Slow Lane Peach Goddess, Three Musketeers & Red Nosed Reinbeer

Style
Various Styles As Indicated
ABV
7.0% & 9.0% & 8.8%

Bring me pine logs hither, it’s bloody Christmas again. It seems like only yesterday we were all gathered sweatily around under the pergola listening to Uncle Gavin invent a new kind of super-racism. Out in Botany, however, the Good Eggs from Slow Lane have been working very hard to give us all a lovely little oasis that can be thoroughly enjoyed with or without the imminent threat of an irreparable family rift.

The first of the three new Christmas releases is Peach Goddess. Freestyle Hops’ Peacharine would have to be among 2024’s most lusted-after new hops and we’re finally starting to see more breweries getting their hands on the much-coveted New Zealand variety. For this hazy IPA, Slow Lane have paired Peacharine with the all-purpose Motueka and a new Canadian-developed yeast strain intended specifically for modern, heavily-hopped beers.

From the outset, Peach Goddess smells very, very good. The titular fruit is impossible to miss but there’s more there than just stonefruit. I also got a load of tropical fruit esters with a heap of lime and grapefruit citrus. On the palate it’s almost indistinguishable from the aromas with the addition of hard fruit lollies. As a showcase for hops, the body is full from the addition of rolled oats but very lean and moderately bitter. An excellent introduction to a hop that’s already begun dominating the IPA market.

Next we have something very different but equally as fun. Three Musketeers is a Belgian tripel brewed in collaboration with homebrewer Nick Vassilev. As the winner of the Monastic Ale category in the inaugural Sydney Beer Week’s Pro-Am competition, Nick was able to bring his tripel to the masses via Slow Lane’s wizardry.

Despite being a simple combination of two malts, one hop and an Abbey yeast, as usual Slow Lane have managed to extract every skerrick of complexity possible. Pouring a gorgeous honey gold with a fluffy white head, Three Musketeers reeks of Belgium bubblegum. The classic tripel aromas are interspersed with vanilla, herbal tones and a hint of citrus from the US grown Loral hops. This is a beautifully structured malt body that tastes of honey sandwiches, vanilla wafers, cloves and spice. It’s clean, sophisticated and frankly, marvellous.

Now with all that fun and frivolity out of the way, let’s get down to the serious business of a proper Christmas beer. This year, Slow Lane have looked to Belgian legends Timmermans for inspiration in the form of their Gordon Xmas Ale. Although it’s brewed by a company that’s been brewing lambic for 300 years, Gordon Xmas is actually a Scotch ale or wee heavy. So that means Red Nosed Reinbeer is an Australian-brewed Christmas ale inspired by a Belgian interpretation of a Scottish beer. Got it?

Well, it certainly looks like a wee heavy! A deep rust-coloured beer with garnet highlights and a thick and lasting head. The Belgian influence is obvious on the nose with bubblegum and spice overlaid on notes of dark fruitcake and royal icing. As the beer warms, the riot of malt flavours start to open up and you’re drinking a velvety combination of Christmas cake and caramel slice. This unique mixture of Belgian dark fruits and Scottish malt sweetness is the perfect little Christmas treat just for you. Go on, you deserve it.

*Judd Owen

Published December 2, 2024

Name
Slow Lane Brewing
Address

30 Byrnes Street
Botany
NSW 2019

Phone
(02) 9121 6279
Open Hours

Mon to Thurs: Takeaway only
Fri & Sat: midday to 10pm
Sunday: midday to 8pm

Podcast B2
AIBAs 25 – B2

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