Another good looking addition to the Monteith’s ‘brewers series’. We would have to admit this series’ beers have been far better than their standard range (except the doppelbock). Bought this bottle from Black Salt bar in Geelong, VIC.
Served in a footed flute glass the clear golden pour presents brilliant clarity with a short white head that dissipated quickly to form a halo around the edges of the glass. Laced reasonably well despite the lack of head. Solid aroma here, the scent of grassy hops, lemon and astringent booze invades the olfactory’s immediately. Some spice and herbal undertones are well offset by earthy/grainy malts . Mildly carbonated with a lifeless feel. Needs a bit more fizz. Quite thin which is surprising considering the ABV, although a sharp bite develops upfront from the high content (7%) which is emphasized by a delicate bitterness from the 4 different hop varieties. Following on is a mellow malty/grainy mid-palate. A suggestion of corn creeps in leading to subtle citrus and grassy hops in the finish. Soft bitterness with a firm alcohol sting on the back end. The alcohol seems to steal the show in the end which is unfortunate as the balance gets thrown off. Not bad, not great.