New Beers
Barely a day goes by without another seasonal or one-off special flying out of an Australian brewery (if not ten). Here and in our weekly newsletter, we'll bring you news and, if we've sampled them, our take on as many of them as possible. Happy hunting!
Wildflower St Henry 2019 – White Peach
Tapped Yesterday
St Henry is to be the last of the Saint series of Wildflower fruited beers for 2019. In devastating news for the beer lovers who can only experience joy through vertical tastings, 2019 is unfortunately substantially different to 2018. For starters, it’s a completely different fruit. A hailstorm in late 2018 destroyed the apricots at the Thornbrook Orchard in Orange and partially damaged a good proportion of peaches. So, in keeping with the Wildflower ethos of sustainability, 400kg of otherwise… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Australian Wild Ale with Peaches
- ABV
- 5.6%
Bright Brewery M.I.A. IPA (2019 onwards)
Tapped Yesterday
Way back in the Paleozoic era (well, something like 2012, anyway), the first release of M.I.A. was the moment that tipped us off that Jon Seltin was a brewer to watch. He'd not long been plucked from homebrewing and put straight into the head brewer role at Bright and this IPA – named after an incident that saw him crash land his paraglider and go missing in action the day before it was being launched – was a real statement of intent. The beer, brewer and brewery have all undergone change since… Read more
Golden
- Style
- West Coast IPA
- ABV
- 6.5%
- Bitterness
- 50 IBU
Bright Brewery Spring Fling Tropical Pale
Tapped Yesterday
Passionfruit is a potent little bugger, isn't it? And Bright's head brewer Reid Stratton has got his hands on some and isn't afraid to us it. Here, it's been added to a pale ale base beer, thus boosting its tropical fruit juice aromas. More than that, the fruit addition also gives the beer a really distinct tang; if you didn't know better, you'd swear you were drinking a fruited lacto sour. James Smith… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Pale Ale with Passionfruit
- ABV
- 4.7%
3 Ravens Wild Ravens Methode Ravens 2018 & Pastry Sour: Strawberry & Rhubarb
Tapped Yesterday
The Wild Ravens series has been kicking around the Thornbury brewery for a few years now, but is back as the decade nears its denouement with a new look and a seemingly even broader palette with which the brewers can create. Methode Ravens is their "homage to the great lambic blenders of Belgium" – a blend of liquids with an average age of 22 months and, arguably, the purest expression of the Wild Ravens ethos. Built upon a base beer of a wild ale from 2017 that was the brewers' favourite… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Mixed Culture Beers
- ABV
- 6.0% / 7.1%
- Bitterness
- 16 IBU / 11 IBU
- Stockists
-
More stockists...
3 Ravens Brewery
The Vin
Section 8
Fredericks Bottleshop Richmond
Regent Cellars
Dexter
Ferdydurke
The Great Beyond
Plus a small amount of the pastry went to WA stockists
3 Ravens Nat Rav Series: Grampians Pinot Gris & Heathcote Muscat
Tapped Yesterday
The brewers at 3 Ravens love pretty much all booze that's interesting, not to mention anything fermented. But they're particularly fond of natural wines and have been working on developing a line of beers of that ilk. After a lengthy gestation and a few small batch trials, the Nat Rav series made its official debut late in 2019, complete with bottles that aren't just decorated with violently appealing labels that would make them welcome additions to the funkier wine sections of a high end bottleshop… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Beer-Wine Hybrids
- ABV
- 7.0% / 7.8%
- Bitterness
- 12 IBU / 25 IBU
- Stockists
-
More stockists...
3 Ravens Brewery
The Vin
Fredericks Bottleshop Richmond
Green Mans Arms
BentSpoke Brewing Co How's It Gosen?
Tapped Yesterday
For a brewery (and brewer) that's put out some of the most complex and, on occasion, confronting sour beers to grace Australia palates, BentSpoke's punsome How's It Gosen? is something of a surprise. It's a beer that's been a popular drop on tap at the Braddon brewpub for some time and here becomes their latest Drifter can release in time for summer 2019/20. And why is it a surprise? Well, mainly because it's so straight down the line, clean and easy-going (which, presumably, was the aim). The fruit… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Tropical Gose
- ABV
- 4.0%
- Stockists
-
Blackhearts & Sparrows Braddon
More stockists...BentSpoke Brewpub
And heaps more here
Blackman's Brewery Don't Threaten Me With A Good Time Hazy IPA
Tapped Yesterday
They've released plenty of IPAs over the years, launching with Reg, souping him up to Angry Reg, popping out a sour NEIPA under their Barrel Farm offshoot, creating the delightful Superhop and more. But this is their first hazy IPA, one they tell us comes loaded with "copious amounts" of US hops Mosaic, Simcoe, El Dorado and newcomer Strata. It sits at the sweeter, stickier end of the burgeoning hazy world, with sweetness a trait we've noticed in a couple of the early adopters of Strata.… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Hazy IPA
- ABV
- 7.0%
Red Hill Temptation (new look)
Tapped Yesterday
Temptation is one of those Red Hill beers that's been around so long it feels like it predates the entire Aussie craft beer scene. And not just because of its longevity. The fact it's such a classically-inspired Belgian style beer makes it stand apart, especially as they've resisted the (shit, I've done it...) temptation to play around with it and bastardise it for contemporary times (even if the 2019 release is 8.5 rather than the past 8 percent ABV). What's more, like the Imperial Stout, it's a… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Belgian Strong Golden Ale
- ABV
- 8.5%
- Bitterness
- 30 IBU
Red Hill A Crazy American Lost In Belgium
Tapped Yesterday
Having just written, ooh, five minutes ago about how Red Hill had resisted playing around and bastardising their classically-inspired Belgian strong golden ale Temptation for contemporary times, we come to this: a bastardisation of a classically-inspired Belgian strong golden ale for contemporary times. How very meta... This Trump-coated beer was first released at GABS 2018 and combines the hopping rates of an American IPA with an estery Belgian golden ale base. It's back in cans for 2019 and delivers… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Belgian IPA
- ABV
- 7.5%
Otherside Brewing Co Creative Series: Feedback India Helles Lager
Tapped Yesterday
Otherside’s final Creative Series release for the year swells with summer vibes, although the stunning artwork by Tapped By Otherside grant winner Liam Dee may well conjure thoughts of an endless, although verdant, dystopian version. His piece was chosen by a panel including Art Gallery of WA curators and now sees him with a residency at Freo.Social during the beer’s release, not to mention with some prize money in his pockets. Beer wise, the India Helles Lager joins a welcome trend of clean,… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Indie Pale Lager
- ABV
- 6.5%
- Stockists
-
Otherside Brewery
And Otherside stockists nationally
More stockists...
Nowhereman 3 Speed Session IPA & Maracujá Sour
Tapped Yesterday
Mid-strength beers can be a tricky proposition. The challenge of achieving enough flavour and aroma while keeping the booze low and everything in balance is a fine art, something that deserves respect, especially if they line up as well as happens here with 3 Speed. It comes with three versions of Keanu Reeves characters riding a bike on the decal – we’ll let you work out who they all are but will say there’s also a nod to a fourth, dude. While joining those dots, the Cascade, Motueka and Idaho… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Session IPA / Fruit Gose
- ABV
- 3.5% / 4.5%
Sailors Grave Skull Rock Gose
Tapped November 14th, 2019
Sailors Grave launched with a gose as part of their initial lineup, back when the beer style was still starting to gain traction in Australia, and have returned to it many times since. Here, with Skull Rock, they do so again, albeit in a manner that's rather different to those that have gone before. Sure, they've used the beer as an opportunity to showcase East Gippsland's bounty, with locally grown Alestar malt joined by indigenous Karkalla (AKA pigface) and Mentha australis (AKA native river mint).… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Gose
- ABV
- 4.5%
Nomad Brewing Jetlag Fingerlime IPA
Tapped November 14th, 2019
If you need a sensory hit to perk you up after a long flight, you’ve come to the right place. Jetlag was one of Nomad’s first three releases back when they opened, taking inspiration from the punchy IPAs of America but adding an Australian twist in the form of finger limes. While Nomad tweaked the recipe in 2019, changing up the hop bill to feature a new blend of Aussie and US varieties (including many people's favourite, Mosaic), they kept the native finger limes in place. While it still drinks… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Fingerlime IPA
- ABV
- 6.0%
Nomad Brewing Rosie's Raspberry Sour Ale
Tapped November 14th, 2019
Raspberry Berliner Weisse style beers have certainly found their place in the hearts of many punters. This particular one follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, Rosie’s Summer Punch, replacing it in Nomad’s lineup. Have you ever had a coral pink beer? If not, here’s your chance. But the colour isn’t the only thing the raspberry brings; a level tartness complements the sour of the base beer, unlike the sweet edge from the hibiscus in the previous incarnation. Don’t expect this beer… Read more
Red
- Style
- Raspberry Berliner Weisse
- ABV
- 3.8%
Nomad Brewing Juicy As Fruit IPA
Tapped November 14th, 2019
It used to be that adding fruits and other adjuncts was a game for sour beers, 7 percent-plus IPAs, and imperial stouts. But with the increase in demand for lower ABV beers with flavour, a number of brewers are starting to play in the low-ABV-beers-with-adjuncts space. Many of these brewers are just exploring this trend for the first time, but the crew at Nomad Brewing have been playing there for quite some time now. One of their offerings is Juicy As, in which Nomad have taken their already quite… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Fruit Session IPA
- ABV
- 4.5%
- Bitterness
- 65 IBU
Boston & Cellabrations Carlisle Double Afterglose
Tapped November 14th, 2019
Talk about giving away the ending... The collaborators on this spin on Boston Brewing's popular Afterglose have stuck with the: "If it’s good, then double will be twice as good, right?" methodology for what started out as a new beer for Fremantle Beer Fest. It’s a sentiment that can deliver diminishing returns, especially when messing with beloved beers, but that's not the case here: Double Afterglose is a success and a dangerous one at that. Raspberries are bright, there's an implied… Read more
Red
- Style
- Imperial Raspberry Gose
- ABV
- 8.0%
- Stockists
-
Boston Brewery
And select WA locations.
More stockists...
Newstead Brewing The Art Series: Sodamouf Soda Ale
Tapped November 13th, 2019
The team at Newstead are passionate about beer and the concept of beer as an art form. As such, extending that passion into a collaborative series in support of art and artists feels like a natural evolution. That evolution draws on inspiration from breweries like Canada's Collective Arts to give us The Art Series, which launched with an art show at Newstead’s Milton brewery before being released into the wild. The first edition is the Sodamouf (The Art Series #1) Soda Ale, brewed in collaboration… Read more
Red
- Style
- Soda Ale
- ABV
- 5.6%
- Bitterness
- 46 IBU
Rocky Ridge Rock Juice V5
Tapped November 13th, 2019
The Rocky Ridge team have unleashed the fifth version of their crowd-pleasing Rock Juice, reuniting with Celebrations Carlisle and Cape Cellars to create a tweaked and better-then-ever imperial NEIPA. Building on previous iterations, V5 brings with it a fresh look that’s in line with recent brand and packaging upgrades from the brewery. Throw in an increase in ABV – now up to a sizeable 10.5 percent ABV – and an all Australian hop bill, including Galaxy, Melba, Ella and Vic Secret, and you've… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Imperial NEIPA
- ABV
- 10.5%
- Bitterness
- 25 IBU
- Stockists
-
Rocky Ridge Cellar Door
Cape Cellars
And other good beer stockists where you find Rocky Ridge beers
More stockists...
The Mill Brewery Altered Beast IPA
Tapped November 12th, 2019
Anyone who’s ever played Altered Beast will know it to be a game where a man transforms into a werewolf or dragon to battle underworld monsters. Apparently, if you get far enough you can turn into a bear too. How does it end? Who’s to say, it’s damn near impossible to finish and the game feels more like it was designed to take coins from kids in the 80s rather than being purely about fun. At Collingwood’s The Mill Brewery, they keep their Altered Beast on free play because the crew are not… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- IPA
- ABV
- 6.3%
- Stockists
-
Beer 360
Galah
Samuel Pepys Wine Merchant
More stockists...Hippo Bottle & Bar
Penny Young
Red Sparrow
Beerfarm Royal Haze IPA
Tapped November 12th, 2019
They might be sauntering in late to the party yet the arrival of a hazy IPA from the Beerfarm crew feels like it had to happen. After all, such beers are designed to be easy-going, fun, low in bitterness and fruity as all hell – which is a pretty decent summation of the entire Metricup operation. With Royal Haze, they might have taken their time, but it means they've been able to put ticks in all the appropriate spots on the hazy IPA checklist, not least the one for haziness: this one's dense as,… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Hazy IPA
- ABV
- 5.8%
- Bitterness
- 15 IBU
