I reckon I could count on one hand the number of beers I’ve had that gave me a strong hankering to abolish feudalism. You know what I mean? A couple of cool, refreshing sips in and you’re like “This whole lords, vassals and fiefs thing seems a bit iffy to me.” Then as you’re draining the last of your glass it’s all “Right, I’m off to storm the nearest political prison, let’s get a bit of bloody egalitarianism and liberty going around here. Time for the ruling elite to meet Monsieur Guillotine.”
Frenchies Bastille 1789 is just such a beer. Brewed for the brewery and bistro’s month-long Bastille Day festivities, 1789 is a French blond lager made with no shortage of French ingredients. Chief among them, the quintessential French hop, Strisselspalt. Hailing from the Alsace region, Strisselspalt is the hop primarily associated with Kronenbourg 1664. Unfortunately for Frenchies, who have always used Strisselspalt in their core range of beers, it’s becoming much harder to source due to lack of demand. In fact, there are only two breweries who use Strisselspalt in Australia, Frenchies and Coopers (who brew Kronenbourg 1664 under licence). In any event, it just wouldn’t be a French lager without it.
It's a very lovely-looking beer in the glass. Dazzlingly clear with a burnished gold hue that leaves a fine white lace. Aroma is a floral lavender with a touch of herbaceousness and malt. On the palate, it has crisp cracker and white bread with a honeyed malt sweetness and finishes as cleanly as an angled blade dropping from 14 feet.
Judd Owen
Published July 1, 2022 2022-07-01 00:00:00
