Sailors Grave have been partnering with Nura Gunyu, an organisation providing Aboriginal education and cultural awareness, on a series of collaborative releases since the start of the decade. The series, designed to reflect the six Aboriginal seasons, returns here with a beer making its debut and one of the earliest releases dressed in different livery.
The newcomer is Golden Wattle Ale, inspired "by the changing season & the beginning of warm currents heavy with wattle pollen". As such, it's brewed with native wattle seed from Nura Gunyu and Black Duck Foods. Pouring a lightly hazy copper with the whitest of heads, softly sweet grainy malts coated in honey are the main attraction, with what little hop presence there is coming across as faintly floral and spicy. It's essentially a more full-bodied / full-flavoured take on the golden ale style with a dry finish.
Honey Bush Braggot has been around before, including in nitro-enhanced form, although not in warmly-hued printed cans like this time around. Braggots are brewed with both malt and honey, in this case pure Banksia serrata honey from Tambo Valley Honey. Ruddy in appearance with a dsense, cloud-like head, it's awash with rich, cakey malts decorated by fruity spices and dark honey, all delivered by way of a creamy mouthfeel.
James Smith
Published October 29, 2024 2024-10-29 00:00:00
