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!
Five Barrel Brewing Hero Of The People 2021
Tapped October 10, 2021
No, you didn't have a stroke – this is a Soviet medal, and the name of the brewery and the names of the beer on these cans are written in Russian. Thus it seemed to me advisable to translate this review into Russian and back using Google Translate. Five Barrel Brewing are the heroes we need to produce four – no more, no less – imperial stouts by the end of winter. They sell them as a mixed pack of four-packs containing one original imperial stout and three with other ingredients added. First… Read more
Black
- Style
- Imperial Stouts
- ABV
- 10.0%
- Bitterness
- 60 IBU
Wolf of the Willows Inner Vision II & Double Vision II
Tapped October 8, 2021
A week on from one series looking for an escape from 2021, Wolf of the Willows have looked back to 2020 with the return of their Vision Series. You can read about the first of those beers here and here but the key point to know is that both feature heavy hopping rates and some rather whimsical artwork. Inner Vision II is a DDH Hazy IPA that’s been hopped with Azacca, Citra, and Galaxy to create a tropical juice bomb while heavy additions of rolled outs and wheat send forth a creamy and thick mouthfeel.… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- DDH Hazy IPA & DDH Hazy DIPA
- ABV
- 6.2% & 8.0%
The Public Brewery Maku Pilsner
Tapped October 8, 2021
In 2019, The Public Brewing Co kicked off a new brand under the Maku banner, with the name alluding to the goddess from Chinese mythology who shares a close affinity with hemp. The first beer, a hemp session ale, has steadily spread across Melbourne and into other parts of Australia. Now, a little after the midway point of 2021, it has been joined by a new member. This time around the beer doesn't feature hemp – although there are other hemp-based beers from the brewery on the horizon – and… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Pilsner
- ABV
- 4.6%
Moon Dog Black Lung XI
Tapped October 7, 2021
Moon Dog’s Black Lung series has been around longer than I’ve been writing about beer but there's one thing that has long bothered me about it. Each year they add a cigar to mark another edition and surely at one point they’ve got to run out of space? Well, as Black Lung XI shows, 2021 is not the year they'll run out of room for cigars, with the skeleton on the bottle's second head and cowboy hat providing ample space. For those who haven’t enjoyed past releases (or woken at night in a cold… Read more
Black
- Style
- Barrel-Aged Smokey Stout
- ABV
- 12.0%
Stomping Ground Prost Pack
Tapped October 7, 2021
Stomping Ground’s brewpubs can at times feel like being in a German beer hall but with each of those venues caught up in a lockdown, the Melbourne operation wanted to find another way to get a slice of Bavaria to people. They’ve done it with the Prost Pack; six different traditional German-style beers, inside one cheerful box and each can dressed in some Oktoberfest-inspired patterns and colours To begin, let's start with what’s not the lightest of the half dozen but is the most Oktoberfestive.… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Various
- ABV
- Various
Tallboy & Moose 303 Denver Lager, Recalibrate the Sensor Array, Citrus Nice Cola & Noise Machine
Tapped October 6, 2021
Well, they certainly aren’t slowing things down at Tallboy & Moose, releasing this quartet of tins in quick succession. 303 Denver Lager is a beer inspired by Tallboy brewer Mike’s hometown, with the beer spending eight weeks slowly conditioning and built for warm days and cold nights. Made with both Vienna and pilsner malts, the deeply copper-coloured beer throws out a mix of biscuit, toasted and nutty malt flavours, while the Cascade and Motueka hops bring a balancing bitterness, plus a… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Various
- ABV
- 5.3%, 6.5%, 6.0% & 5.5%
Good Land Brewing Hauptbahnhof, Pastel Neon Sour & Something, Something, Citra, Citra
Tapped October 6, 2021
The people of Traralgon are obviously in good hands when it comes to choice, with Good Land Brewing showing a fondness for brewing across styles, releasing very modern, very traditional, very big and very sessionable beers since they opened their doors in July 2021. Their newest include Hauptbahnhof, an Oktoberfest-style Märzen inspired by Munich’s beer halls, with a name that is in turn inspired by the central train stations of Germany. With a golden orange colour, the lager provides a gentle… Read more
Red
- Style
- Märzen, Fruited Sour & IPA
- ABV
- 5.6%, 4% & 7.2%
Burnley Brewing Zusammengehörigkeitsgefühl Part Two
Tapped October 6, 2021
If one Zusammengehörigkeitsgefühl wasn’t enough, how about a second box of more Zusammengehörigkeitsgefühlness? If you’re reading this wondering what’s going on, it’s probably best to start here and then come back to learn that a couple of weeks on from that first Oktoberfest box, Burnley has released a second that's also filled with 16 beers. Once again it’s a box that refers to the “feeling of togetherness” and contains the brewery’s core range Helles and Vienna lagers but aside… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Various - but all brewed to the Reinheitsgebot
- ABV
- Various
Hop Nation First Dip & Zombie Pop
Tapped October 5, 2021
They’ve made plenty of hazy and sour beers at Hop Nation but spring 2021 has seen the brewery try their hand at some new approaches. First up is the brewery’s take on an emerging technique called dip hopping with First Dip. You can read more about the approach to brewing here but, in essence, it involves blowing off certain hop notes – particularly myrcene – while allowing others to stick around. In the case of Hop Nation, they’ve used the popular Strata, Mosaic Cryo, Citra Cryo and Galaxy… Read more
Red
- Style
- Dip Hop IPA & Raspberry Imperial Sour
- ABV
- 6.96% & 8.0%
Whitelakes Brewing Amber Lager
Tapped October 5, 2021
If anymore proof were needed that Sean Symons' Whitelakes team won’t miss an opportunity to explore the scope, and versatility of lager, Amber Lager arrives right on cue for Oktoberfest celebrations. In line with a general lightening of malt profiles in the beer world, many modern festbiers can be viewed as forms of amplified helles, richer in character than the Munich originals yet retaining maximum drinkability – or, to put it another way, a perfect segue to the Australian summer. The remarkable… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Amber Lager
- ABV
- 5.0%
- Stockists
-
Available from the brewery
And in limited release from WA stockists
St Andrews Beach Brewery El Charro Mexican Lager
Tapped October 4, 2021
First brewed for GABS 2021, El Charro has been welcomed back into the stud by the team at St Andrews Beach Brewery, not least as this time of year should suit a Mexican lager a little better. Alhough the brewery says it was a hit at the beer festival in May, when you’ve got a beer brewed with corn, agave, lime and sea salt, it feels like something designed for post-swim refreshment more than a small taster as winter approaches. The beer couldn’t pour any clearer: a golden, straw-coloured beer… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Mexican Lager
- ABV
- 4.5%
Barossa Valley Brewing Celebration Ale IIPA
Tapped October 4, 2021
Barossa Valley Brewing have experienced repeated success at the Adelaide Beer & Cider Awards in the past and in 2021 took things to the next level. Their run of awards began in 2014 when their Canis Majoris IIPA claimed Champion IPA and Best In Show, before being retired years later. When they took out Champion Small Brewery at the 2021 awards, their brewers were asked which beer they'd like to bring back and the IIPA was a clear favourite. The reboot tagged Celebration Ale isn't lifted straight… Read more
Golden
- Style
- IIPA
- ABV
- 8.0%
Shedshaker Brewing Barrel-Aged Scotch Ale 2021
Tapped October 3, 2021
With Melbourne's reputation well and truly cemented as a ripe destination for craft beer tourism in Australia, it's little surprise that regional Victoria is seeing more and more breweries pop up. But, while many of these fledgling operations are still establishing their foundations, breweries like Castlemaine's Shedshaker, which was launched in 2014, are hitting their stride. With a now well-established core range, they're able to play in the fringes, producing multiple iterations of niche style,… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Barrel-Aged Scotch Ale
- ABV
- 8.0%
- Bitterness
- 28 IBU
Five Barrel Brewing London Calling
Tapped October 1, 2021
A 440ml can of Five Barrel’s London Calling isn’t quite a pint of bitter, but it’s close enough. Bring together the malt sweetness, the hop spice and the yeast esters, and you’ve got a complex aroma – one that made me think of banana oat cookies fresh from the oven. But the big and bold aroma quietens down in the mouth to make this a supremely drinkable drop, with a pleasant dryness and a hint of bitter cocoa creeping in once you’ve patiently allowed the beer to warm up. Drink with fish… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- ESB
- ABV
- 4.3%
Colonial Brewing Project: Märzen
Tapped October 1, 2021
As with so much in beer, the historical influence of trade, tax and general human connection is entwined in the liquid we love. The annual Oktoberfest marks Märzen’s time in the spotlight, although the beer’s genesis is actually months early, as decreed by a 1553 Bavarian brewing quality ordinance. With warm summer’s affecting beer quality pre-refrigeration, brewing was only permitted in Germany between September 29 (St Michael's Day) and April 23 (St George's Day) to help avoid spoilage.… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Märzen
- ABV
- 5.5%
- Stockists
-
Available in limited release from CBCO cellar doors.
Young Henrys & Volcom Welcome To Beer'a'dise
Tapped October 1, 2021
In 2019, Young Henrys co-founder Oscar McMahon told The Crafty Pint: “One of the things that skateboarding and music lends to someone is that you are completely aware the whole time that you are part of a counter culture. You become really comfortable standing out, or being different, or doing your own thing. And that’s a lot of what the craft beer industry’s about.” You can read the full article here. Fast forward to 2021 and Young Henrys have joined with skate brand Volcom to celebrate… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Tropical Pale Ale
- ABV
- 4.7%
Red Duck Miss Margaux
Tapped October 1, 2021
There’s a spring in the step at Red Duck as they bring back one of their favourites – with a bit of an update. Miss Margaux originally contained raspberry and hibiscus but, for spring 2021, the latter has been replaced with blood plum and, while the two might seem quite removed from one another, you should remember that plums are a member of the rose family. OK, so the hibiscus is actually a member of the mallow family, but given a hibiscus is a pleasant-smelling flower and so is a rose – if… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Raspberry and Blood Plum Kettle Sour
- ABV
- 4.8%
Wolf of the Willows Full Moon Party & Golden Hour In LA
Tapped October 1, 2021
Just as many of us are looking forward to booking a long haul flight, Wolf of the Willows have unveiled the Escape Series, beers designed to whisk us away. First up is Full Moon Party, which aims to transport you to Thailand and, while it might be the smaller of the two in terms of ABV, there’s a broad mix of flavours at play in a beer that’s ready to be enjoyed from a bucket on the beach. The 3.8 percent ABV mango pale ale doesn’t just contain the named tropical fruit but also salt and, given… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Mango Pale Ale & Lo-Cal Lager
- ABV
- 3.8% & 5.0%
Killer Sprocket Prophecy of the Laser Witch
Tapped September 30, 2021
Progressive metal, space rock, heavy metal. They're all worlds of music that I struggle to understand. It’s not that I’d even say I don’t like them, I just don’t know them, what they’re about, or where to begin. A good place to turn, though, would be Killer Sprocket, who do indeed know their metal music. It's why they've given their cold IPA – for details of the nascent style, you can head here – the name Prophecy of the Laser Witch, in reference to a song on Brendon Small's Galaktikon;… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Cold IPA
- ABV
- 6.6%
- Stockists
-
Other Victorian stockists:
Hurstbridge Liquor/Nine One Wine
More stockists...Hops and Vine Australian
Craft and Vine
Hippo Bottle & Bar
Cellarbrations Yarraville
Cellarbrations Tottenham
Ascot Vale Cellars
Beer 360
Also available in Queensland through all the usual spots you'd find Killer Sprocket beers.
FogHorn Brewery Hunter Classic
Tapped September 30, 2021
Among the swag of medals FogHorn picked up at the 2021 Australian International Beer Awards, the Newcastle-based brewery’s Hunter Kölsch stood tall, judged the Best British or European style ale. Although unfamiliar to most, locals in the Hunter have been blessed with this golden nectar for nigh on two decades, albeit under a different guise. In August 2020, the brewery formerly known as the Hunter Beer Co became the Hunter outpost of FogHorn after the latter's part-owner Mighty Crafty acquired… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Kölsch
- ABV
- 4.5%
