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!
Holgate Ladyboy
Published September 3, 2010
Anyone who's met Paul Holgate and his team of brewers will know they're a swarthy lot: real men with testosterone literally teeming from their pores. However, they are known to like a ladyboy or two. "What?" you say. Well, for the past year or so, they've been offering them over the bar at their Woodend brewhouse, the Ladyboy being a Black & Tan style mix of their cocoa and vanilla bean Temptress (the lady) and roast macadamia-laden Nut Brown Ale (the boy). For a limited time only,… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Black & Tan
- ABV
- approx 6.2%
- Stockists
-
Atticus Finch
More stockists...
Red Hill Weizenbock
Published September 1, 2010
Here's one that takes me back to childhood. Not that I drank 7.9% beers as a child, but because the nose stokes up memories of gorging on packs of mixed flavour Toffos - chewy toffee sweets that came in original, strawberry, chocolate and, in the case of the Weizenbock, banana varieties. The latter was always my favourite - I'd pray for the sorting machine to malfunction and produce a pack of banana only chews. Mind you, the Toffos never offered up a soft hop aroma, or came supported by a hefty second… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Weizenbock (Strong wheat beer)
- ABV
- 7.9%
Burleigh Brewing Black Giraffe
Published August 28, 2010
The second of Burleigh's limited release longnecks (the first being the puntastic English style My Wife's Bitter), the Black Giraffe is the beer that, more than any other, got Aussie craft beer lovers talking about the brewery. An exquisite coffee lager that packs in more flavour than is decent for a 5% beer, it's won major awards overseas with judges impressed by the full coffee whack backed up by chocolate, toffee and mocha. It uses 100kg of Zarraffa rainforest alliance coffee and made Crafty's… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Coffee Lager
- ABV
- 5.0%
Bridge Road B2 Bomber
Published August 27, 2010
The Bridge Road crew like to make a statement with their anniversary beers and the 2010 special is no exception. A true melding of styles, the B2 Bomber is a Black Belgian IPA, bringing together darker, roasted malt varieties, a swagful of hops and a Belgian yeast variety in a quite intriguing mix. The combination of aromas when the dark-as-night beer first poured from the black-labeled champagne bottle like a huge, foam-headed espresso had Crafty confused: "A bag of rubber bands?" Further… Read more
Black
- Style
- Black Belgian IPA
- ABV
- 8.5%
- Stockists
-
Slowbeer (growlers and bottles)
[Local Taphouse St Kilda](/beer/bar/local-taphouse-st-kil
More stockists...
Holgate Nut Brown Ale
Published August 26, 2010
When choosing a tenth anniversary beer in 2009, Paul Holgate eschewed the idea of creating something extreme in favour of a style he'd enjoyed making in his home brewing days. The resultant Nut Brown Ale, made with roasted macadamia nuts added to the boil was an instant winner. A blend of six different malts lent it multi-layered rich, dark roasted flavours with a touch of caramel sweetness, lifted by the nut addition and rounded off with a short hop finish. Originally a one-off, it's now scheduled… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Northern English Brown Ale
- ABV
- 6.3%
- Bitterness
- 19 IBU
- Stockists
-
[Great Northern](/beer/bar/gr
More stockists...
Double Hightail
Published August 4, 2010
First brewed to celebrate the Goat's 10th birthday, the Double Hightail has returned as the brewery prepares to become a teenager. If the Fancy Pants is what the Hightail would be if there were no financial constraints, this is what it becomes when there are no constraints full stop. Crammed with chewy malt goodness and a fierce, driving bitterness, it also comes in around the 7% mark, making it bigger in every sense.… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Imperial Amber Ale
- ABV
- 7%
- Stockists
Bridge Road Megachile Pluto Braggot
Published July 28, 2010
The first brew devised by one of Ben's fellow brewers, Nardia McGrath, this is a recreation of an incredibly rare beer style dating from Medieval times. A full-bodied, red-blooded honey and ale combo, it mixes a fruity Belgian yeast with UK and European malts, a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg and a serious whack of Red Stringybark honey from Beechworth in a 10 percent ABV beast of a drink that's part sweet liqueur, part ale as hinted at by the hop bitterness that picks up when the spicy honey flavour… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Braggot
- ABV
- 10%
Fancy Pants
Published July 26, 2010
The beer originally described by Goat founder Dave Bonighton as "what Hightail would be if there were no budget constraints". This is the third appearance of a beer that once tasted is never forgotten. Loads of fresh hop flowers are added post-boil in the hopback with a heap more thrown into the fermenter to create an overwhelming and enticing passionfruit aroma that begs you to dive in. A rich malt backbone ensures balance is maintained but, really, it's all about the hops. In The Crafty… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Amber Ale
- ABV
- 4.9%
- Stockists
-
Mountain Goat Brewery
Grumpy's Green
Cookie
Beer DeLuxe
Royston
Terminus, Clifton Hill
Courthouse Hotel
Local Taphouse St Kilda
More stockists...Lambsgo Bar
Winter Warmer
Published July 22, 2010
There's a series of TV ads in the UK that's been running for decades with the tagline: "It does exactly what it says on the tin." It could equally apply to Bright's winter warmer, which comes complete with a seriously thick mouthfeel and a fiercely dark brown head. They serve as an omen of what's to come: big mocha aromas with a touch of dark fruit and alcohol, which make way for a palate-smothering wave of rich chocolate, a roast coffee hit and a bitter finish. Get it before it's gone.… Read more
Black
- Style
- Export Stout
- ABV
- 6.2%
Two Champs Kolsch
Published July 20, 2010
A one-off collaboration between the two winners of the 2010 Australian Homebrewing Championships, Ross Mitchell and Barry Cranston, this German style light-coloured ale that originated in Cologne is a subtle delight. At first, the special yeast variety used produces a taste reminiscent of a full-bodied white wine (The Crafty Pint thought Chardonnay, Barry says Semillon) before giving way to a short, dry finish. Only one batch has been made so get in fast.… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Kolsch
- ABV
- 5%
- Stockists
-
Local Taphouse St Kilda
Mountain Goat Brewery
Red Duck Loch Ness
Published July 5, 2010
Red Duck's Loch Ness is a dark, malty brew, with rich flavours from chocolate malt, roast barley and other dark malts. It had an extended boil time to boost caramelisation, a slow and gentle fermentation period, then a short maturation period of six weeks in charred former whisky barrels. The result is beer which pours with a tan head and displays rich but subtle flavours: roasted malt and bags of dark chocolate with touches of caramel, oak, stewed dark fruits and, atop the lingering, warming finish,… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Barrel-aged Scotch Ale
- ABV
- 6.7%
Richard III
Published June 25, 2010
The third bock produced by Mountain Goat, this is a collaborative effort with award-winning brewer Richard Watkins of Canberra's Wig and Pen Brewery. Dark amber in colour, this has a powerful, almost liqueur-like sweet malt aroma and displays rich, biscuit and caramel flavours. A German style Doppelbock (or double strength dark lager), it's thick of body, full of flavour and a great winter beer thanks to its gently warming alcohol.… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Doppelbock
- ABV
- 7.4%
- Stockists
-
Mountain Goat Brewery
Prickly Moses Barrel-Aged Strong Ale
Published June 17, 2010
One of the benefits of having a winery and brewery on the same site is that it allows the brewer to get creative. This is the Prickly Moses Strong Ale after it's spent a few months in an oak barrel previously used for Otway Estate's Pinot. The result is a hint of oak on the nose and a smokiness to taste.… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Barrel-Aged Strong Ale
- Stockists
-
Otway Estate
Double IPA (DIPA)
Published June 4, 2010
The beefed up big brother of Goat's Rare Breed IPA. A huge piney and tropical hop aroma familiar to lovers of West Coast US IPAs lead to a palate-coating bright amber beer that practically glows in the glass. Big sweet caramel and toffee flavours arrive first before the bitterness caused by huge hopping levels comes riding over the hill to ensure this is one beer that's not for the fainthearted.… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Double IPA
- ABV
- 8.3%
- Stockists
-
Mountain Goat Brewery
Otway Saison 2010
Published May 31, 2010
The 2010 vintage of one of Otway Estate's trio of French and Belgian Farmhouse styles, the Saison pours a hazy golden colour with an effervescent white head. Fruity aromas from the yeast strains mix with soft alcohol notes on the nose and are matched on the palate by initial flavours of dried apricot. A tart, wine-like character comes through - one of the yeast strains used has red wine origins - along with a tingle of warmth from the high alcohol content before finishing with a lingering, astringent… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Saison
- ABV
- 7.2%
Holgate Brick Kiln Wheat Beer
Published May 20, 2010
A hearty winter special, this is a dark wheat beer (dunkel weizen) inspired by the Bavarian version and made with imported German malts and a special wheat beer yeast strain that gives it prominent banana and clove aromas. Pouring a hazy apricot orange, it boasts a clean palate and gently bitter finish.… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Dunkel weizen
- ABV
- 5%
- Bitterness
- 16 IBU
Red Duck Ugly Duckling
Published May 3, 2010
Two years in the making, this blend of a mead made with locally sourced bush honey and two 50l batches of barrel-aged strong ale was described by one of The Crafty Pint's friends on first tasting as "beyond beer". It's a recreation of a medieval style called a braggot. And, at 14.3 percent ABV, the Ugly Duckling is still in its infancy and will mature "for decades", according to its maker. Even now, it's wonderfully multi-layered: viscous, uncarbonated and golden, it boasts… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Braggot
- ABV
- 14.3%
Voodoo Porter
Published April 30, 2010
The brewery's finest moment to date, this Autumn seasonal picked up the Premier's Trophy for Best Victorian Beer as well as a Gold Medal at the 2010 Australian International Beer Awards. And with good reason. It's an incredibly smooth, velvety take on Baltic Porter style of dark lager. Fall under its spell and discover liquorice, coffee and espresso notes aligned with rich chocolate, dark cherry and a touch of alcohol warmth.… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Baltic Porter
- ABV
- approx. 7%
- Awards
Premier's Trophy for Best Victorian Beer 2010
- Stockists
Red Duck The Ox 2010
Published April 5, 2010
To create a good Imperial Stout demands the maker doesn't hold back. And that's the case with The Ox, an appropriately named behemoth of a beer from Red Duck. Its thick, almost tar-like body is apparent the moment it leaves the bottle and crawls down the side of your glass. It's a beer to be savoured over an evening (just as well given its strength!) and one in which all manner of flavours can be unearthed, from mouth-filling molasses to rich, treacly chocolate. Exquisite.… Read more
Black
- Style
- Imperial Stout
- ABV
- 9.4%
Hop Harvest Ale
Published April 1, 2010
Having your own hop farm onsite has its advantages, especially for drinkers who get to indulge in this annual special from Red Hill. One weekend every year, the Goldings invite volunteers to the brewery to help pick their hop crop before setting about using some of the fresh hop cones to makes this one-off beer. British Goldings hops are used in the boil and added again in the tank (dry-hopping) to lend Hop Harvest its grassy aroma while Willamette hops result in a pleasantly peppery and bitter finish.… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- English Special Bitter
- ABV
- 6%
- Bitterness
- 44 IBU
- Stockists
