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!
Mountain Goat Triple Hightail
Tapped October 12th, 2012
The first beer ever released by Mountain Goat commercially was the Hightail Ale, a beer that remains one of their most popular. For their tenth anniversary, they brewed the Double Hightail, a beer that has since become a semi-regular Rare Breed from the brewery and which is essentially, double everything of the original. So, come their 15th anniversary, what else was there for them to do other than brew a Triple Hightail. It's a more intense version of the Double Hightail and is being taken around… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Strong Scotch Ale
- ABV
- 8.3%
- Bitterness
- 37 IBU
Mornington Peninsula Marzen
Tapped October 11th, 2012
To mark their Oktoberfest, the brewers at Mornington Peninsula Brewery have concocted a rarity among their beers - a lager. And because it's Oktoberfest time, it's a Marzen, the richly malty German lager found pouring at the Munich fest itself. Described as "light copper in colour with a densely packed head of foam" it has "nutty aromas [that] lead into hazelnut notes, [with] Vienna and Munich malts providing a mild bready backdrop." The brewers say it's: "A mildly hopped,… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Marzen
- ABV
- 5.3%
Grand Ridge Hoppy Frog
Tapped October 9th, 2012
We've had English IPAs, American IPAs, Belgian IPAs, Australian IPAs, Black IPAs, White IPAs, Double IPAs, Imperial IPAs... And now we have a French IPA. The Hoppy Frog is the latest release from Grand Ridge, a beer that uses all French hops, including the new Triskel variety, for a new take on the classic and increasingly popular style. In keeping with the first IPAs' origins, the malts are predominantly British, while the hops are all sourced from the Alsace region of France. According to the brewers:… Read more
Golden
- Style
- French IPA
- ABV
- 5.2%
- Stockists
-
Other venues tbc very soon...
The Monk Bounty
Tapped October 9th, 2012
This Coconut Stout was the first seasonal concocted by the current brewing team at The Monk, Steve Brockman and Paul Wyman, just a month after they took up the reins in 2011. It has since picked up a silver at the Australian International Beer Awards and achieved instant popularity with punters in Freo, encouraging the brewers to push their creativity, and has also gone on to win praise from visiting brewers, particularly Christian from Denmark's Beer Here when he was in Oz. As a result, it became… Read more
Black
- Style
- Coconut Stout
- ABV
- 5.5%
- Bitterness
- 55 IBU
- Stockists
Murray's Big Wednesday IPA
Tapped October 5th, 2012
They love their Kiwi hops at Murray's and they know how to use them to make some great hoppy beers, such as the Icon 2IPA, a beer that was the first Aussie beer to really knock The Crafty Pint's socks off back in the day. They're at play again here, in the brewery's first IPA to appear in a bottle, which fills the gap between the Angry Man Pale Ale (formerly Nirvana) and said Icon. This time around, brewer Shawn Sherlock has done away with any bittering hops (in other words, those added to the kettle… Read more
Golden
- Style
- IPA
- ABV
- 6.0%
- Stockists
-
Online via the Murray's shop [here](http://www.murraysbrewingco.com.au/shop/sc
More stockists...
Burleigh Brewing FIGJAM IPA
Tapped October 4th, 2012
Avid readers of The Crafty Pint and its newsletter will recall mention of a short run IPA from the Gold Coast's serial medal-winners. Well, now it's back as the latest in Burleigh Brewing's longnecked "Bit On The Side" range, following My Wife's Bitter, Fannie Gertrude and the Black Giraffe. This is a take on the American reinvention of the classic British style, featuring a blend of specialty malts and five US hops and ending up with the 7 per cent / 70 IBU measurements that has proved… Read more
Golden
- Style
- American IPA
- ABV
- 7.0%
- Bitterness
- 70 IBU
- Stockists
-
For an exhaustive list of other stockists, head here.
Red Duck / Kissmeyer Rebellion
Tapped September 25th, 2012
The third and final collaboration between Red Duck and Danish brewer Anders Kissmeyer from when he visited Australia earlier in the year is a strong pale ale. Not as strong as the 25-hop-variety Hop Bach they composed together but a solid 7 per cent nonetheless. According to the brewer it's "an ale that promises a rich reward, with deep golden leads, mild hops, strong malt aromas and a well balanced, full flavoured payload." Just one batch was brewed, meaning there are just 650 wax-sealed,… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Strong Pale Ale
- ABV
- 7.0%
- Stockists
-
Press Cellars
Swords Select
Olinda Cellars
More stockists...
Lord Nelson Double Nelson
Tapped September 25th, 2012
In cricket, 'Nelson' is a superstitious term used when a score, or multiple, of 111 is reached - 222 is a Double Nelson, 333 is a Triple Nelson, and so on. What that has to do with this beer is anyone's guess, but it's certainly another multi-layered moniker that plays on the English-ness of all the Lord's beers. But, ironically, the Double Nelson is actually their take on an American-style Pale Ale, and a quite fine one at that. It has the highly-hopped citrus and pine characters you'd expect of… Read more
Golden
- Style
- American Pale Ale
- ABV
- 5.2%
- Stockists
The Monk Marzen
Tapped September 22nd, 2012
Brewed every year for the Freo brewpub's Oktoberfest, this is their attempt to brew a beer as true to German traditions as they possibly can. Anyone who's visited The Monk will be aware that tank space is limited, hence they rarely brew lagers that require extra time in the tank. This beer, along with their trophy-winning Mild, is the exception, given a full two months cold conditioning in tank followed by another month of cold maturation. The result, say the brewers, "is a smooth, clean amber/orange… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Marzen
- ABV
- 5.4%
- Stockists
Mountain Goat Fancy Pants 2012
Tapped September 21st, 2012
The beer that was originally conceived as what Hightail would be without any constraints is back. And we think it's an interesting barometer of how far and fast the craft beer scene is moving in Australia. While it was never big in alcohol content, when it first arrived, its upfront tropical hop aromas were the sort to take you aback with what the American Amber Ale quite different to most of what was coming out from local breweries. Now it arrives like an old friend popping into town for a catch… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- American Amber Ale
- ABV
- 5.5%
- Bitterness
- 40 IBU
- Stockists
-
Gertrude Hotel
More stockists...
Hargreaves Hill Russian Imperial Stout 2012
Tapped September 19th, 2012
A beer that in its first incarnation last year blew The Crafty Pint and many of its big-beer-loving mates away and then, earlier this year, did the same to the judges at the Australian International Beer Awards, where it picked up a gold medal. Given its success, it had to return and, thus, here it is. Not quite as massive in terms of ABV as the last one, but still registering 11.3 per cent, it's a full-bodied, rich, roasty, creamy, everythingy kind of imperial stout - a little softer than last year's… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV
- 11.3%
- Stockists
-
On tap
In bottle (out later this month)
[Purvis Cellars](/beer/bottleshop/purvis-beer/
More stockists...
Feral Watermelon Warhead
Tapped September 17th, 2012
Named after the sour kids' lollies, this was originally the Swan Valley brewery's entry for the 2012 Great Australasian Beer Spectapular. When asked to nominate a style, Feral said it was along the lines of a Berliner Weisse, although that their main aim was to create something akin to said kids' lollies. The beer itself went down so well at the Spectapular and then everywhere else that it appeared, both in Australia and overseas at Beervana NZ, that it's now being brewed regularly. It's a fine,… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Berliner Weisse
- ABV
- 2.9%
- Stockists
Mornington Peninsula English IPA
Tapped September 13th, 2012
The unstoppable brewing force that is AG is back with another limited release. Not just that, but he's announcing the next one in line at the same time; something tells us there must be more than one brewhouse down on the Peninsula... Anyway, before the Marzen lands, his tour of Europe that commenced in Scotland last time around heads south of the border for an English style IPA. That means a blend of traditional English hops and toffee-like malts to create a golden amber ale that, according to the… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- English IPA
- ABV
- 5.1%
- Stockists
-
The Park Hotel Werribee
[The Alehouse Project](
More stockists...
Bridge Road Bar Series 1: Josie Bones Revolution
Tapped September 12th, 2012
A few weeks back, Bridge Road kicked off its Bar Series, a project that will see it invite staff from some of the country's top beer bars to come up with their idea for a beer then travel to Beechworth to brew it. Each beer is then sold at the brewery and all of the participating bars. You can read more on it here or save your time for drinking instead and head to the venues that will be tapping beer number one. It was dreamt up by the team at Josie Bones and is an Australian Pilsner. The theory… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Australian Pilsner
- ABV
- 5.1%
- Bitterness
- 40
- Stockists
-
Norfolk Hotel ( Fremantle)
Archive (Brisbane)
[The Wheaty](/beer/ba
More stockists...
Red Duck Gnaume
Tapped September 10th, 2012
In a recent piece for the site, we asked Red Duck founder Scott Wilson-Browne for the favourite of all the names he'd given his beers over the years. This was the one he picked. When we suggested it was something to do with Gaume (a place in Belgium) and gnomes, it seemed we were on the right track. There's something to do with "small interesting creatures" too. The best way to solve the puzzle might be to get your hands on one of the beers while you set the cogs a-whirring. It's the second… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Belgian Lambic Golden Ale
- ABV
- 6.2%
- Stockists
-
Press Cellars
Swords Select
Olinda Cellars
More stockists...
Red Duck Bumble Bee
Tapped September 10th, 2012
Red Duck's entry for this year's Great Australasian Beer Spectapular makes a reappearance in bottled form, having landed a spot in the People's Choice top ten. Continuing Scott's penchant for brewing with honey (a quick flick through the mental rolodex brings up a honey porter and three braggots with honey - there could be others), this is a honey amber ale, which in this case means there are some soft, nutty malts at play with the honey. It's the brewery's first single hop beer, with said hop being… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Honey Amber Ale
- ABV
- 5.7%
- Stockists
-
Press Cellars
Swords Select
Olinda Cellars
More stockists...
Red Duck Smells Like A Pony
Tapped September 8th, 2012
The third braggot to come from the Ballarat brewery - braggots being a Medieval style of strong alcoholic drink that are a blend of strong ale and mead. This one wears its heart on its sleeve (or something like that) with the name an indication that it smells a little pony like. Or, as the brewer's notes say, the buckwheat honey lends it a "curiously aromatic, pony like, leathery aromatic". That said, the sweeter side of the honey seemed more prominent to The Crafty Pint's palate, resulting… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Braggot
- ABV
- 13.7%
- Stockists
-
Press Cellars
Swords Select
Olinda Cellars
More stockists...
Our Dark Secret
Tapped September 8th, 2012
A beer like no other... When the 2010 and 2011 Champion Exhibitors from the Australian International Beer Awards, Ní¸gne í? and Moylan's, visited Australia for the first time for Good Beer Week in 2012, we asked them if they'd get together and brew a beer. They agreed, we built an event around it and, three months later, the secret was out. A massively hoppy imperial black IPA featuring a huge amount of Aussie hops, including several kilos of the as-yet-unreleased Victoria's Secret variety, it… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Imperial Black IPA
- ABV
- 8.2%
- Stockists
-
Hargreaves Hill One keg
Beer DeLuxe Two kegs
The Wheaty Two kegs
The Local Taphouse Darlo Two kegs
Jack Green
More stockists...
Moon Dog Wet Nurse Tonic
Tapped September 7th, 2012
It says something of the way the Australian beer industry is going that just days after learning Moon Dog was to release a beer called Wet Nurse Tonic, The Crafty Pint was at another brewery in another state when the brewer announced plans for a pale stout called Wet Nurse. Devious buggers... In the case of this one, it's the Abbotsford brewers' take on a milk stout that - aside from the saucy label that channels British seaside postcards from the 60s via Mars Attacks and Jeff Koons' porno paintings… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Milk Stout
- ABV
- 7.3%
- Bitterness
- 36 IBU
- Stockists
-
[Cellarbrations at Carlisle](/beer/bottleshop/cellar
More stockists...
Red Duck Gruiter
Tapped September 1st, 2012
Even by the brewery's standards, Red Duck's Canute the Gruit was a weird one. A hopless beer designed to be like the gruit beers of Medieval days, it featured homemade nettle goo and hawthorn berry juice as well as some deliberately scorched oats in the kettle. It was a beer we found beyond challenging when it was young but which developed into a really exciting smokey sour beer with age. The Gruiter is the follow up, designed to be how a beer might have been around Renaissance times. Less smokey… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Gruit Stout
- ABV
- 6.8%
- Stockists
-
Press Cellars
Swords Select
Olinda Cellars
More stockists...
