If anyone was wondering whether we'd see as wide a variety of dark beers from Hawkers in 2022 compared to the myriad from recent years, this early April double drop appears to answer that question. Love Affair is a collaboration with Hunted + Gathered: a dark lager containing both chocolate and cacao nibs from the Melbourne chocolatiers. Even with these different forms of chocolate, the resulting beer is, well, beerier, than you might assume such romance would create, quite bitter with roasted barley notes and coffee plus herbal elements you often find in a classic schwarzbier. But on top of that is a toffee / caramel sweeter side and more classic dark chocolate flavours that quickly subside against the beer’s dry finish.
OK, so technically Bourbon Barrel-Aged Double White Stout might not beer a dark beer in appearance but arguably it is one in terms of mindset. The beer follows multiple releases of White Stout from the brewery, with another appearing earlier in 2022, but this version presents more alcohol and barrel. Well, maybe not more bourbon barrel but there’s certainly a heavier influence of time in barrel, with a potent mix of bourbon and raisin. With vanilla and coffee added, those flavours come to the fore quite quickly and only build as the beer warms, moving the flavour in a slightly tiramisu direction. At this rate, we await to see what the Hawkers have in store for winter...
Will Ziebell
Published April 5, 2022 2022-04-05 00:00:00
