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!
Boatrocker Brewery Pacific Stout
Published July 27, 2016
Now that Thunder Road has won its battle to call one of its beers Pacific Ale, can we expect to see a flood of beers of said nomenclature appearing on shelves? One has to assume so, although quite whether many will choose to use the word Pacific in conjunction with a hefty stout is doubtful. However, for this winter release, Boatrocker felt it was the best way to capture the essence of the beer, given it's a stout featuring Aussie hops Galaxy and Ella. Back before it had a name, it started out as… Read more
Black
- Style
- Stout
- ABV
- 7.5%
Nomad & Stone Brewing Sol-Cal-Iente
Published July 25, 2016
When beer from the iconic US brewery Stone started being distributed in Australia legitimately for the first time in 2015, their then brewmaster Mitch Steele followed the freight Down Under to see for himself how the beers were travelling. And, while here, he helped brew something new. It was a collaboration with the Nomad brewery (which shares some ownership with the distributor Experienceit that brings in Stone’s beers) and ended up as a rye IPA named AirRyeEvil. Fast forward a year or so and,… Read more
Black
- Style
- Black IPA
- ABV
- 5.5%
New England Big Winter 2016
Published July 25, 2016
The label of New England’s Big Winter 2016 states that it’s a beer brewed “to celebrate frosts, snow flurries and the smell of wood fires”. While that may be fine for Uralla, at the time of the beer’s release some parts of New South Wales were closing in on their highest July temperatures for decades. Fortunately, at least the evenings remain, for the most part, cool enough to make conditions nigh on perfect for a beer like this. Big Winter is a Belgian-style strong ale and it’s utter… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Belgian Strong Ale
- ABV
- 8.6%
- Stockists
-
New England Brewery
More stockists...
Nomad Brewing Choc Wort Orange
Published July 24, 2016
They'll be happy Nomads in Brookvale this week after returning from the Craft Beer Awards in Brisbane with a champion's trophy in their luggage. After spending the past year or so diversifying their brewing palate in pretty much every direction imaginable, adding all manner of ingredients to beers, exploring high and low ABVs and collaborating with a high calibre roster of internationals, they may be particularly chuffed that it was one of their launch beers that took out the gong too: their Long… Read more
Black
- Style
- Imperial Stout
- ABV
- 9.5%
- Stockists
-
More stockists...
Nomad Brewery
Archive
Cellarbrations Carlisle
Mane Liquor
Dainton Family Brewery Black Sheep Brunch Stout
Published July 20, 2016
Their long-awaited brewery and venue is finally open and their brewery is pretty much ready to start making beer. All of which means this beer could well be the last brewed by Dan Dainton and his merry band of assistants on a multitude of breweries around Victoria – and it's one the Dainton crew reckon is one of their best too. In other hands, the addition of coffee (in extract form) and flaked oats to a stout may well lead to it being tagged a breakfast stout, although here they've gone for brunch.… Read more
Black
- Style
- Oatmeal Stout
- ABV
- 5.5%
Wayward Brewing Dad Rock Imperial IPA (Gluten reduced)
Published July 20, 2016
There’s a small but slowly growing number of gluten reduced beers to be found in Australia but it’s hard to imagine there are any others as ballsy as Wayward’s Dad Rock double IPA. However, when the beer first came out, around the middle of 2016, it was as worrying for coeliacs as most any other beer. Named for a Spotify playlist of classic bands that was popular with the Wayward brewers at the time – think along the lines of Skynyrd, Creedence and The Eagles – the original Dad Rock was… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Double IPA
- ABV
- 8.0%
Lord Nelson Brewery Dead Ahead
Published July 18, 2016
In something of a quinella, the 175th anniversary of The Lord Nelson hotel – Sydney's oldest continuously operated pub – and the 30th anniversary of The Lord Nelson brewery – Australia’s oldest continuously operated independent brewery – both occur in 2016. And, as a celebration of both, a new beer has been brewed. As is customary with The Lord’s beers, it is neither barrel aged nor blended. It is not infused with spices or sweetened with syrup. It has not been distilled or dry hopped… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- English Golden Ale
- ABV
- 5.2%
- Bitterness
- 30 IBU
- Stockists
-
On tap at the Lord Nelson
In bottles across Australia.
Cheeky Monkey Silverback Stout (cans)
Published July 18, 2016
Having stepped up their canning plans earlier in the year by putting their smallest beer (Travelling Monk) and one of their biggest (an imperial India pale lager) into 500ml cans, WA's Cheeky Monkey is at it again. A few weeks on from sending the latest batch of their Silverback Stout – originally created by Red Proudfoot (now head brewer at Pirate Life) for the Margaret River brewery's first birthday – in kegs, they've now released the 10.1 percent ABV beast out in tinnies too. In bringing the… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV
- 10.1%
- Stockists
-
Cheeky Monkey Brewery
Five Bar
And other bottleshops in WA
More stockists...
Green Beacon Uppercut IIPA 2016
Published July 18, 2016
The biggest of Green Beacon's hop forward beers is back for round four. The Uppercut imerial IPA is a seasonal that, as is the Brisbane brewery's wont, tends to change a little with each release. Certain characteristics remain the same: it's always awash with New World hops and it always packs a sizeable boozy punch. This time around, those hops come in the form of West Coast Americans Simcoe, Columbus, Amarillo and Centennial and the boozemeter clocks in at 8.5 percent ABV. The beer into which they've… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Imperial IPA
- ABV
- 8.5%
- Bitterness
- 90 IBU
- Stockists
-
Blackwater Trading Co
Pumpyard Brewery & Bar
Mill on Constance
More stockists...Saccharomyces
Oxford Taphouse
And select venues around SEQ
Rocks Brewing Russian Imperial Stout 2016 – RETIRED
Published July 15, 2016
Mark Fethers, the CEO of Rocks Brewing, has been banging on at his brewers for a few years about doing an annual release of Russian imperial stout, with the grand ambition of having a back catalogue of vintages which can then be blended into some sort of master beer made from a portion of each of its younger siblings. With the release of Rocks’ second RIS, he might just be on his way. The first in the series, in 2015, was overseen by head brewer Scotty Morgan and Nick Downs from Reformation Brewing,… Read more
Black
- Style
- Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV
- 10.8%
- Stockists
-
Rocks Brewery
Oldfield Cellars
And select bottleshops across NSW
More stockists...
Pirate Life Stout
Published July 14, 2016
They may have made their name – and, boy, how they've done that – by displaying a knack for creating delicious hop forward beers, but there's plenty more in the Pirate Life locker. Last winter, they played around with a stout and a brown ale, released in small amounts and on limited taps, and now the Stout is back, still draught only but with more of it (and, potentially, plans for it to appear in their award-winningly distinctive cans a year hence). It's tagged an Export Stout, thus bigger than… Read more
Black
- Style
- Export Stout
- ABV
- 7.1%
Grifter Brewing Co Horses Head
Published July 14, 2016
For their winter 2016 release the Grifter Brewing Company hasn’t gone as dark as trends might dictate – it’s more like they saw black on the colour chart then took two steps forward, one across and landed on red ale. The Horses Head is absolutely full of fruity hop character, but more of the crisp, citrus kind rather than juicy like a melon. There is bitterness but it’s a bit-part player, simply doing its job without really being a concern. What is more noticeable is the crystal and dark… Read more
Red
- Style
- Red Ale
- ABV
- 4.9%
Bad Shepherd IPA
Published July 13, 2016
The new releases keep on rolling out of Bad Shepherd's Cheltenham brewpub, with this one set to become part of the core range too. It gives the Tiny IPA and American Pale already on the roster a big brother to look up to: a 6.8 percent ABV New World IPA that plucks its hops from near and far. There's Aussies Vic Secret and Ella, Americans Columbus and Simcoe, Kiwi Moutere (formerly Brooklyn) and new French variety Barbe Rouge too. And those who know something about hops will know there's a few varieties… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- New World IPA
- ABV
- 6.8%
- Stockists
-
Brother Burger and the Marvellous Brew
More stockists...Bad Shepherd Brewery
The Public Brewery, Croydon
And other good beer stockists
Wolf of the Willows Stray Wolf
Published July 13, 2016
Stray Wolf is a coming together of two of the newer operations doing good things for beer in Melbourne. On the one hand you've got Wolf of the Willows, the former brewing gypsies who are now housemates at Bad Shepherd. On the other is Stray Neighbour, the top notch Preston restaurant with a fine line in craft beer on tap. They're not only doing good things for beer either; with this collaboration they're doing good things with beer as a percentage of profits is going to a couple of dog shelters.… Read more
Red
- Style
- Red Ale
- ABV
- 5.0%
- Bitterness
- 34 IBU
- Stockists
-
On tap in Victoria and Queensland
Hargreaves Hill Barrique Belgian Blonde
Published July 13, 2016
Hargreaves Hill's barrel program continues with the release of another Belgian inspired beer. This time, after a run of darker, barrel-aged sour beers comes the Barrique Belgian Blonde. Described as "a gentle ale", it spent time in former French oak Chardonnay barrels from the Giant Steps / Innocent Bystander winery across the Yarra Valley from Hargreaves' home. According to the brewers, it's time on oak was timed to allow the fruit character to shine "while maintaining a gentle oak… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Barrel Aged Belgian Blonde
- ABV
- 6.2%
Moon Dog Black Lung VI
Published July 9, 2016
One of the most anticipated annual releases from Moon Dog is back. The Black Lung is a peated, barrel-aged imperial stout that has appeared in a different form each year for six years now. The difference comes from the choice of barrel in which the beer spends time before packaging: first up was a bourbon barrel to be followed by others including whisky, Pedro Ximenez and fresh oak. It's a beer that has picked up trophies in the past (and is the brewery's entry in the forthcoming Great Australian… Read more
Black
- Style
- Barrel-Aged Stout
- ABV
- 9.0%
3 Ravens Thornbury Lager – SUPERSEDED BY THORNBURY PILSNER
Published July 8, 2016
With ten taps to fill at their newly expanded brewery bar, there’s plenty of scope for the 3 Ravens brewers to play around. And one beer that’s become a permanent resident on those taps since the bar was reopened – and is proving popular enough elsewhere to have swiftly graduated to the ranks of year round brew – is the Thornbury Lager. Based on Northern German pilsners, it’s a beer designed to be drunk rather than dissected. Head brewer Brendan Sullivan selected the Aussie hops he felt… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Pilsner
- ABV
- 4.9%
- Bitterness
- 38 IBU
- Stockists
-
3 Ravens Brewery Bar
More stockists...
3 Ravens Little Ravens Dark Lager
Published July 8, 2016
It’s the middle of winter. And, if you’re in Melbourne, it’s been a particularly cold and wet one so far. So, if you’re a brewer, you’re mind will be turning to brewing darker beers, maybe a porter or stout. Or perhaps something boozy, like a big Belgian or barley wine. Or, maybe you think, sod it, let’s knock out a couple of lagers. Admittedly, in the case of 3 Ravens, one of those, the Thornbury Lager, is a new permanent release, while this Dark Lager comes with plenty of dark malt… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Dunkel
- ABV
- 4.9%
- Bitterness
- 20 IBU
- Stockists
-
3 Ravens Brewery Bar
More stockists...
Pikes Beer Co Pale Ale
Published July 8, 2016
The Pale Ale entered Pikes' core range in the middle of 2016 and is an all Australian drop, combining local hops Galaxy and Melba with a variety of specialty malts used to obtain the caramel hue. In the glass, the pale has a soft burnt amber colour with a gentle carbonation on the pour. The hop aromas are delicate and are only really present as the first sip is taken. Instead, easy toffee tones mixed with a little caramel take over, with the beer ending with a refined hop bitterness. Registering… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Pale Ale
- ABV
- 4.0%
- Stockists
-
Pikes Brewery
Newstead Brewing The Outpost American Stout
Published July 6, 2016
Newstead's brewpub setup must be one of the most heavily frequented by other brewers. With most of their core range production handled under contract, at least until their large second site is up and running in the coming months, they're free to play around at home – and play around they do, not just on their own short run releases but in collaboration with locals such as Croft Brewing and those from further afield, including KAIJU! And it's KAIJU! who has offered Newstead brewer Mark Howes the… Read more
Black
- Style
- American Stout
- ABV
- 6.3%
- Bitterness
- 62 IBU
- Stockists
-
Newstead Brewing
QLD venues TBC
More stockists...
