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!
Stone & Wood Stone Beer (2011)
Tapped August 1st, 2011
Given the runaway success of their Pacific Ale, the Stone & Wood team has little time to do anything but brew batch after batch of it these days (well, when not surfing or hanging out at the beach, anyway). But they do like to find time for their annual Stone Beer brew, the beer that involves head brewer Brad Rogers pulling out the rocks he's been lugging around since his days brewing in Fiji, superheating them over a fire and using them in the brewing process. It's a recreation of an ancient… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Stone Beer
- ABV
- 5.3%
- Stockists
-
[Purvis Beer Richmo
More stockists...
Murray's Oak-Aged Heart of Darkness
Tapped July 30th, 2011
To mark the brewery's 500th brew, Murray's decided to put a twist on one of their most twisted beers, the big, dark, clash of styles Belgian Imperial Stout. It has spent time in American oak barrels previously used for Shiraz. According to the brewery, it's added a "beautifully integrated oak character. The beer features classic light tannins and vanillin oak character, which accentuate the strong chocolate notes of Heart of Darkness." It's only available in very limited numbers from Murray's… Read more
Black
- Style
- Belgio Imperial Stout
- ABV
- 9.6%
Hargreaves Hill Russian Imperial Stout
Tapped July 28th, 2011
You know when you take your first mouthful of a particularly feisty chili or curry and it sends your taste buds into overdrive, firing off warning messages to your brain that this one might just be too hot to handle? Then you soldier on and, palate suitably adjusted, it turns out you were just being a wuss. Well, it seems the same can apply to big bastard beers like this Russian Imperial Stout, the biggest beer yet released by Hargreaves Hill. After wallowing in the lovely rich aromas - dark caramel,… Read more
Black
- Style
- Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV
- 12.3%
Bridge Road Saison Noir
Tapped July 23rd, 2011
Bridge Road founder Ben Kraus is making a nice habit of pulling something special out of the bag to mark his brewery's anniversaries. And with this - a beer which suggests that while the first half of 2011 belonged to black IPAs the second will belong to black saisons, what with Doctor's Orders Synapse having appeared already - that tradition continues. You can plot the evolution that's led Ben here, from the spectacular Oak-Aged Imperial Porter of the fourth anniversary through last year's mightily… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Black Saison
- ABV
- 6.5%
Mountain Goat Coffee IPA
Tapped July 22nd, 2011
It's not that unusual to find coffee in a beer, although in Australia at least it has tended to be found in dark ales, porters or stouts, beers that often have some coffee like aromas or flavours from their malt bill. It is pretty unusual to find coffee in an IPA, which is the case in this collaborative effort from Mountain Goat and roasters Seven Seeds. After playing around on the pilot brewery, this is the first batch to make it into the public realm. Hold it to your nose and there's little to… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Coffee IPA
Prickly Moses Chocolate Ale
Tapped July 21st, 2011
The second new beer to be unveiled during the Prickly Moses showcase at Young & Jackson's this sees the brewers from the Otway Ranges hooking up with Grounded Pleasures, who have supplied organic fair trade Ugandan Red Cocoa to create a rich, chocolaty ale. According to brewer Hendo: "We created this chocolate ale to highlight the reddish hue of the cocoa in a malt-driven beer." He says there are subtle mineral yeast tones, designed to accentuate the origins of the cocoa. Some orange… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Chocolate Ale
- ABV
- 6.2%
- Stockists
-
Young & Jackson's (tap)
Blackhearts & Sparrows (growler)
Slowbeer (growler)
More stockists...
Moo Brew Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (2010 Vintage Release)
Tapped July 20th, 2011
In the world of Aussie beer, this is one that can easily be tagged "luxury item". It's to craft beer aficionados what a diamond encrusted iPhone is to a yacht-hopping dolly bird in Monte Carlo: oozing, nay, flaunting excess. In previous years, the folks at Moo have used such phrases as "complex matrix of high residual sugar and bitterness" and "active alcohol vector" when describing the beer. It seems the bogans have taken back control this year, however, with the label… Read more
Black
- Style
- Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
- ABV
- 8.0%
- Stockists
Red Duck Canute the Gruit
Tapped July 16th, 2011
Back before Red Duck existed, King Cnut Ale by the UK's St Peter's Brewery got Scott Wilson-Browne thinking. A hopless beer that set out to recreate ales as they might have been back in Medieval times, it ultimately inspired this. The label declares: "EXTREME ALE" and with good reason. Featuring a mix of grains, oats and spelt - some of which was "scorched" in the kettle - as well as stinging nettles and homemade hawthorn berry juice, it is as weird as they get; one that most… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Gruit Stout
- ABV
- 4.4%
- Stockists
-
[Blackhearts & Sparrows](/beer/bottleshop/blackhearts-spar
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Red Duck Belgian Vanilla Porter
Tapped July 16th, 2011
Yet more proof that there are no rules when it comes to brewing these days. Whether it's Murray's throwing a tonne of hops at an Imperial Stout, Feral combining Belgian yeast with Japanese-developed hops or people turning India Pale Ales anything but pale, it's very much a case of anything goes. Here a Belgian yeast joins the malts of a porter in a beer that's finished off with some organic vanilla extract. The result is a beer that will be familiar to fans of Red Duck, with plenty of chocolate,… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Specialty Porter
- ABV
- 6.5%
- Stockists
-
[Blackhearts & Sparrows](/beer/bottleshop/blackhearts-
More stockists...
Red Duck Queen Bee
Tapped July 15th, 2011
Time for some honesty. Faced with a wobbly table at Crafty Towers, chances are we'd fold up a bit of card, shove it under one of the legs and be done with it. We're willing to wager such a solution simply wouldn't do for Scott at Red Duck. After all, any man who refuses to make one of his beers for a couple of years because he can't get hold of exactly the right type and shade of wild bush honey with which he made the previous batch doesn't seem like the "No one'll notice" type. Thankfully,… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Honey Porter
- ABV
- 6.6%
- Stockists
-
[Josie Bones](/beer/ba
More stockists...
Red Duck The Ox (2011)
Tapped July 15th, 2011
If ever the world of beers designed to be sipped and savoured was looking for a poster boy, it could do far worse than give The Ox a call. Whenever a bottle is cracked at Crafty Towers, it's the only one that needs opening that night; the sort of beer you can happily return to over a couple of hours. It seems only appropriate to enjoy it this way given that, on the rare occasions the Red Duck guys make it, they spend 22 hours in the brewery. Ox by name, Ox by nature, it's a thick, dark brown beast… Read more
Black
- Style
- Imperial Stout
- ABV
- 9.4%
- Stockists
-
[Josie Bones](/beer/bar/jo
More stockists...
3 Ravens Rye
Tapped July 13th, 2011
This is the return of a beer that first made an appearance in 2010. It's 3 Ravens' take on the pretty rare Roggenbier style of wheat beer from Bavaria that combines a wheat beer yeast with rye malt. Last year's was one of the more intriguing specials to roll out of the Thornbury brewery, blending many of the characteristics you'd expect from a wheat beer accompanied by a distinct, almost peppery spiciness. This year's is one that seems to have got the brewers feeling all florid, as they describe… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Roggenbier
- ABV
- 5.6%
Prickly Moses Session Ale
Tapped July 11th, 2011
A beer that tells you pretty much all you need to know about it in its name. It's an ale. From Prickly Moses. Designed for sessioning. However, we've got space to fill on the page (and brewer Hendo likes to talk about his babies) so what else might you like to know? Well, it's the first of two beers they're debuting during their showcase in the Chloe's Bar at Young & Jackson's. It uses lots of the Topaz hop once almost exclusively used for bittering but now being explored for aroma and flavour,… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Australian Ale
- ABV
- 4.6%
- Stockists
3 Ravens Hell
Tapped July 7th, 2011
When done right, the lagers - or helles - originating from the southern German state of Bavaria are among the very best in the world: delicate, beautifully balanced and as refreshing a beer as you could ever wish to taste. We've not had the chance to taste this 3 Ravens take on the style yet, so will have to rely on the brewer's notes, which tell us it's a light gold/dark straw coloured lager with a dense head and moderate carbonation. On the nose, we're told to expect a "light, clean malt and… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Hell Lager
- ABV
- 5.0%
Mt Goat Rare Beer IPA (Winter 2011)
Tapped July 6th, 2011
Well, is there anything that needs to be said about this beer? Here at Crafty Towers, we've not held back in our praise for previous batches of the Goat's Rare Breed IPA, which in its last incarnation was our most regular go to beer during the summer. We've not tasted the latest batch but assume that, having nailed it the past few times, they'll have got it right this time too. So what does that mean to the uninitiated? Well, it's what we'd imagine a beer would want to drink if a beer ever wanted… Read more
Golden
- Style
- US IPA
- ABV
- 6.3%
4 Pines Canuck & RyePA
Tapped July 1st, 2011
A pair of new beers are rolling out of the brewhouse at 4 Pines this weekend as they set about celebrating both Canada Day and Independence Day. First up is the Canuck Canadian Red Ale, designed to be a perfect match with their maple syrup drizzled pancakes with bacon. It comes in at 5.0% and 30IBUs, is unfiltered and has "clean, fresh bitterness complimented by a biscuit-like palate and aroma". Then on Monday, the RyePA (Rye IPA), a beer firmly in the image of the country it's been brewed… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Red Ale & Rye IPA
- ABV
- 5.0% & 7.0%
- Bitterness
- 30IBU and 49IBU
- Stockists
Red Hill Imperial Stout 2011
Tapped June 30th, 2011
If there's one beer from the Red Hill range that craft beer lovers hang out for more than any other, it has to be the Imperial Stout. An excellent example of the style, the good news in 2011 is that they've brewed more of it than ever before. They've also allow some to condition in traditional English casks - then dry-hopped it - and will be pouring it from the hand pump at the brewery. And they've increased the bitterness compared to the 2010 version. This year's batch is described as "jet… Read more
Black
- Style
- Imperial Stout
- ABV
- 8.1%
- Stockists
-
ON TAP:
[Josie Bones](/bee
More stockists...
Mt Goat Surefoot Stout 2011
Tapped June 29th, 2011
The return of an old favourite and a beer that needs little introduction, as it's one that the Goat guys had right a long time ago, back when it was part of their year range and well before the Rare Breed concept was even a twinkle in its daddy's eye. Always a beautifully balanced example of the style, equal parts rich, almost sweet, chocolate characters and bitter roastiness with a hint of coffee. Smooth in the mouth and deepest dark brown in the glass, it's a beer that never lets you down and a… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Sweet Stout
- ABV
- 4.9%
- Stockists
Mountain Goat Winter Oaky Porter
Tapped June 22nd, 2011
You might remember a few months back when the guys and gals at Goat did something of an in-house stock clearance and compiled a beer that utilised much of the grain and hops they had lying around. Seems it's that time again, with the aforementioned "Bubble 'n' Squeak" concept returning with a wintry twist. The result is the brewery's first ever porter, one which features six malts: Australian Ale, UK Marris Otter, German Rye malt, UK Crystal, UK Chocolate, and German Chocolate Wheat and… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Oaked Porter
- ABV
- 5.2%
- Bitterness
- 25 IBU
Hargreaves Hill "Melanie"
Tapped June 18th, 2011
In an attempt to bring a female touch to his brewery (or perhaps revealing a hitherto untapped weakness for puns) Hargreaves Hill founder Simon Walkenhorst gave his latest beer the working name Melanie. A Topaz & Amarillo India style Pale Ale, it's been brewed using fresh Topaz flowers given to the brewery by Hop Products Australia on the day they were harvested. He says the working name is in part because the beer "tastes pretty melon-y, like honeydew melon, with a healthy bitterness".… Read more
Golden
- Style
- IPA
