If you were a recipient of the Quarantinnies boxes in which Sailors Grave's latest Sake Kasu beer appeared, you've probably necked it already. But given it's such a tasty drop we thought we'd best include it in this round up of their autumn 2020 releases. Looking not dissimilar to a heavy pinot noir in the glass, this combination of imported sake lees and plums from within a shirt stroll of the Moores' house holds back little on its sour, acidic side and the fruit is to the fore too, yet there's a persistent sweetness – despite the very low finishing gravity – that leaves you with a delightfully complex sweet 'n' sour treat.
Looking to keep things rather simpler is Lager Lager Lager, which they describe as their "quest for the perfect pilsner". Those traditional Euro hop flavours and aromas – grassy, earthy, faintly spicy – are there alongside malts that hint at corn and a little honey. Some esters and a relatively low carbonation make the experience more akin to a kellerbier than more contemporary, crisp pilsners.
Which leaves Garden State, a collaboration with O.MY, the award-winning restaurant in Beaconsfield. Brewed with Gippsland grown malt, oats and wheat plus hops, tree marigold and coriander seeds from the O.MY farm, it's certainly a homespun tale. And it's a beer with a homegrown feel to it too, with a doughy sweetness sat alongside hops of the earthy, grassy variety and a touch of drying spice in the mix too.
James Smith
Published May 11, 2020 2020-05-11 00:00:00
