Murray's Spartacus (bottled)

On the day they open their new venture in Manly, Murray's is also unleashing two of its biggest releases from 2010 in bottled form. One is Spartacus, their 100 IBU Imperial IPA that registers a whopping 10%; as the label says "It kicks arse". Although inspired by the American beers of this style, it maintains the Murray's tradition of favouring Kiwi hops and their tropical fruit character. If memory serves Crafty right, those aromas are a little subdued in the bottle compared to the draught release, with some sweet caramel notes and a little alcohol coming through on the nose too. For a beer with such huge levels of hopping, it's remarkable how balanced it is, with the British and German malts ensuring the bitterness is there but not overpowering in a full-flavoured addition to the Murray's big beer range.

Published May 16, 2011 2011-05-16 00:00:00