When Jade and the Wheaty brewing team couldn’t get enough Gladfield Redback malt to fill their Blood Oats recipe, they tweaked it, creating a hazy India brown ale instead that also brings in Ferveo’s London ale yeast 11 to help create haze. Mud Oats takes on elements of a barley wine but is hoppier; it would be interesting to taste the aged version. The caramel malts are muted, offering more biscuit and dried fruit characters, joined by punchy grapefruit and orange citrus and a noticeable but balanced bitterness.
Regulars at the Thebby pub will know Mighty Mild, the Wheaty’s lower ABV, dark winter slammer. In the case of Fierce Mild, the recipe was reworked to use up remnants from a variety of malts – 31 different varieties in total – before being poured traditionally and on nitro. A deeply dark brown, it's intensely malt-rich, which works extremely well with the nitro pour. Coffee, dark chocolate, currants, raisins and a little roast are softened by a touch of milk sweetness and a creamy full body. The approach means this exact beer won’t ever be made again; however, it's bloody delicious and could be enjoyed all year round.
Also fresh on taps for summer is the latest collab with COMA (Creative Original Music Adelaide), a volunteer-run, not-for-profit association that encourages original music in South Australia. Changing things up from their usual dark beer offering, this year's beer is a little lighter, hoppier, and in cans. And what a refreshing smasher it is. A 4.5 percent ABV dip-hopped, cold pale, The Hopnote Session is clean and extremely flavoursome without the bitterness of a big IPA. Rockmelon flavours lead the way with a touch of earthiness and some biscuit malt, while It’s quite light without coming across as thin, while the super dry finish aids its sessionability.
Matt King
Published January 17, 2024 2024-01-17 00:00:00
