To mark the opening of their second brewery in the Northern Rivers region of NSW (and presumably also marking the sense of relief that comes with being able to supply Pacific Ale to the many who've been craving it), Stone & Wood created a new beer. Taking its name from the Aboriginal name for Mt Warning, which stands over the new site in Murwillumbah, it's as much a celebration of what the brewery stands for too. In other words, it's bright and balanced and comes chockfull of Aussie hops.
It wouldn't have been right if they'd marked the occasion without using the Galaxy hop that their Pacific Ale has done more than anything else to popularise, and its distinct passionfruit aromas are prominent. To that they added heaps of newer variety Ella, which added apricot to the tropical fruit salad mix. Initially weighing in at 5.5 percent ABV, but since reduced to a straight five, the beer is a more full-bodied affair than its famed stablemate, with a fair bit of bitterness holding up that fruity sweetness too. You could look at it as Pacific Ale on steroids, but there's a bit more going on than that.
Initially released as a one-off, demand saw it brought back on occasion before it become a fully-fledged, year-round brew, later transitioning again to the snappier and simpler name of Cloudy.
James Smith
Published July 8, 2014 2014-07-08 00:00:00
