Sean Astill’s dad used to be a pilot in the British airforce*, which earned him the nickname Biggles from various family members in the UK. Since he provided Sean with plenty of support and opportunities in life that ultimately led to Future Magic, Sean brewed this Biggles ESB as a way of saying thanks to his dad. It’s a lovely example of an extra special bitter, pouring a gorgeous amber-copper colour, and offering up dry toffee and a little toast.
“Tastes like home,” Sean says. “A lot of nostalgia for anyone who’s tried those beers in the past. Nice and caramelly with herbal hop character. Gets better as it warms up. Not super carbonated, and doesn’t need to be.
“Dad tasted it and got a little bit teary.”
Surprisingly for a malty beer in Brisbane, this beer struck a chord with locals, too – “When it ran out, people said, ‘When’s Biggles coming back?’” – prompting Sean to rebrew it.
While we’re on the topic of malty beers that deserve to come back, let’s turn our attention to Lunar Schwarzbier. Named as the dark counterpart of Solar Lager, Lunar is made on the same base recipe as Solar – same hops, malt and yeast – with some dark malts added for colour and flavour, and the bitterness turned up just a notch. The result is an easy drinker with a dark roastiness blanketing the nuances of Solar.
It’s dark. It’s dry. It’s drinkable. It’s done before you know it.
Mick Wüst
*The plane on the decal is the jet that Sean’s dad used to fly in the airforce. A little different from his namesake Biggles’ WWI biplane…
