EVER wanted a bit of impartial advice at the bottle shop? Let Weekender's Daniel Honan be your guide.
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Flick through his reviews from 2017 below, or get the quick version in the gallery above.
Pulped Fiction, Blood Orange IPA
The path of the creative craft brewer is beset on all sides by the mass-produced model of production of evil men (accountants). Blessed is she who, in the name of taste and imagination, shepherds the flavour through the aisles of swill and dullness, for she is truly her brother's keeper, and the finder of lost brewers. Mountain Goat’s single keg series beers are usually reserved for in-situ tastings only, and its availability is limited. An amber red body capped with a thin, off-white head reeks of citric hops and the sweet, mushy decay of overripe cumquats and mandarins. More soft orange citrus flavours in the mouth balanced by aggressive hop bitterness, followed by a flash of blood orange sweetness to finish. More sweetness, to curb the bitterness, would be nice.
Whisky Sour (Berliner Weisse), Sailors Grave Brewing
The palate gets bored too easily. It's the brain's fault. Apparently, our brains have evolved to be attracted to novelty. Dopamine, otherwise known as the 'reward chemical', is released by the brain in increased levels whenever novelty abounds. The search for the new, especially, new smells, tastes and textures, is part of the reason why I picked up this can of Whisky Sour by Sailors Grave Brewing (the other reason was the can’s magnificent shininess and artwork). Hazy pale gold in the glass with a frothy, bright white head, it smells of creamed honey spread on white bread, lemon butter and faint vanilla. Then, novel flavours of sour orange candy, crunchy nectarines and briny cherries tickle the glossal.
Norman Australian Ale, Yullis
Without any prior knowledge of what a Yullis is, or might be (it’s a vegetarian restaurant in Sydney, btw), you could be forgiven for thinking the liquid that lies behind the kitsch Aussie label on this Norman Australian Ale will either taste as boring as sipping Crownies at your uncle's second wedding, or, be as ironically cool, but, still, nonetheless as gross as admitting you really do like the taste of VB. Not so, this is an approachable and tasty beverage. It pours the colour sun-bleached straw with a foamy white head and smells like green melons and yellow citrus with a touch of sweet grassy hops. It's nicely balanced and will extinguish your thirst with bitter citrus and lychee flavours that’s well supported by a baseline of toasted maltiness. Two thumbs up.
F#&K. the. rent, East 9th Brewing Co
Did you know that a particular word on the label of this beer, brewed by East 9th Brewing Co, is included in the top 10 most used swear words around the world? Such words, like the one on the label of this beer, account, for 0.7 per cent of the average English speaker’s vocabulary. So, what about the beer? Well, if you look past the stylistically inflammatory label and taste the liquid inside, you'll find a brightly coloured, finely beading amber ale covered with a frothy white head that smells of fresh cut flowers and orange citrus lifted above honey and caramel malts. Creamy textures and sweet toasted orange flavours offset a light bitterness that makes this one easy drinking adult beverage.
Rare Ink Session Stout, Stockade Brew Co
There's nothing quite like a refreshing adult beverage after a hot day in the sun. Something to quench the thirst, assuage the core body temp, and revitalise the mind and mouth with composite flavours of charred toffee, chocolate and caramel. If you're a fan of dark beer, as I am, it can be difficult to find one that's fit for purpose in the warmer months. Monteith's, schwarzbier style, Black Beer does the trick. As does this Rare Ink Session Stout from Stockade Brew Co. Rather than a dark lager, Rare Ink is a black pilsner, so it's crisp and refreshing, but black and tan in colour, and stout-like in flavour: Smoky, caramel toffee on the nose, with a little bitter chocolate, it tastes like Americano coffee and burnt toast for breakfast, but feels light enough to slam it down fast. Great for slaking a summer thirst.
Pagan’s Empire IPA, Prancing Pony Brewery
Prancing Pony are the Supreme Champions of beer, having won the trophy for world’s best sherbet at last year’s International Beer Challenge. This, of course, means they can now compete against the other Supreme Champions from the seven other planets in our solar system, and potentially win and be crowned Super Supreme Champions of beer (and pizza). Then, they would be eligible to enter the highly coveted interstellar Galaxias Beer Competition. Perhaps they should enter this single IPA, called Pagan’s Empire. Clear amber in colour with an excitable tannish head, aromas of citrus blossom, cumquat, and caramel soaked resin, followed by smoky burnt orange flavours of smouldering pine and charred hops, with a fierce texture, in the mouth. Good luck!
Drifter, Fortitude Brewing Company
As, I think, the old saying goes, “you can get it liftin’, you can get it Driftin’, you can get it any old how,” as a matter of fact, I got it just the other day when I completed my first DeBeyers Drift of 2017. In case you haven't heard of the obscure sport known as bike sailing, or drifting, let me explain. The aim of ‘the drift’ is to cycle down a steep hill, stop pedalling at a particular spot, then roll or ‘drift’ as far as you can to the end. Its curator assures me that it’s bound go mainstream any day now. There’s even an official beer: The Drifter, by Fortitude Brewing Co. It’s a no-brainer summer ale, with a golden body and thin white head, smelling of honey on toast and a bit of fresh orange citrus. Super refreshing. Drift on.
Ten FIDY Imperial Stout, Oskar Blues
Where do you sit on the tinnies versus bottles debate? Me? Well, unless I’m drinking outdoors, I don’t mind, one way or the other. So long as the product inside is cold, wet and drinkable, with at least a bit of intrigue, flavour-wise, I’ll drink it from whatever vessel a brewer puts it in. Pouring it into a cold glass, the tin hasn’t diminished this Oskar Blues Ten FIDY Imperial Stout from Colorado. It pours like sump oil from an F-150 with a beautifully foamy charred brown head. A nose of cacao and cherry, spent coffee grounds and burnt caramel echoes in the mouth with bitter malts and some smoky spiced flavours delivered by a creamy soft and lightly carbonated texture, with an aftertaste akin to glowing embers. Bring me a tin of this and some smoked ribs, stat!
Chainbreaker White IPA, Deschutes
This tasty beer is from Bend, Oregon. The name of the brewery, Deschutes Brewery, shares its name with the Deschutes River, where the brewery is located. From what I can gather, The Chainbreaker has nothing to do with Daenerys Targaryen, but something to do with mountain bike riding. It's a white IPA brewed with wheat and pilsner malt, a mix of bravo, centennial, cascade, and amarillo hops and a dash of sweet orange and coriander. It pours a cloudy white with pale yellow hues and a fluffy white head. Aroma is orange zest and citrus spice floating over grassy, wheaty, yeasty notes. Taste is tangy lemons and sweet biscuits with a little grapefruit held by softly carbonated and creamy textures. It's a Belgian style IPA hybrid, well balanced with a delicious depth of flavour.
PALE, Two Birds, Spotswood
According to the market research, Australian-style pale ales are on the … zzz. Oh, sorry. Are you still here? At the time of writing I was immersed in fascinating tidbits from press releases proclaiming insightful analysis into the latest beer-drinking habits of Aussie … oops, there I go again. Basically, pale ales are popular. Every beer in the top10 2016 Gabs Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers were variations on pale ale. Even in the craft beer world, the hop doesn’t fall too far from the bine. The timing for this new brew by Two Birds Brewing couldn’t be better. Nicely packaged, refreshing, flavoursome and balanced. It pours bright gold with a thin white head. Loud tropical fruit fanfares on the nose with white bread, followed by more tropical sweetness offset by moderate hop bitterness and a soft, foamy texture that finishes crisp and dry.
(Green) T, Mayday Hills (Bridge Road Brewers)
Collaborations among the beer community are nothing new. Magical things can happen when two breweries with different styles join forces to create an adult beverage that's unique and delicious. But what if, say, a brewer formed an alliance with a green tea farmer? Well, you'd get this here (Green) T by Mayday Hills (a farmhouse beer project by Bridge Road Brewers) and Alpine Tea Co. A gentle spritz sounds as the crown seal is broken ... it pours out shades of browned orange with a big foamy head. My expectation of a hoppy Sencha aroma and taste are immediately quashed by the distinct smell of fresh feijoa fruit, lime candy, some vanilla and grapefruit, then, crunchy Granny Smith apples, a squeeze of lime, some hop bitterness and a dash of sweetened Matcha.
Tonic, Doctor's Orders Brewing
Apparently ambidextrous, Tonic by Doctor's Orders Brewing, is a Witbier-styled amalgamation of orange peel, juniper berries, coriander, lemon myrtle and cinchona bark, plus, hops, yeast, water, and wheat, obviously, which, the brewers say, you can drink on its own, or, as a tonic mixer with gin. Why not both? Solo, it pours like polished gold with a frothy white head and spritely effervescence; smelling of sweet citrus, a little wattle and other yellow wild flowers, it tastes of cumquat, spice and yellow Skittles, finishing bright and crisp. Mixed with gin (Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin) and a squeeze of lime, the beer takes on a tart shandy character that seems to negate the more refreshing aspects of the solo beer. Not as versatile as an adroit switch-hitter, but, a bi-curios concoction nonetheless.
JSP, Wolf of the Willows
It's April already and, Trump hasn't blown up the world, yet. In light of this, I'd say things are going pretty good. April also signifies the middle of autumn, which means, in the immortal words of Ned Stark, ‘winter is on its way’ (the more accurate, 'winter is coming'™ had to be omitted due to copyright concerns). This means it's time for Aussie beer fans to turn towards the dark side. This Johnny Smoke Porter by Wolf of the Willows is a good start. Cola black with a thin brown head, it smells of campfire smoke and BBQ slow-cooked beef brisket, soy sauce and a dab of honey. Dark chocolate and dark roasted coffee beans taste strong between the teeth, offset by a touch of tobacco wafting over backdrop hops and a smooth, silky mouth feel. Pessimism sure is tasty.