"We’re known for doing big beers, but we want to do everything. Literally every style… but done well. If we’re going to make a lager, we’re going to make a three-month lager."
So began the thinking for Working Title’s first take on a lager. A well-made pilsner is pretty much the gold standard for any brewer, and the Working Title guys weren’t about to cut any corners.
“Lagers are a little bit petrifying,” brewing company co-founder Mark Howes says. “It’s so hard to make something clean. The full expression of the malts, the hops, the yeast, it’s all on show.
“We’ve been very delicate with this beer the whole way through the process.”
This is how they approached making a proper lager. But they’re still Working Title, and still felt the itch to put a modern spin on the style, so they decided to use New Zealand hop varietals to bring some zing. Late kettle and dry-hop additions of Wai-iti, Rakau, Nectaron and Riwaka bring their nuances to Trial Run.
The aroma carries those lime and broader citrus notes at which NZ hops are so good. The first sip introduces lovely pilsner malt that sits soft on the palate, while zesty citrus and spice open up and spread across your tongue and into the upper palate. These then give way to a gentle peppery bitterness, which lingers on the tongue until your next sip. Then it all starts again…
Trial Run is pouring for the first time in The Crafty Pint's Lager Lounge at JUICY in Brisbane (March 11), and then a few weeks later will be the first lager on tap at Working Title’s new brewpub in Doggett Street.
Mick Wüst
Published March 11, 2023 2023-03-11 00:00:00
