Garage Project ‘Röck Döts’ Kölsch

Rating:

“Get your umlauts out! Röck Döts, kölsch. Brilliantly pale gold ale, brewed in the traditional Köln style, with crisp, sweet malt, balanced to Germanic precision with the delicate noble hop notes of Tettnanger & Saphir. Cleaner than a Mötley Crüe member, fresh out of rehab. Röck ön!”

Glassware: Tumbler.

Appearance: Slightly pale straw golden pour with a massive four finger head. It slowly reduces and leaves patches of blotchy lace here and there.

Aroma: Hits with a crisp and mellow temperament. Subtlety is the key with this style and what we’re picking up is light cereal malts, grains and some very delicate honey sweetness. Subtle noble hop spiciness, light florals and herbs with a fleeting hint of orange blossom, lemon zest and a tropical note. We love this style and we’re diggin this interpretation.

Flavour: Follows the nose with a crisp and light malt structure – cereal grains, bread crusts, floral honey. The noble hops provide a gentle bitterness along with their hallmark peppery spice, florals and herbs/grass. It all cruises into an easy-going finish that slowly dries out as it endures. Grainy malt and grassy/spicy hops also hanging on.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, light on and effortless. Spritzy carbonation with mild-moderate body. The 4.8% ABV is on par for the style.

Overall: It’s a decent Kölsch. Keeps pretty conventional and drinks super easy. Especially on this 33°c Sydney arvo!

Devilbend ‘Neds’ Dark Ale

Rating:

“Ned’s Dark Ale pays homage to the previous family who owned the land that Devilbend Farm Beer calls home. This smooth ale showcases our homegrown Mornington Peninsula malt and hops that presents with a refreshing sweetness, balanced with a moderate bitterness.” 

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Mostly black with a skerrick of light cutting through at the base of the glass. It constructs a creamy two finger head which slowly peels off. Excellent lacing in its wake.

Aroma: Smells nice and roasty. Still carrying those lighter chocolate and treacle notes coz at the end of the day a good dark ale should only be one step back from a porter. More delicate hints of coffee, leather, aniseed and woody spice. The latter could almost be a segway into the hop profile which is subtly noticeable. We pick up slightly herbal, spicy and earthy notes which adds a nice touch.

Flavour: Very much a mirror image of the nose…nice roasted malt base, but scaled back, allowing milder chocolate, coffee and burnt caramel to lead out. Again, a delicate herbal and earthy hop profile on the flank with a moderate bitterness carrying through to the lightly roasty, toasty, dry and chocolatey finish which gradually tapers off.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, bulbous, well rounded. Medium body and Co2. The 4.6% ABV slots in nicely.

Overall: Our 3rd review from Devilbend now and it’s another big tick. Honestly, the rural Victorian breweries are killing it recently…King River, Cornella, these guys. All releasing some great stuff over the past year or so.

Boatrocker ‘Fat Santa – ’25 Edition’ BA Imperial Stout

Rating:

“Ho, ho, ho – the merriness is back!  Fat Santa 2025 has landed and he’s as indulgent as ever.  Expect rich aromas of marzipan, coffee, vanilla, dark chocolate and roasted malts all wrapped up with a luscious bourbon warmth from time spent in our very own 4 Grain bourbon style whisky barrels.  Big, bold and beautifully festive – the perfect companion for the Christmas season!”

Glassware: Sniffer.

Appearance: Impenetrable black with a short brown head that peels off pretty quick. It forms a halo with scarce lacing as we go.

Aroma: Already this year’s vintage smells a hundred times better than last year’s Starward barrel expression. Boatrocker has been playing around with their own spirits for years now and the barrels used for this vintage are from their very own “4 grain bourbon” which displays a moreish fusion of toffee fudge, star anise, cinnamon and a hearty oak finish. Haven’t even touched on the base stout yet!

Flavour: Doesn’t punch as hard as the aroma which is a shame. It still drinks far better than the ’24 vintage with the bourbon oak, spice and caramel dominating the front palate. The base stout is excellent – full of roasted malt, coffee, dark chocolate, molasses, marzipan. Raw vanilla getting amongst it too. The bourbon oak makes a return later on and sets up for a fairly pungent and warming finish. Good length on it.

Mouthfeel: Kinda oily, slick, warming. Medium-full body, low-ish Co2. The 10.7% ABV is fairly well behaved for its size.

Overall: Look, it’s not OG Fat Santa but it’s better than the ’24 vintage and about on par with the ’22 vintage or in other words – really good but not as impressive as the ’23, ’21 and previous ones. If that makes sense 🤪

MacAlister Brewing ‘Bushwhacked’ Smoked Porter

Rating:

“A robust porter with a distinct, earthy depth thanks to beechwood-smoked malt. Very dark in colour. Aromas of campfire smoke, caramel and chocolate notes with a soft malt sweetness and low hop bitterness.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Matte black with a finger of fizzy light brown head that rapidly reduces. It settles to a thin ring with wet spotty lace here and there.

Aroma: Not overly smoky for a smoked porter. We concede that these guys are based in Cairns where it practically never gets below 25°c so it comes as no surprise that their lone dark beer isn’t a hearty, aggressive beast. In saying that, it still presents rich dark chocolate, espresso, beef jerky, light charred wood, smoked ham, subtle ink and a bit of licorice. Respectable.

Flavour: Again, initially the smoky component is reserved but it gradually intensifies as we roll on. Chocolatey, roasty and slightly smoky on entry then hints of raw cocoa, espresso and bitter dark chocolate through the mid. It’s not until late in the piece that the charred wood, smoked meats, molasses and ash set up for an ultra dry, kinda bitter, roasty and charred finish that draws out nicely.

Mouthfeel: Fairly smooth, creamy, slick. Dries out post-swallow. Medium body, finely carbed and the 5% ABV punches above its weight.

Overall: At first we weren’t too fussed but by the end we were impressed. Can’t see this being the most popular choice in a North Queensland summer but hot damn it deserves to be. Quality stuff.

Ocean Reach ‘Sun Room’ Amber Ale

Rating:

“Enter the Sun Room and soak up the amber rays. Subtle roasted malts bring warmth and nutty depth. While bright, modern hops cut through the sweetness for a smooth, balanced finish.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Slightly muddy-looking burnished amber with a rocky two finger head. Gradual reduction and healthy lace work on the glass.

Aroma: Giving these guys another run as the last review (Coast Wood) wasn’t too bad. As we mentioned in that review, it seems as if they’ve lifted their standards since the last time we tried their beer. Smells ok. Getting pretty stock-standard caramalt sweetness, toasted nuts, some sticky resins, herbs like oregano and basil, pine, subtle grapefruit opening up it warms. Not blown away but it’s fairly decent.

Flavour: Just a liiiiitle bit muddled. There is slight nuance between the hops and malt but they do appear to get a bit lost in one another. We get the caramel sweetness upfront, getting the orange citrus and piney herbals too…they just don’t really integrate all that well. The caramalt sweetness comes out on top though and leads into a dry toasty finish which continues to dry out further on the rear.

Mouthfeel: Chewy, sticky, drying out in the swallow. Medium body. The 5.8% ABV was well buried. Can’t really fault the texture.

Overall: Similar to Coast Wood in that it’s drinkable and good enough to enjoy but it’s just a bit rough around the edges. Good thing it’s a limited release coz it ain’t much of a return beer.

King River X Clayton Hops ‘Pacific Tides’ NZ Pilsner

Rating:

“Pacific Tides is a graceful melding of Pacifica, Motueka and Riwaka. A true expression of New Zealand character in one of our hoppiest lager renditions. This is a clean pilsner, with a wild aromatic and flavour from these NZ varietals lovingly supplied by Clayton Hops.” 

Glassware: Stemmed tulip.

Appearance: Bright golden-yellow complexion capped off by a wispy overlay which quickly forms a collar. Nice webbed lacing clinging to the glass as it ebbs.

Aroma: We love the unique and quirky nature of NZ hops. One could use them in almost any style of beer and they’ll bring it alive. One of the styles we think they pair best with are pilsners and just as this interpretation shows, it provides fruity white wine, lime juice/zest, herbal spice, unripe passionfruit, peppermint and yellow grapefruit.

Flavour: More of the pilsner qualities come through which we expected. Those hops still shine bright though… displaying slightly sweeter citrus, lemon/lime zest, passionfruit, herbals and pine needle. There’s a fine pilsner malt base that lays down cereal grain, water crackers and a very mild hint of honey. A delicate bitterness develops late and rolls into a semi-dry finish which lingers.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, dry and clean. Light-moderate body and a lightly sparkling Co2. The 5.1% ABV is tucked away nicely.

Overall: This would have to be near our 15th review of King River this year. Still, we haven’t tried one beer that has scored less than 8/10 and that record continues after this very pleasant NZ pilsner.

 

Badlands ‘Trinity’ Nitro Porter

Rating:

“Strong Porter spiced with Rum, Chocolate and Vanilla. A great pleasure of the creative beer process is collaborating with incredible, passionate, small producers to create something wonderful, unique and as distant from ‘factory beer’ as can be. We’ve been teaming up with the unholy trinity of Stone Pine Distillery, Spencer Cocoa and Broken Nose Vanilla for years. This Strong Porter is spiced with single-origin Cocoa from Vanuatu & FNQ Vanilla that are soaked in spiced black rum “Dead Mans Drop” Rich & decadent yet smooth and mellow. Best enjoyed in your favourite armchair with a good book.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Impenetrable black with beautiful cascading carbonation which forms its two finger head. Not as dense and creamy as we’ve seen on other occasions but still aesthetically pleasing.

Aroma: Super roasty. Man it is dark and deep…hitting ashy notes, charred wood, dark chocolate, espresso coffee, nutty spice, burnt toast and a masterfully placed hint of creamy vanilla which, although subtle, goes a long way to adding extra depth and complexity. As it warms a real gamey note develops. It doesn’t go as far as biltong but it certainly has a smoked meat quality to it.

Flavour: Follows through nicely. We’ve found from previous nitro beers that the aroma regularly outperforms the flavour but not here…it displays a rich malt base full of charred wood, ash, dark chocolate, burnt toast, beef jerky and roasted nuts. Much like the aroma, a delicious line of creamy vanilla cuts through it all like butter and provides that crucial overall balance.

Mouthfeel: Super smooth and oily. Still some chungus considering it’s on nitro though. The 6.2% ABV is well hidden.

Overall: Highly enjoyable nitro porter. The nitro actually feels a little less intense than others but it works here. Complex and vigorous. We likey

King River ‘Noël’ Belgian Specialty Ale

Rating:

“Belgian Specialty Ales our are our thing, and there’s nothing finer than a Christmas Ale. A richly flavoured Belgian beer spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, star anise and ginger, let KRB bring Christmas to you, all year round.”

Glassware: Dimpled mug.

Appearance: Kinda burnished orange with deep golden hues. It only manages a wispy white overlay that rapidly retreats to the rim. Laced well though.

Aroma: Difficult to get anything notable off it immediately…it smells spicy i.e Christmas spices – nutmeg, cinnamon, star anise etc. Gingerbread, chai tea, apple strudel and Belgian yeast esters (clove, banana runts) starting to open up as it warms. It’s really starting to come together now as the malty bottom end provides a buttery caramel sweetness, melted brown sugar and some spicy vanilla. Man, didn’t this come alive!

Flavour: Complex and really well layered. Our first thoughts go straight to baked sweet potato with butter and cinnamon. Star anise, clove and nutmeg also get amongst it. Plenty of gingerbread, apple pie, buttery biscuits…pretty much every nostalgic Christmas treat you can think of. Minus the smoked ham and turkey! Finishes like a dark & stormy – warming, spicy and sweet with excellent length.

Mouthfeel: Ultra smooth, creamy, chewy. Medium-full body, low carbonation. The 10.5% ABV was extremely well concealed.

Overall: King River just keeps the party going. It doesn’t matter if it’s a classic Euro pils, an IPA or some whacky specialty ale like this, they always come through.

St.Austell ‘Big Job’ Double IPA

Rating:

“Big Job is a BIG beer, jammed with as many big hops as we could get our hands on and packed full of tropical grapefruit and juicy blackcurrant flavours. If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing!”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Gorgeous bright golden pour with a short white cap perched on top. The head quickly forms a collar with healthy lacing as it ebbs.

Aroma: It’s super fruity – as expected – but it’s not your typical shortlist for a big IPA. We’re picking up lychee, canned peach, papaya, starfruit, passionfruit and guava. Mandarin and tangerine also. The malt profile is pretty ambiguous too… honeysuckle, a hint of toast and toffee apple. It’s bloody unique we’ll give it that.

Flavour: Don’t know where to begin. We get too much of the 7.2% ABV for a start. There are a few decent jabs of orange citrus upfront and a muddled mix of exotic fruits in support. The malt bill is pretty clean but we feel in a highly hopped, juiced up IPA like this the malt needs a bit of bottom end…a bit more rich sweetness to counterbalance. Aggressive booze burn and bitterness into a dry, fruity and acidic finish.

Mouthfeel: Sharp, prickly, warming. Medium body with effervescent Co2. The 7.2% ABV is far too pronounced for our liking.

Overall: We feel they’re trying too hard to be American here. We absolutely love English IPA. We love them with some American influence even more. SOME American influence. They’ve just got completely lost in the sauce unfortunately.

Devilbend Kolsch

Rating:

“Kölsch is a pale, crisp, and delicately balanced ale with subtle fruitiness and a clean, dry finish. Light to medium in body, it showcases a gentle malt sweetness and a soft, hoppy bitterness. Its straw to light gold colour and refreshing character make it an ideal, sessionable beer.” 

Glassware: Tumbler.

Appearance: Slightly pale straw golden pour capped off by a thumb of creamy white head. Good retention and wavy lacing left behind.

Aroma: Smells kinda dusty which is bizarre. Once it settles the dusty note turns more bready/crumby and a lovely albeit subtle honey sweetness comes to the fore. Delicate citrus fruits and pot-pourri florals also begin to open up. We’ve noticed that whenever we give the glass a good swirl that dusty quality comes back. Weird. Other than that it’s a cracking aroma.

Flavour: Follows the nose with fairly grainy, bready/crusty notes on entry. The subtle citrus fruits, peppery spice and florals cut through gently. A soft bitterness carries it all through the mid, picking up a light musty-ness before landing on a smooth and semi-dry finish which offers grains and straw in the tail.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and effortless. Dries out a tad in the swallow. Mild-moderate body, perfectly carbed. The 4.4% ABV is about on point for the style.

Overall: It continually improved as we imbibed. Proper neck oil this one. Had to rip through the review as it was going down far too easy! Solid offering.

Devilbend Export Stout

Rating:

“Rich with bold roasted notes of coffee, dark chocolate and lightly burnt grain, without harshness, balanced by medium bitters and subtle esters. It finishes dry, earthy, herbal, or floral hop flavours subtly compliment the profile.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Pitch black with a two finger brown head that quickly deconstructs. Not a great deal of lacing left in its wake.

Aroma: Foreign/export stout is a style we’re not too familiar with (nor that big a fan of) but alas, a cool backstory accompanies it. It’s basically the stout version of an IPA in the sense that they were originally brewed for long sea voyages in the 17 and 1800’s. Typically with higher ABV and hops to preserve the beer. They’re also quite peeled back as this particular release shows – roasted malts, coffee, dark chocolate, burnt toast, molasses.

Flavour: Has that late 90’s Tooheys Old vibe – super roasty, bittersweet dark chocolate, molasses, coffee. It dries out through the mid but it doesn’t come with a notable bitterness (which we find in other not-so-well brewed iterations). Hints of pear, very mild acetone and ink forming late as it finishes rather smooth and roasty with good duration.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth and well rounded. Medium-full body, finely carbed. The 6.2% ABV is kept in check well.

Overall: Our first crack at this Victorian brewery. Another “paddock to pint” style brewery who focuses on the cultivation and use of their own grains and hops. We dig it and we don’t actually mind this interpretation of the style. Not bad at all.

Badlands ‘Jaxon’ Red IPA

Rating:

“Rich toffee and treacle malt backbone is exploded with hops.  The highly sought after American hop varieties Simcoe,  and Mosaic are counterbalanced by Aussie grown Cascade, and Galaxy hops. Grapefruit, melon, bubble gum and passionfruit flavours come through and a soft but robust bitterness rounds out the picture.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Copper red pour with a kiss of pink through it. It constructs a two finger head which retains well. Lots of thick blotchy lacing clings to the glass as it subsides.

Aroma: Seems a little shy. There’s a good amount of character in here but it takes a vigorous swirl of the glass to lift it out. Strikes us as a malt-forward red IPA…displaying an earthy toffee sweetness, woody spice and dried leaves below a restrained hop profile of red berries, pine, ruby grapefruit, light herbals and tangerine. Not a bad aroma it’s just too muted.

Flavour: The intensity it lacks in aroma is kinda made up for here. It’s still notably malt-forward with the hops playing 2nd fiddle. Sticky toffee, caramels, earthy/woody notes and burnt biscuits dominate the subdued fruitiness from the hops. Some faint herbals, grapefruit, black pepper and florals present as it all rolls into a pretty lackluster finish which continues to dry out on the back palate.

Mouthfeel: Sticky, chewy, gelatinous. Medium body and Co2. The 5.9% ABV is neatly tucked away.

Overall: Not really fans of it. It was too malt-forward and too shy on the nose. So many better red IPA’s out there.

MacAlister Brewing ‘Freefall’ XPA

Rating:

“Sitting midway between a pale ale and IPA, our XPA showcases the best of the celebrated Australian Galaxy hops. Passionfruit aromas and flavours of citrus, peach and pineapple.”

Glassware: Shaker.

Appearance: Deep golden pour with full clarity. It forms a thumb of finely beaded white head which slowly peels off. Healthy lacing on the glass as it ebbs.

Aroma: Super fruity. As to be expected from the single hop Galaxy. Loads of ripe nectar-filled passionfruit, peach, guava, melon, honeydew and boiled candy. Mixed citrus also floating about in there. Quite a hefty caramel malt sweetness bringing bush honey, some toffee and rice crackers. Really has that Australiana vibe. Diggin it.

Flavour: Mirror image of the aroma. Tropical fruit salad i.e passionfruit, peach, pineapple, honeydew, mixed citrus. Some herbals and a hint of pine which we didn’t pick up on the nose. Again the malt bill provides a good dose of caramel, floral honey and light toffee. A gentle bitterness then tapers off into a mildly dry, fruity and herbaceous finish.

Mouthfeel: Somewhat bulbous texture. Mild-medium body with lively Co2. The 5.3% ABV slots in nicely.

Overall: We’ve been pretty impressed with this brewery thus far. This was our 3rd crack at their range and we like all of them. This XPA maybe not hitting as hard as the previous two but it’s still an enjoyable drop.

Ocean Reach ‘Coast Wood’ Brown Ale

Rating:

“A smooth, malt-forward brown ale with notes of toffee, toast, and soft chocolate. Gently bitter and well balanced. Deep flavour, calm in character… A beer that moves to the rhythm of the coast.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Dark brown pour with a skerrick of light cutting through on the edges. It constructs a finger of dark tan head which rapidly forms a collar. Zero lace work on the glass.

Aroma: Giving off very conventional and basic brown ale qualities. Nice chocolate malt base…not really offering a sturdy structure but enough to support delicate roasted coffee, earthy notes, burnt toast, caramels, a hint of toffee, mocha, dried wood, black pepper and soft yeast esters that provide subtle banoffee characters.

Flavour: Much like the aroma it boots off with classic chocolate malt – coffee, toast, earth and woody spice. It really dries out as it approaches the mid…a mild bitterness moves in which accentuates the roasty/toasty flavours. Hits a slightly metallic note late in the piece then it all makes a rendezvous in the finish which draws out nicely.

Mouthfeel: Holds a decent consistency. Thin-ish texture but nicely carbed. The 5.6% ABV helps add a bit more bottom end.

Overall: We’ve been quite critical of this brewery in the past. Some years have passed since the last time we gave them a crack and it appears that they’ve lifted their game a bit. Not a bad interpretation of a trad brown ale at all.

MacAlister Brewing ‘Valentina’ Red Ale

Rating:

“A roasty red with unique roasted flavour from amber malt, which gives the beer the distinct colour for which it is named. Smooth, sweet and moorish.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Deep amber with light red hues in the centre. It only manages a short filmy overlay which quickly forms a collar. Nice wavy lace considering the lack of head/retention.

Aroma: Sweet, candied and fruity as anticipated. Not getting much of the “roasty” characters but it’s still early days. Lots of sweet and juicy berries i.e mostly strawberry and mulberry with ripe cherry, blood plum and blackcurrant also getting a look in. Toffee apple, caramel, berry compote then a hint of the roast finally beginning to come through as it warms. It’s all coming together quite nicely.

Flavour: We’ve never been real fans of the ol red ale (especially low ABV ones) but this one seems to be batting above its average. Sweet juicy berries on entry, supported by a good dose of candied sweetness from toffee apple and boiled candy. A hint of bitterness and finally some roasty-ness rocking up midway. It all settles on a rather dry, mildly roasty and malty sweet finish that lingers on the back palate nicely.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, sticky, some Co2 spritz. Medium body. The 4.5% ABV is lower than what we’re used to but it works.

Overall: Our 2nd crack at this Cairns brewery. Not as refined as their Beaches Lager but still a respectable and highly drinkable offering.

King River ‘Birra’ Italian Pilsner

Rating:

“Italian Birra and King Valley go hand in hand. This crisp, pale easy drinking Italian Lager has proven extremely popular in our region and beyond. Refreshing all year round and the lighter style is great for accompanying most foods.”

Glassware: Stemmed tulip.

Appearance: Gorgeous pale golden pour with full transparency. It forms a wispy white head which settles to a collar. Minimal lacing on the glass.

Aroma: Italian pilsners rarely make it into our fridges and we don’t really have a worthy explanation as to why. For all intents and purposes they look, smell and taste like a Czech pilsner except for one small difference that sets it apart. That is a dry-hopping process which gives the aroma a bit more rizz. In this case, a slightly lifted floral, spicy and herbal hop bill on top of a semi sweet, cracker malt base.

Flavour: Hits the spot on this 35° Sydney arvo. The most significant difference between say KR’s Czech pils and this is the much drier and crispier texture. Also the old world hops punch a bit harder with spice, herbals, florals and a notable bitterness from start to finish. The malt profile is crisp and clean AF with rice crackers and water biscuits into a dry, peppery and floral finish.

Mouthfeel: Clean, light on and refreshing. Mild-moderate body, perfectly carbed. The 4.6% ABV is right on the money.

Overall: This is the first time we haven’t been blown away by one of their beers (wild considering we’re up to like our 10th review). It still has a solid foundation and it’s proper neck oil it just didn’t really have much of a point of difference. Semantics really. All in all, it was a decent drop.

Moon Dog ‘Black Lung XIII’ BA Imperial Stout

Rating:

“Ol’ Smokey is back for lucky vintage number 13! Our beloved peated stout is as smokey as ever, this year having spent a whole ‘lotta time ageing in Brix Distillers Aussie Spiced Rum barrels. This vintage is a unique celebration of Australian Spiced Rum, look out for cacao, dark choc, vanilla, macadamia, grapefruit, currants and mango flavours shining through the smoke malt decadence.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Impenetrable black with almost zero head formation. Whatever it musters up immediately retreats to the rim and further disappears from there.

Aroma: Moon Dog has fallen off but we’re still clinging on to some hope that they’ll return to their golden days of black wild ales, coffee & chicory porters and all their jumping the shark releases. This BA smoky stout series (unfortunately) seems to be a remnant of a bygone era. Anywho, this particular release is aged in Brix spiced rum barrels (big fans of this distillery). Noteworthy smoky qualities; ash tray, charred wood, campfire etc. Dark chocolate, salty/umami, sweet and spicy rum, oak, pickled ginger and molasses.

Flavour: The intensity and depth is pretty good it’s just a bit erratic and untidy to be brutally honest. It throws out sweet and spicy rum, oak, dark chocolate and salty umami then shots of molasses, warming booze, Vegemite, tawny port, red wine, rye and macerated raspberries. It is truly all over the shop. Then again, we have to give credit where it’s due as it’s very unique. Just like their beers of old.

Mouthfeel: Chewy, dense and oily. Medium-full body with low Co2. The 11.3% ABV was pretty well behaved for its size.

Overall: As we said at the beginning of the review, MD has dropped off since the good old days. Good thing we’ve still got half a dozen or so jumping the shark bottles in the cellar to savour.

Sullivan’s ‘Irish Gold’ Golden Ale

Rating:

“Traditionally Brewed With Lightly Roasted Cara Malt And Finished With First Gold Aroma Hops.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Best described as deep gold with a soft amber tint. It notches up a thumb of creamy white head which retains. Healthy lace work as it ebbs.

Aroma: Unlike any golden ale we’ve ever smelt before. At its core it’s rather fruity…think orange citrus, spicy marmalade and floral peach. Herbal spice and rosemary also come through in the hop bill. What really sets it apart is the malt and yeast profile though. Hints of honey, caramel, toast and spent grain plus an estery fruit sweetness (pear, orchard fruits) and nuanced buttered popcorn. Diggin it!

Flavour: Supremely complex for a typically light bodied ale. Similar to the nose in the sense that it’s fruity and a touch dry upfront then followed by a semi sweet, slightly caramelised and toasty malt profile that washes over. A flutter of the Irish ale yeast – orchard fruits and esters – then a somewhat dry bitterness that draws out all the way into the toasty and fruity finish.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, slick, kinda creamy. Surprisingly fuller body than expected. Low-ish Co2 and the 5.2% ABV slots in neatly.

Overall: That’s 2/2 from this exemplary Irish brewery now. Complex, trad, well-structured and highly enjoyable. Absolute ripper.

Love Shack Red IPA

Rating:

“Newly released Love Shack Red I.P.A is the red ale that you’ve come to know and love but hopped up!”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Deep amber to copper red pour capped off by a finger of light khaki foam. The head retains fairly well and a healthy lace clings to the glass as we imbibe.

Aroma: Good depth and intensity. Commendable balance too which is crucial for this style. Very rich and sweet caramalt base throwing out toffee, caramel and candy sugars but it’s the fusion of piney, herbal and citrusy hops that really propels this beer forward. It has this oldskool Red IPA quality to it which is kinda hard to explain. Alls we know is it’s smelling the goods.

Flavour: Tasting the goods too! That impeccable balance on show on the nose carries over but with added fire from the 7% ABV and a moderate bitterness. Delicious stuff here…malty sweet, caramelised, and a touch fruity on entry then gradually becoming piney, herbaceous and citrusy through the mid. The bitterness kicks into gear late then it finishes surprisingly smooth, sweet and fruity.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, silky, gelatinous. Medium bodied with good Co2. The 7% ABV was very well concealed.

Overall: This brewery is the perfect example as to why we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. The can designs (although trad) are very unappealing but the contents inside are outstanding.

MacAlister Brewing ‘Beaches’ Session Lager

Rating:

“WELCOME TO CAIRNS! Here we have a session lager for your pleasure. Easy going, with subtle Saaz hops and a touch of maize. Brewed with a low bitterness to make it truly sessionable. Enjoy!”

Glassware: Stemmed tulip.

Appearance: Pale light golden pour with a very mild haze. It forms a finger of fluffy white head which slowly deconstructs. Wet patches of lace cling to the glass as it ebbs.

Aroma: Crisp, clean and slightly herbal. A mostly clean malt bill too with a hint of corn and honey sweetness. It gives off cerveza vibes with notable DMS/maize, refreshing citrus and herbal accents. Then it brings it back to an Aussie-style lager with the soft earthy and spicy undertones. It all comes together quite nicely. Diggin it.

Flavour: Goes down extremely well on this hot Sydney arvo. It’s super refreshing, light and crisp. Those cerveza vibes are on display again here…distinct corn and DMS, vegetal notes and crackers then a nuanced herbal and fruity hop bill weaves its way through. It dries out a touch midway, followed by a subtle bitterness then into an ultra clean and grassy finish.

Mouthfeel: Clean, crisp, light on. Proper neck oil. Perfectly carbed and the 4.5% ABV – although high for a “session lager” – is neatly tucked away.

Overall: Our first crack at this brewery from Cairns. An absolute pearler of a beer to crush in their tropical heat. Was not expecting this level of quality. Kudos, MacAlister.