New Beers
There has never been a time like now: more breweries releasing more new beers than ever before. Here, in The Crafty Cuppa, and in our weekly newsletter, we'll bring you details – and, if we've sampled them, our honest, independent take – on as many of them as possible. Enjoy!
Bodriggy Brewing Tame Punk & Chocolate, Cherry & Fig Stout
Published Today
Pink Boots Australia have long held brew days and made collaborations but with the not-for-profit celebrating ten years since they launched locally, we get to enjoy far more of them this year. In total, they're doing ten over the course the year and among them is this West Coast brewed with Bodriggy, Tame Punk. The beer’s inspired by brave women who speak out and start courageous conversations, while it also makes use of this year’s Pink Boots blend that comes courtesy of Yakima Chief Hops. Here… Read more
Black
- Style
- West Coast IPA & Stout
- ABV
- 3.8% 6.5%
Balter Brewing NZ IPA
Published Today
Balter Brewing’s mouth holiday has made another stop. For those who missed the first release in the series, the limited releases see the Queensland brewery take a journey across The Ditch to explore New Zealand hops, which means your tastebuds can go on a journey while you remain in the comfort of your own home. About a month on from NZ Pils, their next destination is NZ IPA and while it doesn't say it on the can, the vibrant, clear and bright orange colour it pours brings to might America's West… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- IPA
- ABV
- 7.0%
Hargreaves Hill R.I.S. 2021
Published Today
The world’s heating up, there is a war in Europe, the impacts of the pandemic are still being felt and it feels like a federal election has been going for about 100 days. In such times of change, it can be a good thing to have a beer you can really set your calendar to. Hargreaves Hill’s annual R.I.S. is such a beer, with the imperial stout being a regular favourite among The Crafty Pint team for the way it constantly combines such a rich web of flavours without any time in barrels. However,… Read more
Black
- Style
- Imperial Stout
- ABV
- 11.2%
Beerfarm The Hop Experiment EXP#1
Published Yesterday
The Hop Experiment is, as Beerfarm state on their website, exactly what it says it is, which makes for a refreshing admission as the world of IPA becomes increasingly bewildering for many. Exploring new hops is the MO here, not something entirely unfamiliar for the Metricup brewers, although here the exploration is available in a neat, limited release twin-pack encouraging punters to compare East and West Coast DIPAs side-by-side. East Coast is loaded with Cashmere, Idaho 7 and Amarillo hops and… Read more
Golden
- Style
- East & West Coast Double IPAs
- ABV
- Both 7.8%
- Stockists
-
Available in limited release from Beerfarm stockists
Or order online here
CoConspirators Brewing & Small Axe The Nonna
Published Yesterday
If you were a fan of CoConspirators Brewing during their early days - circa 2016/17 - and then missed the last few years of their releases, The Nonna might give you pause for thought. Weren’t these beers based around underworld figures? Is The Nonna hiding something quite dangerous in her bowl of hops? But don’t fret too much - the conspiracy is now much bigger and many of the CoConspirators’ aren’t as deadly as they once were. Indeed, the biggest danger brought by The Nonna is likely telling… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Italian Pilsner
- ABV
- 5.0%
Hawke's Brewing Legend IPA 2022
Published Yesterday
In the lead up to the last Federal Election, the passing of Bob Hawke caused the party he once led to rein in the intensity of their campaigning as they paid respects to a Labor – and Australian – great. As the big day approaches in 2022, they'll be hoping the emergence of the third Legend IPA bearing his likeness doesn't do anything to knock his current successor off track. This beer isn't just for refreshment either: $1 from every can sold will go towards funding equipment for the Communities… Read more
Golden
- Style
- West Coast IPA
- ABV
- 6.5%
- Bitterness
- 52 IBU
- Stockists
-
Find Legend here
Local Brewing Co Milkywave
Published May 18, 2022
It can be hard work stargazing in Melbourne but such a challenge doesn’t seem to have held Local Brewing Co back. Following on from their Moonlight Milk Stout in 2021, the brewing company have again looked high in the sky for a beer inspired by our very own galaxy, Milkywave. Much like a nebula, the oat cream IPA is as hazy, soft and creamy as you should expect a beer lined with lactose and oats to be but compared to some in the style, Milkywave has quite a strident bitterness to counter its rich… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Oat Cream IPA
- ABV
- 6.5%
Hop Nation Get The Gist
Published May 18, 2022
Hazy IPAs are a well Hop Nation have regularly drawn beers from, and while there aren't really beer styles they don't explore, you can generally assume that if you haven't seen a new hazy from the brewery in a while, one will soon be on its way. Get The Gist takes a lot of what they love about such beers, namely a mix of modern hops and hop products, to deliver a lush, smooth and silky ride. Here the combination is one of Citra Cryo, Idaho 7 Cryo, Sabro Cryo and Motueka T90 pellets from New Zealand’s… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Hazy IPA
- ABV
- 6.8%
Tallboy & Moose Nitro Chaiger King & Double Jenny
Published May 17, 2022
We may have lived through a lot of lockdowns in Melbourne but fortunately, they can feel quite distant from our 2022 vantage point. Even though we went through so many of them (or maybe because we did), each lockdown now feels like it’s rolled into one and so it can be a little hard to tell - or care - which was which. One easy method to separate them is by tying each to a specific streaming show - there was a Tiger King lockdown, a Ted Lasso lockdown and The White Lotus lockdown. Tapping into… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Spiced Stout & Doppelbock
- ABV
- 5.9% & 7.8%
Bad Shepherd Jun IPA
Published May 17, 2022
Thanks to their origins in malt, combining whisky and beer can be the boilermaker of choice for many but gin can just as often be a match made in heaven. That’s largely thanks to the floral combination in the juniper-led spirit, which means gin is a wonderful way partner to many IPAs, whether the featured hops are quite botanical or have a more citrus or tropical bent. Bad Shepherd have recognised the beauty in that combination with Jun IPA, which contains juniper berries alongside Pahto, Chinook,… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Juniper IPA
- ABV
- 6.4%
Modus Operandi Phantom Of The Calavera
Published May 16, 2022
Before he moved back to New Zealand with his family, the first person I asked to write for The Crafty Pint loved to point out how good Modus Operandi were when it came to brewing dark beers. In their early days, they captured the attention of the beer cognoscenti with excellent hop forward beers such as Former Tenant and Sonic Prayer (OK, and bringing CANimals to Australia, and winning all the awards, and...). Yet their forays into darker territory – Silent Knight Porter, various stouts including… Read more
Black
- Style
- Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout
- ABV
- 6.5%
Mountain Goat Rare Breed: Hightail XXV
Published May 16, 2022
There was a time when the Mountain Goat team would mark milestone birthdays by brewing a larger, celebratory version of their first beer. Thus there was the Double Hightail at 7.2 percent ABV that first appeared when they turned ten then returned as they became beer teenagers (beernagers?). And when they hit 15, there was Triple Hightail, which nudged things a little further along to 8.3 percent ABV. At 20, they did things a little differently with the excellent Back To The Brewer Double Steam Ale,… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Barrel-Aged Dark Ale
- ABV
- 10.2%
- Bitterness
- 30 IBU
White Bay Beer Co Porter w/ Coconut & Cocoa Nibs
Published May 16, 2022
Now, I'll admit to having done zero research on this, but I'd wager there's a very good chance Sydney brewery White Bay have been the most avid producers of porters since they launched. Given how few and far between porters are in Australia (OK, anywhere, really), and how far removed they are from the beers lighting up beerstagrammer accounts, it's not exactly a high bar. Yet their dedication to such beers is noticeable, and they're at it again here with a release in which it's worth paying attention… Read more
Black
- Style
- Porter with Coconut & Cocoa Nibs
- ABV
- 6.3%
Shelter Brewing Bonfire Stout
Published May 16, 2022
A reboot of last year's Campfire Stout, Bonfire sees Shelter's brewers deliver a slightly amped-up version of the same solid base beer as winter 2022 approaches. Although the alcohol is a mere 0.2 percent ABV higher than last year, the addition of some barrel influence has morphed this roasty stout into something new. With a small portion aged for a month in wine barrels, Bonfire offers up a familiar roast aroma with a touch of minerality, bitter cocoa and a touch of drying wine character. Look a… Read more
Black
- Style
- Barrel-Aged Stout
- ABV
- 6.1%
Beerfarm & LS Merchants Shiravignon
Published May 14, 2022
Hard to pronounce but easy to drink, Beerfarm’s Shiravignon is the 2022 iteration of their annual wine hybrid sour project with neighbours LS Merchants. For this version, they’ve utilised four tonnes of sauvignon blanc and shiraz grapes to produce a strikingly sour, juicy hybrid ale. A Ribena-like pour isn’t the only vibrant component of this beer, with a big nose of dark fruits like cherry, raspberry and plum. A freshly-pressed red grape must note is also prominent, followed by a gentle leafiness.… Read more
Red
- Style
- Beer-Wine Hybrid
- ABV
- 6.8%
Bright Tank Baltic Porter
Published May 14, 2022
The Baltic porter may be beer’s equivalent of Southern rap. Using the template set down before, but removed from US East and West Coast beefs, the Dirty South spawned its own regional flair, before influencing broader pop culture through the Noughties. Likewise, we have Napoleon’s 1806 trade beef to thank for the Baltic porter. Cut off from English imports, Scandinavian and Baltic brewers were forced to meet local demand, doing so with what was locally available. So, it was out with ale yeast,… Read more
Black
- Style
- Baltic Porter
- ABV
- 8.0%
- Stockists
-
Available from the brewery
And WA stockists in limited release
Crunk bars available on request
More stockists...
Little Bang Love Bomb Oat Cream DIPA
Published May 13, 2022
Bombs away!! Little Bang are about to start dropping love bombs across the country with a new beer for which they've given one of their brewers free rein over recipe development and the entire brewing process. Stepping up to the oche is the most recent addition to the team, Cameron Sproule – aka Camo – who's opted for a style that's been very much in fashion in the noisier parts of the Australian craft beer world for the past couple of years: an oat cream double IPA sitting at a hefty 8.2 percent… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Oat Cream Double IPA
- ABV
- 8.2%
Sobremesa Fermentary & Blendery Coexistence & Vibes On Toast
Published May 13, 2022
Coexistence might be freshly released in May 2022 but its history goes back some way. For one, it’s the second time Sobremesa Fermentary & Blendery have made it, although 2022’s iteration showcases different locally harvested produce compared with version one. Its story also goes back to their first release in 2020 too, with Coexistence using beer from a hogshead barrel that was filled with their first-ever release, Our Daily Brett, with that barrel now acting as a solera where a portion… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Saison & Bière De Garde
- ABV
- 6.0% & 6.7%
Australian Brewery Southern Land Red IPA & Trans-Tasman XPA
Published May 12, 2022
When the brewery is called Australian Brewery, it shouldn’t be a surprise when a few of the beers make reference to this big ol’ country of ours. Southern Land Red IPA is no doubt a shout out to the red dirt that covers such great expanses of the Australian outback. Once you get the stuff on you – in your car, in your clothes, on your skin – it’s an ordeal trying to get it off. This beer is actually a darker colour than said red dirt, almost pulling up a deep brown. But it’s equally determined… Read more
Red
- Style
- Red IPA & XPA
- ABV
- 6.7% & 5.0%
- Bitterness
- 58 & 25 IBU
Australian Brewery Amarillo Single Hop & Citra Single Hop
Published May 12, 2022
Five years ago, if a brewery released a series of single hop beers, they were likely to be bitter IPAs. In 2022, Australian Brewery’s series is built instead upon hazy pale ales designed to show the distinct hop characters. How times change. (“Mum, Grandpa is shaking his fist and yelling at the cat about beers again!”) Despite its translucent look and its relatively full-in-the-mouth body, Amarillo Single Hop brings orange and spice without going full juice mode. Meanwhile, an East Coast ale… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Single Hop Hazy Pales
- ABV
- 5.8% & 5.0%
