We promised we were going to sample this beer on the eve of its launch so we could pop a listing up before it is poured at Slowbeer. But then we thought: "This is the kind of beer that needs to be enjoyed in the right place at the right time and not necessarily on a Thursday evening watching the tennis." Why? Well, how many beers do you know with the sort of genesis enjoyed by the Aurora Borealis? Along with its sibling, the Aurora Australis, it has been months in the making, months that have seen two batches of a strong Belgian style Quadrupel brewed on either side of the world then packaged into wooden barrels and sent, unrefrigerated, over the seas from one hemisphere to the other. Along the way, a couple of these barrels have exploded too, making this is a rare treat not to be taken lightly. Thankfully, we were able to have a wee snifter of the Borealis, the version that was originally brewed in Norway before being packaged into whisky barrels and sent south, at last weekend's Ballarat Beer Festival. (The Australis was brewed in Beechworth during last year's Good Beer Week and sent north in Victorian wine barrels.) Nudging 15 per cent, this is a beer to be sipped and savoured. While undeniably boozy on the nose, the peaty character imparted from the whisky barrels sits nicely with the deeply rich, fruity, slightly sweet base beer. If anything, it's akin to a smoky, after dinner fortified wine, suggesting the Borealis should be pulled out next time you and your nearest and dearest are in the mood for an digestif. The label artwork by this guy is pretty awesome too, bringing to mind this slab of epic nonsense from the 90s' greatest lunatics. In fact, perhaps it should be required listening while drinking the beer; heck, the guitarists are even wearing Naked Ned's helmet...
Published January 25, 2013 2013-01-25 00:00:00
