The Real Book or the Fake Book is well known in jazz circles and provided the perfect pun for the Wheaty Brewing Corps' 2022 collaboration with COMA (Creative Original Music Adelaide). The book was created in the 1970s by two students who attended Berklee College of Music, providing enough basic information about melody, chord symbols, structure and lyrics for musicians to be able to fake their way through a song. As for the beer inspired by the book, it's a strong red lager containing a long list of speciality malts: Munich 1, Vienna, RedBack, Shepherd’s Delight, Aurora, Sour Grapes and Dark Chocolate.
The colour is the first element to make an impression, taking on a rich, dark ruby red colour. Dark dried currants, sweet toffee, a little cherry, and a hint of smoke presents on the nose, while those complex malts carry through with a medium sticky toffee mouthfeel awaiting on first sip. Flavours including toast, caramel and toffee contribute a sweetness that follows through to the end in a lager that's both clean and a full-on malt onslaught, with a snippet of jazz history for good measure.
Matt King
Published December 20, 2022 2022-12-20 00:00:00
