There’s no doubt the team at Phat Brew Club is having fun, as this quartet can ably attest. Sure, one of them happens to be a birthday beer, but the other three really just represent the day-to-day vibe of the West Perth brewery / venue – just look at Phat icon Phitzy’s insatiable orifice!
Continuing the mood, let’s bookend this quartet with a pair of desserts. We begin with Lemon Meringue Sour, which pours citrus curd-hued and doesn’t deviate from the theme thereafter. An initial sweet lemon soon morphs towards spritzy Eno before the lactose creaminess arrives evoking the cream topping. Those looking may find the crumbs of a biscuit base, however this is all about the lemon / cream interplay.
Keeping things fruity, our next offering may be overstating its credentials, despite plenty of personality. Mango Medium, or Moderate Mango may be more appropriate, although they lack the kind of unhinged appeal of the original Mango Madness, especially in the Phat repertoire. Mango is forward, plump and juicy, although the conservative assessment here is more a reflection of a very well-constructed, balanced oat cream IPA rather than one that arrives with an insulin pump. Besides, Phat kitchen’s pan-Asian cuisine is a far better companion.
And why not add professional wrestling into the mix? With the WWE coming to Perth, Phat have taken the opportunity to brew Waller Rub, a liquid tribute to Aussie wrestler Grayson Waller. Known as a "heel" – or bad guy in layman’s terms – the beer takes a muscular approach via Idaho 7, Galaxy and Simcoe on a lean, lightly-misted base. Passionfruit and stonefruit abound, while there's a decent nudge of bitterness throughout, especially through the dry conclusion which sets up Phat’s celebratory TKO...
They've saved that accolade for their Birthday Beer, one plied with cake batter and giddy amounts of lactose. Vanilla and peach swirl through the sweet, round base as the Galaxy hop addition doing its best to provide gravitas to the thrilling head spin of flavour. It’s a beer that deserves a candle stuck in it, and given the recipe it would likely stand upright.
As brewery co-founder Travis Moore puts it: “This beer is about having fun, which is exactly what Phat is about.” Before asking “Did you get the cake batter at the end?”
The response? “Yep, it’s like vanilla sponge, which is a totally normal reply to a beer question in 2024.”
Cue laughing crying heads and cake emojis...
Guy Southern
Published February 15, 2024 2024-02-15 00:00:00
