Once upon a time, Green Beacon used Grappler as a name for its seasonal lagers; in the past it spent time attached to an India pale lager, a German pilsner with new world German hops, and a New Zealand pilsner.
But now, as it’s settled into the GB core range, Grappler’s not about being experimental or particularly hoppy. The brewers use German ingredients – Grappler’s hopped with Hallertau Mittelfrüh and Perle hops, and fermented with Bavarian lager yeast – to make a fairly traditional German lager for modern Aussie drinkers.
This beer’s clear as a flawless gemstone, with just enough hop aromatics to tantalise your nose before you touch it to your lips. There’s a delicate balance of malts and hop bitterness when you start to drink, but what gets me is that it’s smooth, smooth, smooth. It’s so smooth I started to imagine I was getting a slight vanilla note, like it had been lagering in oak barrels stored in ice caves in the Bavarian alps for a few months.*
Mick Wüst
*Note: This beer has almost certainly not spent time in barrels in German ice caves.
