiding the 8% ABV though.

Overall: Our first (and most likely) last crack at the Australian arm of Evil Twin. Apparently, Nomad owns the contract to brew their beers here, which speaks volumes. It’s bizarre to me that Evil Twin – with all of its international esteem – would award the contract to them considering how many better contract brewing options there are in Australia. Very average stuff.

Brasserie Lefebvre ‘Floreffe’ Dubbel

Rating:

“Floreffe Dubbel is a brown abbey beer with a deep brown color and red shades, revealing aromas of coffee, chocolate and liquorice with a hint of anise and white fruit.”

Glassware: Trappist goblet.

Appearance: Mostly light brown/auburn with some deep ruby edges. It knocks up a thumb of beige head that holds its shape pretty well. Excellent lace work left in its wake.

Aroma: Man we love the complexity to this style. There’s just so much going on it takes ages to list it all. Massive malt profile which throws out a tonne of breads like pumpernickel, sourdough and rye. Rich notes of fruitcake, dates and even a flutter of molasses. A notable array of spices like clove, aniseed, star anise and nutmeg. Subtle cola, banana runts, toffee apple and candi sugar coming through too. Amazing.

Flavour: Exactly like the aroma with seemingly endless depth and flavour. Obviously the malt presence is centre stage but the fruits and spices also lead out as well. A soft dry bitterness lands early on in the mid , carrying the doughy breads through to the ultimately dry but spicy, fruity and yeasty finish. Really good length on show too.

Mouthfeel: Kinda lighter than expected but still soft and creamy. Nicely carbed and the 6.3% ABV slots in well.

Overall: It’s easily on the same level of quality as the Tripel. Just a high quality Belgian ale with a tonne of character.

Hargreaves Hill ‘Tepache’ Pineapple Sour

Rating:

“Our version of the refreshing Mexican fermented pineapple beverage. Tepache is conditioned on Pineapple flesh and Rind. Back blended with Pineapple purée, Habanero, Cinnamon, and Piloncillo (Cane Sugar). A kettle sour base that has the addition of Pineapple Terpenes for a citrusy tropical burst of flavour. This beer was made in collaboration with Bintani and was originally released in 2024 for Bendigo on the Hop.”

Glassware: Teku.

Appearance: Extremely light and pale golden-yellow pour which dons a fizzy two finger head. It gradually peels off but struggles to produce much lacing.

Aroma: We’d never heard of this “tepache” drink before this. Apparently it means “pineapple beer” in the native dialect. It’s typically brewed with pineapple (of course), habanero peppers, a range of spices including cinnamon, clove and piloncillo (a type of cane sugar) for sweetening. We can pretty much get all of the above. The habanero is the only shy one.

Flavour: Hot damn that’s tasty. Slightly drier than we’d anticipated but all aspects of the pineapple come through i.e rind, core and flesh. The cinnamon is subtle but that suits the beer. This flavour combo always reminds us of that grilled pineapple and cinnamon side dish one would find at a churrasco restaurant. Delish! Not much at all in the form of habanero which sucks. Nice and light, fruity finish which hangs on for a bit.

Mouthfeel: Very crisp, light on and crushable. Mild-moderate body, flat-ish Co2. The 5.5% ABV was well concealed.

Overall: This would be an absolute crusher on a hot day. It’s a shame the weather today is almost the polar opposite. Alas, it’s still a very tidy and enjoyable kettle sour.