Fifty-fifty ‘2024 Series Eclipse – Garrison Brothers’ BA Imperial Stout

Rating:

“Eclipse: a world-wide phenomenon straight from our brewery in small town Truckee. It starts with our award winning Totality Imperial Stout, and then spends 6 months in a variety of barrels specially curated by our talented brew team, often finished with some specialty flare that will knock your socks off.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Pours as expected – black as midnight with a rapidly vanishing head. It forms a very fine ring with almost zero lacing left behind.

Aroma: Smells incredible. There isn’t a whole lot of deviation from last years vintage. The base stout is once again monstrous and provides uber rich molasses, licorice, dark chocolate, cigar box and black coffee while the bourbon/barrels go to work providing five spice, toasted coconut and brown sugar. Lovely addition of saturated oak for more depth and complexity.

Flavour: Huuuge. Very rich and aggressive but then again it’s the ’24 release so it could do with a couple of years in the cellar. Some minor differences from last years vintage here – we’re getting less smokiness and sweet spice and more in your face aggression and richness from the base stout. Lots of burnt brown sugar, tobacco, toasted coconut, damp oak and toffee into a long and drawn out finish.

Mouthfeel: Thick and viscous as opposed to last year’s dense yet inoffensive texture. Low-ish Co2 and a warming 12.4% ABV.

Overall: Definitely some minor variations in flavour. The other (more irritating) variation is the drop from 500ml bottles to 375ml. No drop in the price though, of course. Still a bloody delicious BA stout.

3 Ravens ‘Bronze’ ESB

Rating:

“A modern Australian interpretation of a British ESB, once a staple of the 3 Ravens range, first brewed in 2003 and now reimagined through the lens of our current philosophy – to use fresh, local raw materials to brew the best beer that we can. With layers of malt, fruity yeast and a balanced bitterness this is a session ale for all seasons.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Gorgeous deep amber pour with a reddish tint. It only manages a finger of khaki head before settling to a collar. Some wet spotty lace is dragged down the glass as it subsides.

Aroma: Initially it hits as a proper malt bomb but it opens up fairly quickly as we take in notable fruity yeast accents along with earthy and floral hops. There’s an obscure sweetness in here that’s really straddling the line between good cloying. It’s a little syrupy and artificial but the toasty malt and savoury biscuit notes are saving it. We’re a bit on the fence still.

Flavour: Not too bad. We usually tear shreds off Aussie breweries who butcher this style but this interpretation gets a pass. It’s got that nice toasty malt backing supported by savoury biscuits and caramel. The floral and earthy hops taste fresh and offset the malts nicely. Fruit esters come through intermittently while a line of bitterness drives through to the well balanced finish.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and mineraly with a little bit of chew. Mild-medium body, flat-ish Co2 and a well placed 4.5% ABV.

Overall: The last time we had an ESB from 3 Ravens was their “USB” back in 2016 which we rated highly. This offering was nowhere near as good but it still holds its own. Not bad.

Garage Project X Deya Brewing ‘Crest Of The Wave’ Hazy IPA

Rating:

“Hāpi Sessions 2025, three collaborations, three breweries at the top of their game, three beers, each showcasing a different hop forward style in a playful ‘freestyle’ interpretation of one of the beers that helped to make each brewery famous. Britannia’s best and brightest, Deya, join us on a ride to the heart of hoppiness with Crest of the Wave. Luscious Hazy IPA swimming in a citrus saturated tropical fruit explosion of harvest fresh Freestyle Riwaka, Nelson Sauvin, Nelson Lakes Cascade finished with a twist of Citra and Simcoe.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Halfway between gold and orange. It reveals a much lighter and turbid hue when held to the light though. Two fingers of rocky White head over the top. Good retention and lacing as it ebbs.

Aroma: The olfactory’s cop a good dose of NZ hops. A lot of sweet nectar-filled tropical fruits but also equal amounts of evergreen, lime zest and grapefruit. We love the addition of Citra and Simcoe (two of our most favourite OG hops) here as they add that little extra zing to the citrus and pine. Soft creamy oats and fresh white bread repping for the malt bill. Decent.

Flavour: Interesting. It’s a lot crisper and leaner than we anticipated. The hops are also displaying a distinct floral quality that we weren’t picking up on the nose. Still, nice and fruity, citrus is more subtle here, pine and herbals, unripened peach and finished off with a soft and creamy stone fruit note.

Mouthfeel: Crisp yet nicely rounded and with good consistency. Finely carbed, mild-moderate body and the 6% ABV slots in neatly.

Overall: Not as exciting as other previous Hapi Sessions releases but decent enough to give it a nod. Never heard of Deya before either. Anywho, good enough for a one and done.

Cypher “Anno II” BA Baltic Porter

Rating:

“Baltic Porter with roasted hazelnuts and double barrel-aged maple syrup from Wild Mother Tasmania.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Matte black with two fingers of tightly held brown head perched on top. Good retention and healthy lacing on the glass.

Aroma: The feature ingredients of roasted hazelnuts and barrel aged maple syrup present quite nicely. The roasted hazelnuts in particular with their nutty and slightly sweet and buttery notes hinged on the notable roasted malt profile. The maple is less distinct but portrays a lovely rich sweetness whilst the double barrel aging adds a certain sophistication and complexity.

Flavour: Bizarre. For the amount of depth and character on the nose there is really weak follow through here. Roasted hazelnuts, barrel aged maple syrup, Baltic porter…dammit this should be absolutely brimming with flavour but somehow all we manage to get is a mess of blood-like metallic accents, a distant woody oak, a hint of roasted nuts and a dry, smooth finish.

Mouthfeel: We will say this though it is unbelievably smooth and effortless for its size (9% ABV). Medium-full body, low-ish Co2.

Overall: After the disaster that was Ogre Bones (an imperial pastry stout we reviewed from these guys a little while ago) we’d practically written these guys off for good. If not for one of our favourite local craft bottle shop owners suggesting this we wouldn’t have bothered. Two things have resulted here. 1) We question old mates suggestions from now on and 2) We leave Cypher alone.

King River ‘Mabon’ Doppelbock

Rating:

“Our Trophy winning Doppelbock! Rich toffee, hints of coffee with full body and bready malt flavour. Dark brown with off white head and silky mouthfeel. Pleasant earthy and herbal aromatics temper the sweetness of this complex dark lager. This beer won the Trophy for “Best Amber/Dark Lager” at the 2022 Australian International Beer Awards. Gold 2023, Bronze 2024 and Gold 2025.”

Glassware: Stein.

Appearance: Gazing over a deep amber body which reveals candy red hues when held to the light. It constructs a fluffy two and a bit finger head that gradually peels off and leaves a good amount of lacing in its wake.

Aroma: We’ve been eagerly awaiting this review for a couple of weeks now so we’re pumped to finally be cracking it. We weren’t actually aware of the amount of medals it has received either. Four in total including two golds and a trophy. KR kicking ass right now. Smells nicely balanced. Layers of rich toffee, bready malt and toast with a notable herbaceous hop profile cutting through. Very elegant.

Flavour: The elegance continues to exude as the taste buds are treated to a good show of toffee, caramel, toast and pumpernickel on entry. Hits a real earthy note midway, a hint of bitterness and a complex woody accent then rolls into a lightly roasted finish of coffee, milk chocolate, treacle and wilted herbs.

Mouthfeel: Fairly crisp and dry yet still able to provide a nice sticky texture. Medium body, low Co2 and a well concealed 7.2 % ABV.

Overall: Not only did this live up to our expectations it also lived up to those medals. Probably the best Aussie interpretation of a doppelbock that we can remember. Impressive stuff.

Banks ‘Motueka Feels’ Oat Cream DIPA

Rating:

“Take a dive into pure hop-driven indulgence. Motueka Feels is our latest entry in the Feels Series — a luxuriously soft and creamy Oat Cream DIPA, hopped exclusively with Motueka and Motueka Cryo.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Looks the goods. Pours a proper turbid, milky light pastel yellow and caps off with a finger of finely beaded white foam. Decent head retention and excellent lace work as it ebbs.

Aroma: It’s ticking all the boxes early on. Smells magnificent actually…super juicy and drenched in tropical fruit sweetness but also full of that resinous and rainforest/evergreen quality that NZ hops are so well known for. Tonnes of citrus i.e lime, grapefruit and orange rind. A hint of mandarin, subtle black pepper, soft pillowy oats and white bread. Ooft!

Flavour: Like the aroma it’s juicy AF, packed out with sweet tropical fruits and mixed citrus. Then the smooth and creamy oats are laid over. The resins and mildly dank oils are a lot more nuanced here, kinda blending in with the unripened fruits and assisting in the delicate bitterness that offsets the smooth and peppery finish.

Mouthfeel: Soft, pillowy beer clouds. Mild-medium body, finely carbed. The 7.8% ABV comes through intermittently.

Overall: Blows our mind why all Banks hazy’s aren’t brewed to this quality (cake eater & cake stand excepted of course). We’ve had a few average hazy’s from them recently so if they can brew to this standard, why not brew them like this all the time? We don’t get it.

Stone & Wood ‘2025 Stone Beer’ Smoked Porter

Rating:

“As the winter solstice draws near, Stone Beer emerges—a brew steeped in ancient tradition. Inspired by medieval techniques, we fire stones and cast them into the kettle, caramelising malts to create rich toffee flavours. For its 17th winter, this dark porter features premium Australian malts, pouring deep brown with aromas of chocolate and notes of roasted coffee and biscuit. Best savoured on the darkest of nights, gathered around a crackling fire.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Mostly dark brown to black with some light punching through at the base and the edges. It forms two fingers of tan head which gradually recedes to a collar. Nice wavy lace left in its wake.

Aroma: The first thing that hits is the smoky characters. There’s good depth to it as well – charred wood, literal wood smoke, smoked meats like ham, cabanossi and bacon. A delicate toffee sweetness acts as an excellent counterbalance as notes of roasted wattle seed, coffee, cocoa and a subtle earthy and spicy hop profile are backing up in support.

Flavour: Again, the smoky components dominate. Upfront it’s roasty, charred and smoky and the chocolate/cocoa play more of a support role as opposed to the toffee sweetness. It takes on more of an ashy flavour through the mid as a notable hop bitterness aids in the drying out of it all, finishing on a nice roasted note that lingers.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and silky with moderate carbonation. Medium body and the 6% ABV is tucked away neatly.

Overall: It’s a tasty little number made more appealing by its sharp price point. We picked up a 4 pack for $20 (not even on sale) which is decent. Here’s cheers to 17 years of Stone & Wood. Even though they sold out.

Moo Brew ’23 Barrel Aged Stout

Rating:

“A very dark, very hefty beer made even darker and heftier by a year in the darkness of a barrel. Two vintages available; try both.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Pitch black with one finger of brown foam emerging over the top. The head retains fairly well and drags wet lace down the sides of the glass.

Aroma: Ooft! This thing has balls. The depth and overall richness and complexity is next level. We recall being blown away by the base stout only a few months ago so it’s no surprise that this BA iteration hits even harder. Massive notes of dark chocolate, molasses, coffee, licorice and a captivating scent of either fairy floss or sherbet to sweeten the deal. Where that’s coming from is anyone’s guess.

Flavour: Just as rich and compelling as the nose. The char/roast is dialled up to 10 and the coffee, dark chocolate and molasses encapsulates it all so cosily. That candy-like sweetness comes through here too…reminds us of how Three Floyds’ Dark Lord imparts a similar candy-esque sweetness. The thing is they added sugar and vanilla, these guys have only aged this stout in French and American oak. Amazing!

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly slick and silky. The 8% ABV comes in late. Medium-full body with low-ish Co2.

Overall: Moo Brew impress us every time. They’ve clearly got some serious skill in the brewery. We’re only left to wonder what this would be like with some exciting adjuncts added to it. Solid.

Banks ‘You Sound Like You’re From London’ ESB

Rating:

“Introducing our very first ESB release at Banks Brewery: You Sound Like You’re From London. This classic English-style ale is all about balance and drinkability. Featuring a rich malt character with notes of toffee, biscuit, and a subtle earthy hop presence. Smooth with light carbonation, enhancing its sessionable nature, making each pint effortlessly enjoyable. A nod to tradition with a Banks twist—cheers to a proper pint!”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Bold amber complexion with a thumb of off-white head perched neatly on top. Good retention and reasonable lacing as we go.

Aroma: We bagged this the second we saw it and there’s three reasons why. 1) It’s Banks. 2) It’s an ESB and we love a good ESB. 3) The beer is named after a well known quote from a favourite movie of one of ours (forgetting Sarah Marshall). It was the trifecta! Banks aren’t really known for their trad Euro styles and it’s on display a bit here. It’s very earthy, a little syrupy and cloying. Lacking in cohesion quite badly which is disappointing.

Flavour: Similar issues carry over to the palate. We get this unappealing mix of syrupy malt, earth and tangy orange. A hint of caramel and wood shavings are a nice touch though. A delicate bitterness runs through too but we can’t seem to get past the overall flavour of the beer which unfortunately makes us grimace each time we take a sip.

Mouthfeel: Not too bad. It’s smooth and buttery with the right amount of Co2. Medium body and the 5.2% ABV is right on the money.

Overall: Just like non-Belgian Trappist ales, good non-English ESB’s are a dime a dozen. When breweries such as Shepherd Neame have been mastering the style for nearly 330 years it kinda puts it into perspective. It appears Banks needs the same amount of time to master theirs.

Red Hill ‘Temptation’ Belgian Strong Ale

Rating:

“Light and Refreshing aromatics from Golding and Hallertau Hops. This is a classic style of beer known as Belgian Strong Golden Ale, and is beyond tempting.”

Glassware: Teku.

Appearance: We gaze upon a radiant golden pour glistening in the winter sun. It struggles to produce much head which means zero lacing on the glass.

Aroma: We were stunned when we realised that we’d never reviewed this beer. Mind you, we had reviewed the barrel aged version but the OG was overlooked! That all changes now though. Smells mighty fine…. chock-full of fruity yeast esters, honey, strong floral perfumes, fresh coriander and chive, white pepper and an earthy/mineraly quality. Really well balanced as well. Top notch aroma.

Flavour: Uber neat and tidy. Buying tripels (or any Trappist style ale) from Aussie breweries is typically fraught with risk as about 80% of the time they’re brewed poorly, but this is one of the exceptions. Super yeasty on entry, supported by the semi-sweet honey malts, florals and fresh herbs. A subtle bitterness and some warmth from the booze into a rather crisp, fruity/yeasty and dry finish that endures.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, sparkling texture with lively Co2. Mild-medium body with the 8.5% ABV being well behaved.

Overall: We’ve always presumed this beer to be a tripel but we could be wrong. The lines are blurred a little but either way, it’s a very adept interpretation of a Belgian classic.

Red Hill ‘Pancho’ Molé Imperial Stout

Rating:

“Like Pancho the Leader of the Revolution, this beer is fearless. Dark and strong, with a spicy heat from the Mexican chillies. Smoky, with the addition of chocolate and cinnamon all the ingredients of the traditional Mexican molé sauce.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Impenetrable black pour with a finger of light brown head. It steadily reduces, settling to a collar with wavy lacing.

Aroma: Rich and decadent with a distinct chilli infusion. We’re suckers for a good chilli beer and this one is giving off the right amount of heat initially. There’s a well integrated smokiness which we’re also loving. What’s really cool is this subtle hint of cinnamon which lightens it up a bit. Nice and brawny base stout too – chocolate, molasses, leather, a hint of ash. We likey.

Flavour: Hits rather hard and aggressive but not in a negative or overly boozy way. Heavy roasted notes, smokiness and chilli heat comes on strong but rolls slowly through the mid. The use of Irish ale yeast comes out later in the piece as it finishes dry and estery along with some residual heat from the chilli.

Mouthfeel: Nice and full but maintaining easy drink-ability. Low-ish Co2, medium-full body and a very well behaved 8.1% ABV.

Overall: Not too shabby from the OG masters at Red Hill. We’ve been fans of this brewery for a long time. Their trad Euro styles are always on point and their edgier craft stuff – like this – is as well.

King River Altbier

Rating:

“Introducing our King River Altbier, a rich and smooth amber ale with a copper to red colour. Crafted with a clean finishing ale yeast and 100% Voyager malts, this revamped brew boasts a beefier ABV for a fuller body. Enjoy a complex blend of bready and biscuit flavors in every sip.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Attractive amber complexion with soft copper red hues when held to the light. It only manages a short tan head which forms a collar. Lots of spotty lace in its wake though.

Aroma: We don’t know a hell of a lot about altbier other than the basics so it’s fun to have one in front of us again. As it looks like an amber ale we were expecting the typical caramel malt sweetness, maple, nuttiness etc but there’s none of that. Instead we get flaked chocolate, fruit esters, tobacco, buttery biscuits, plum and dark rye bread. Intriguing to say the least.

Flavour: Gives off bock vibes. It has that cleaner all-round lager quality but elaborated with rich and sweet crystal malts. Altbier is one of the OG hybrid styles as it’s brewed with an ale yeast but cold fermented which explains the above. Complex yeast esters coupled with toffee, rye bread, dark fruits and carob result in a very intricate yet surprisingly light finish that draws out nicely on the back.

Mouthfeel: Smooth with good consistency. Medium bodied, flat-ish Co2. The 5% ABV adds to its complex drink-ability.

Overall: Quite rare to see an altbier which is cool. The last one we tried was from Slow Lane back in early 2022. Trust KR to be the ones to breathe some life into an old and underrated European style. Did a good job on it too. As to be expected.

Hop Nation ‘Imperial J.Juice’ IIPA

Rating:

“To celebrate 8 years of J. Juice, we decided to amplify the liquid for a one-time-only Imperial version of the much-loved cult beer. Busting with even more intensity than the original, with a rich, hoppy, juicy feel.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Light pastel orange pour with soft golden yellow edges. It forms a rocky two finger head with good retention and healthy lacing.

Aroma: Gotta respect the fact that this release has retained its popularity for 8 years. We were never big fans of the OG version but this imperial version could sway us. Smells nice and fruity, juicy, and a tad creamy. Getting tonnes of citrus fruits mixed with more nuanced stone fruit, pine resin, subtle dank weedy notes and lemongrass. Somewhat crusty/bready malt structure. Not bad.

Flavour: We know it’s too early to summarise it already but our thoughts are that it’s good without being great. It’s full of citrus and stone fruits, it has a nice resinous undertone, a little dank and weedy. A delicate bitterness too but it just feels a little uninspiring. There’s nothing to it that makes us want to come back for another sip. It’s just a big old meh.

Mouthfeel: Decent. Kinda mineraly, sparkling Co2, medium body. The 8.5% ABV was very well concealed.

Overall: Think we’ve pretty much summed it up already. It’s an enjoyable beer don’t get us wrong, but when breweries like MC, Range and Banks are consistently pumping out world class NEIPAs, it pushes beers like this out of the picture.

Friesisches Brauhaus “Jever’ Pilsener

Rating:

“A Northern German (Friesian) Pilsener that is characteristic of the style. It is a little more hoppy than Czech pilseners giving it a more bitter (“herb” in German) flavour.”

Glassware: Stein.

Appearance: Bright golden-yellow pour with two fingers of snow-white head perched on top. Good retention and healthy lace work on the glass.

Aroma: Smells of pure German brilliance. Ultra crisp and clean with superior contrast between the spicy, herbal and earthy Noble hops and the biscuity and semi-sweet honey malts. Soft notes of rice crackers and umami also getting a look in. This is just pilsner perfection. Absolutely flawless aroma.

Flavour: Follows on from the nose with its excellent balance between the hops and malts. Coupled with a tempered bitterness and crisp dryness. It mellows into a bready and crackery mid palate then it rounds off on a dry, mildly bitter and grassy finish which hangs around for days on the back end.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, clean and refreshing. Perfectly carbed. Mild-moderate body and the 4.9% ABV is bang on for the style.

Overall: As far as high quality trad pilsners go, this is right up there. Easily on par with the likes of Weihenstephaner, Warsteiner or Rothaus so it seems crazy to us that we’re only being introduced to this now. Top shelf stuff.

Bright Brewery Maple Affogato Stout

Rating:

“Beer. Coffee. Maple. The love triangle you didn’t know you needed—until now! Back in 2019, we brewed the very first Bright Brewery Affogato Stout. Now in 2025, we’re rekindling the romance—with a little help from our Mountie mate and the legends at Sixpence Coffee in Bright. Together, we’ve crafted the ultimate cross-continental collab: sweet, creamy, rich, and roasty—with just the right touch of sticky.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Mostly black with some oddly shaped suspended sediment – like little pellets floating around in there. Definitely not a nice thing to look at. Anywho, one finger of tan foam rests atop with good retention and lacing as we go.

Aroma: The hunt for a good affogato-flavoured stout continues with this maple-infused expression. Not only do we froth over affogato, we could literally drink maple syrup like a Canadian so we’re hoping we’ve found the one here. Nice and roasty. Tick. Sweet and sticky maple. Tick. Creamy liqueur and vanilla. Tick. Espresso coffee. Tick. At this stage it’s on track but the all-important taste is the make or break.

Flavour: Quite good actually. They’ve nailed their base stout recipe that’s for damn sure. It provides a really sturdy base of charred malt, dark chocolate and espresso coffee but the creamy aspects i.e vanilla, liqueur, lactose etc are too subtle. Even the maple gets lost in it all. It finishes nice and roasty with a fleeting hint of vanilla and maple but simply not enough for what they were going for.

Mouthfeel: A tad lean and watery to be honest. Slides off the palate too easily. Medium body and Co2. The 6% ABV punches above its weight though.

Overall: The perfect affogato stout eludes us once again. Although this expression had a lot of good traits it just doesn’t have enough of the affogato qualities that we’re after.

Banks ‘Tarrifs’ American Amber Ale

Rating:

“This American Amber is a throwback to the bold, hoppy beers that helped shape craft beer culture. Nostalgic in all the right ways. TARRIFS delivers a rich malt backbone layered with piney, citrusy hops and an assertive bitterness that doesn’t shy away.”

Glassware: American pint.

Appearance: Bold amber complexion with a fluffy two finger head over the top. Reasonably good retention but not a lot of lace sticks to the glass as it ebbs.

Aroma: It’s certainly an American amber ale that’s for sure. Gorgeous sticky resins, pine sap, candied lemon, orange/rind and red-petal flowers over a sweet and semi-rich caramel malt base. Like any good American version of a trad beer should, this one displays a very acute balance between hops and malts. Diggin’ it thus far.

Flavour: Doesn’t really have the depth we were hoping for. That being said, it is an American amber, so even though the malt bill is lacking the hops are making up for it with wave after wave of piney resins, sweet yet acidic orange/rind and grapefruit. A significant bitterness further dries it out as it finishes…whaddya know…dry and bitter.

Mouthfeel: Sticky and chewy initially then drying up in the swallow. Medium body, mild-moderate Co2 and the 5.1% ABV is neither here nor there.

Overall: We had much higher hopes for this than what was delivered. No complaints with the aroma but the flavour profile was way too hoppy and there’s not enough malt presence to offset it. Slightly disappointing.

Brasserie Lupulus Tripel

Rating:

“The Lupulus Blonde is THE Lupulus par excellence, the one with which the adventure began. A beer available in 75cl format. It is an unfiltered craft beer, with refermentation in the bottle. Golden colour, slightly veiled, topped with an ivory foam. Citrus and herbaceous aromas. Bitterness present but delicate, which brings a refreshing side, with a touch of thyme.”

Glassware: Trappist chalice.

Appearance: Slightly hazy golden pour with a lot of fine suspended sediment floating around. It caps off with a short white head which retains well. A beautiful cascading lace is left behind on the glass.

Aroma: When the brewers say they use “hops in considerable quantities” they aren’t lying. This would have to be the hoppiest tripel we’ve ever come across. Really fresh and green with bold notes of orchard fruit i.e apple, pear, peach etc, candied lemon/lime, fresh herbs like parsley and coriander. There’s also a hint of spice although this could be driven more by the yeast profile. Very nice.

Flavour: It somewhat balances out a bit here. The hops still take the limelight but they’re met with a delicate semi-sweet honey malt which provides a crucial counterbalance to the bitterness. It’s almost like an IPA/tripel hybrid as it finishes bone dry with lots of fruit and yeast character on the back end.

Mouthfeel: Kinda sparkling texture initially then dry in the swallow. Medium body, lively Co2. The 8.5% ABV was well hidden.

Overall: This was our first crack at this Belgian brewery. We like the fact that it’s unfiltered and unpasteurized. Along with the lifted hops and many other facets. Solid offering.

Garage Project ‘Snug’ Nitro Irish Stout

Rating:

“A lucky few may have bumped into Snug in a bar, but such sightings have been few and far between. Snug, our much loved Irish style stout, now available in a nitro can, meaning you can catch up for a pint* anytime you care to. Just give it a couple of shakes, crack the lid, pour vigorously into a glass and sit back with a grin while a cascade of tiny nitrogen bubbles slowly rises to form a creamy head atop this silky smooth, pitch black stout. Sláinte. 440mls actually, but who’s counting Brewed and packed in Wellington, NZ. May the wind be always at your back.”

Glassware: English pint.

Appearance: Matte black with a big and creamy three finger head which forms once the beautiful process of nitro carbonation takes place. Excellent retention and a sheet of lace is draped down the sides of the glass.

Aroma: As most Irish stouts do, it displays a prominent roasty quality with hints of ash, raw cacao, dark chocolate and bitter black coffee. It’s quite earthy and dry and gives off a flinty undertone as well. We’re struggling to get anything else off it to be honest. Other than what we’ve already listed it just smells like…well…Guiness.

Flavour: If we had to be brutally honest it just tastes like water with some roasted malts thrown in. Like a tea bag of roasted barley left in the glass to brew for 5 mins. It tastes watered down and lacking any real stout flavour. All we get is a far-off hint of roasted malt, earth/flint and a mild dry bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel: A little creamy but mostly lean and watery. Mild-medium body and the 5% ABV is right for the style.

Overall: Crap. We reviewed Cornella’s interpretation recently and loved it. This one however, is bereft of any flavour. It’s mind-blowing to think that this was brewed by GP.

Garage Project ‘Hook Jaw’ American Brown Ale

Rating:

“Tie one on with Hook Jaw, American Brown IPA. A careful blend of oats, crystal and toasted malts delivers a complex base, with notes of chocolate, chewy caramel and dark roast coffee, deftly balanced with Chinook, Cashmere and Mosaic hops giving punchy bitterness and layers of blueberry, grapefruit and tangerine. You’ll be hooked.”

Glassware: American pint.

Appearance: Much lighter than anticipated. It gives off amber ale vibes with its mostly amber complexion and soft red tint. A thumb of tan foam emerges on top and holds together well. Minimal lacing on the glass though.

Aroma: One of the main things we love about GP is their ability to brew high quality beers from both ends of the spectrum i.e trad European and nu-skool American. And everything in between of course! In this case in particular the latter as this is very much an in-between beer. It sports the traditional English brown ale base of nutty, toasty and sweet malt with the piney, resinous and citrusy American hops cutting through.

Flavour: Certainly leaning more towards the American/hoppy side here. Straight off the bat the piney, citrusy and resinous hops hit the taste buds, then a notable bitterness kicks up and keeps intensifying all the way through to the finish. The delicate malts play 2nd fiddle here as the nutty and semi sweet caramels are merely there to keep the rambunctious hops in check.

Mouthfeel: Dry, bitter and flinty. Flat-ish Co2, mild-medium body and the 5.5% ABV is neatly tucked away.

Overall: Brown IPA or American brown ale? It’s another one of those situations where the style has split off so many times it’s hard to know. That aside, it was still a pleasant drop. Nothing to write home about though.

Mountain Culture X Bottle Logic ‘Imperial Logic Vol.3’ BA Imperial Stout

Rating:

“We’re back brewing with our mates and the undisputed stout champions of the world, Bottle Logic. This year we’re pushing the boundaries again by going bigger and more experimental with our adjunct ingredients. All in the name of science of course.
We started with the same malt bill and double mashing technique of the preceding two volumes, creating a thick, complex imperial stout base before letting it rest on cacao nibs and freshly hand toasted banana post fermentation. We then finished it with some creamy caramel and crushed pie crusts to make a truly decadent stout worthy of one of our favourite yearly collaborations.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Apologies on the slightly tilted angle of the can. If you were wondering, yes we took it before we started drinking. The truth is it took a tumble down a flight of stairs. We’re just glad it didn’t blow up! Alas, it pours pitch black with a finger of brown head. Good retention and lacing on the glass.

Aroma: Smells like a boozy caramel slice in liquid form. The “hand brûleed” bananas are a nice touch… adding a sweet caramelised effect to the fruit but also giving it an artificial/candy quality. Nice and brawny stout base as well – coffee, chocolate, molasses, a hint of ash. Something kinda nutty in here too… resembling marzipan. Solid.

Flavour: Fairly similar to the nose – leads out with sweet yet charred caramelised banana, caramel slice and coffee. Bittersweet dark chocolate, ash and marzipan quickly follow and surge through the mid. The booze burn hits a crescendo then a caramelised sugar and dark chocolate note follows right behind and puts a hefty punctuation on the finish. Good length too.

Mouthfeel: Oily, sharp and warming. Low Co2, full body and the 10.5% ABV was evident yet well tempered.

Overall: We’d say with certainty that this version has been the best of all 3. Vol.2 was harsh and unbalanced while vol.1 was the same but with a touch more refinement. They’ve got their act together now and have finally produced a good quality stout!