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!
TWØBAYS Brewing Stargaze Hazy Pale
Tapped September 30, 2021
Having been diagnosed as a coeliac in 2015, one beer trend that Richard Jeffares has largely been missing out on is hazy beers. Fortunately, when you own a brewery dedicated to creating gluten-free craft beer, you’re in a position to solve such issues. Having brewed a few larger hazies for their taproom, in spring 2021, TWØBAYS wanted to send GF haze and tropical hops a little further by canning Stargaze Hazy Pale. It's dry-hopped with Mosaic, Strata and Ekuanot, a trio of hops which provides… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Gluten-Free Hazy Pale
- ABV
- 5.0%
Heroes and Villains Attention Seeker & Sunset
Tapped September 30, 2021
Ten, free flowing minutes north of the Perth CBD, Heroes and Villains have released a pair in which one dons a hero's cape, while the other takes the form of a villain. Our attention-seeking hero, clad in white, pours appropriately with a fine, moussey head. Sabro and El Dorado join forces in a citrus, pineapple and coconut *Attention Seeker**, which features a pithy closing bitterness. The villainously noir-wrapped Sunset streams blood red, thanks to the use of beetroot and char siu Asian colouring… Read more
Red
- Style
- Hazy Pale & Imperial Rice Lager
- ABV
- 5.0% & 8.0%
- Stockists
-
Available from the brewery
And WA Heroes and Villains stockists
Moon Dog Piney Minogue & Splice of Heaven Mango
Tapped September 29, 2021
You might be on this page to read about two beers from Moon Dog but how about a bit of history instead? Way back in 2012, Moon Dog launched the Magnificent Mullet series, crisp and refreshing fruited sour beers named after a bunch of mullets and the celebrities beneath them; they weren’t the most out there releases from the brewery but predated the flood wave of such beers that followed by some years. In 2019, the series returned and, remarkably, here in 2021 they still haven't run out of fruits… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Pineapple Sour Ale & Ice Cream IPA
- ABV
- 4.5% & 6.2%
Swell Brewing Hold Down Hazy IPA
Tapped September 29, 2021
Another limited release and another surfing inspired name for McLaren Vale’s Swell Brewing as they reboot their hazy IPA series ahead of summer. This time, the name also incorporates a second reference, with "Hold Down" taking on multiple meanings. If you've ever been swimming in the ocean when a decent wave is rolling in, there's a good chance a wave has taken you under. "Hold Down" here refers to being taken out by a big wave, which sends you rolling, tumbling and gasping… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Hazy IPA
- ABV
- 6.8%
Big Shed Brewing Raspberry Imperial Sour
Tapped September 29, 2021
Taking advantage of the bigger shed and much bigger brewery they moved into in 2019, Big Shed continue to expand their range. Aside from their core range and a host of limited releases, the Big Shed team also pump out a Brewers Series and one under the Beer Club banner, and now they have an imperial sour series too. First up is a raspberry sour featuring 400kg of raspberries added to the ferment. See through clear, and leeching a ruby pink hue from the fruit, Raspberry Imperial Sour is thick and… Read more
Red
- Style
- Imperial Raspberry Sour
- ABV
- 7.0%
Mismatch Brewing New England IPA
Tapped September 28, 2021
With the colder months making way for some warmth and sunshine, Mismatch have unleashed the hops in creating a 6.8 percent ABV New England IPA. The tasting notes provided announce this beer as their first true to style NEIPA, one in which they've experimented with Sabro Cryo Pop hops and the London Ale 3 yeast. Joining the Sabro are Mosaic and Idaho 7, upon a Maris Otter base, plus malted and rolled oats and a touch of honey malt. Some pastel colours grace the cans and decal label to complete the… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- NEIPA
- ABV
- 6.8%
Blasta Brewing White Jeans & Blue Jeans & Poppa Don't Peach
Tapped September 28, 2021
Blasta’s new, on trend yet disparate IPAs deliver of the moment enjoyment, despite the fact there’s no style guide for one of them, as owner Steve Russel explains, in a very tongue in cheek manner. “There is no Crisp IPA style, so we have made our own," he says. "So, the direction is on point along with the ‘style' as we nailed our own brief.” Which has been done with a crisply classic fashion sense. White Shirt & Blue Jeans cold IPA offers tropical dankness, lime blossom… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Cold IPA & Hazy IPA
- ABV
- 5.4% & 6.0%
- Stockists
-
Available from the brewery
And Blasta stockists nationally
Shelter Brewing & Hillzeez Surf Wax Sour
Tapped September 27, 2021
In the world of craft beer today, there are no limitations when it comes to inspiration and collaboration. Case in point: Shelter’s effort in cahoots with Hillzeez, the iconic South West surf, skate and streetwear retailer, with whom they've combined to create Surf Wax Sour. Although, thankfully, no surf wax was harmed in the making of said beer, its flavour profile is inspired by the unmistakable coconut aroma of a freshly cracked box or tin of surf wax, aided in no small part by a hefty addition… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Sour Ale
- ABV
- 5.2%
3 Ravens Nat Rav Dixons Creek Cabernet Franc (2021)
Tapped September 27, 2021
For spring 2021, 3 Ravens are back collaborating and merging beer and wine once more, with the release of Dixons Creek Cabernet Franc as part of their Nat Rav range. The beer sees them team up with their mate JonJo McEvoy, of Cré Wines in the Yarra Valley’s Dixons Creek, with the brewery making use of fresh-pressed Cabernet Franc skins – a grape variety that’s rarely showcased solo in Australian wines. The brewers took three base beers from four different French oak barrels to ferment with… Read more
Red
- Style
- Skin-contact Mixed Ferment
- ABV
- 6.4%
- Bitterness
- 17 IBU
Red Duck Ra (2021)
Tapped September 27, 2021
Red Duck have always displayed a love for diving into the history books when it comes to devising beers, and there's likely there's no better example than the godly Ra. The first release came out close to a decade ago and took inspiration from Eqyptian bread beers from the earliest days of agriculture, and each release brings its own unique character. For 2021, the ingredients list features barley, raw wheat, spelt, oats, dates, raisins, plums, dried orange peel and spices, while the beer is unhopped,… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Wild-Fermented Barrel-Aged Sour
- ABV
- 7.3%
Bad Shepherd Gin Fizz Sour
Tapped September 24, 2021
It goes without saying, there’s plenty of negatives to be found in 2021 turning out to be rather too much like 2020 for many Victorians. But for some there will be a certain comfort to be found in seeing a beer series return for another summer. In Bad Shepherd's case, their return to sunnier climes takes the shape of their Summer Sour Series, kicking off in September with Gin Fizz Sour. The first release in the 2021 series is a collaboration with the distillers at That Spirited Lot – who, like… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Cocktail Sour
- ABV
- 4.8%
Akasha Projects DDH IPA
Tapped September 24, 2021
OK, I’m just going to put this out there at the start – just get it out of the way, early doors. I’m a big dumb goose. Akasha very kindly sent me a couple of these DDH IPAs and, instead of eliciting any kind of excitement like an Akasha beer usually would, I made the grave error of treating the drinking of this fine beverage as work. “Double dry-hopped, they reckon? Oh yeah, sure. Whatever.” Let me confess to you now, dear reader. I could not drink this beer fast enough. Maybe it’s because… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- DDH IPA
- ABV
- 6.5%
Modus Operandi Lost In The Fog 2.0
Tapped September 24, 2021
In 2020, the year of disorientation, Modus released the fittingly named Lost in the Fog. Between the GABS festival mixed packs, the volume poured at Modus’ Mona Vale headquarters, and the subsequent tinnie re-release due to popular demand, this hazy XPA had plenty of people clamouring to Modus to bring it back. Since many of us have found ourselves in a fog again in 2021, Modus have answered the call. But rather than simply brew the same beer again, they’ve responded with Lost in the Fog 2.0… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Hazy IPA
- ABV
- 5.8%
Helios Brewing Zephyrus & Oaked ESB
Tapped September 23, 2021
It’s not often I get introduced to a new concept from Greek mythology, but Zephyrus I didn’t know. Apparently he’s the god of the west wind, and the messenger of spring. Since Zephyrus Session Red IPA is out in cans just as spring has sprung, it’s a fitting namesake. When I heard "session red IPA", I expected a zippy little thing, like the winged Zephyrus would be a red finch flitting about on the wind. Instead I got a falcon, gliding in slowly, its reddish brown feathers carrying… Read more
Red
- Style
- Session Red IPA & Oaked ESB
- ABV
- 4.5% 5.6%
- Bitterness
- 25 & 45 IBU
3 Ravens Lime Creamsicle & Pineapple Juicy
Tapped September 23, 2021
For many on the east coast of Australia, there’s going to be a lot of making up for lost time over summer. The simple pleasure of picnics is already a key part of many weekends and welcoming the warmer weather are 3 Ravens with their returning Summer of Creamsicle. Similar to the first iteration, from September 2021 to January 2022 they’ll be releasing three new Creamsicle flavours, all based on their Acid sour ale and all focused on nostalgic flavours. There's also a range of prizes that can… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Fruited Sour & NEIPA
- ABV
- 3.5% & 6.0%
Future Mountain Fortune Telling Lady (2021)
Tapped September 23, 2021
As much as cans are dominant these days, there are some beers that feel far more appropriate when they come in a big bottle. Future Mountain’s Fortune Telling Lady is exactly that, not just because the beer seems like one that needs to be shared but because the clear glass 750ml bottles really let you know there's some fruit coming your way. That's not by accident either, with the brewery making the switch earlier in 2021 as part of a drive to showcase the fresh local fruit they were using - you… Read more
Red
- Style
- Golden Sour Beer With Morello Cherries
- ABV
- 5.8% ABV
Black Hops & Chur Brewing Hop Swap
Tapped September 22, 2021
With travel between Australia and New Zealand still off the cards, Queensland’s Black Hops and New Zealand’s Chur Brewing have found another way to collaborate by using a cannon to shoot some hops across the stretch of water that is the Tasman sea. Okay so maybe that’s not how the hops were actually transported but it is sure how the beer's artwork makes it look. What did occur is a bit of a hop collaboration, with Black Hops sending over one of Australia’s newest cool kids in the form of… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Hazy IPA
- ABV
- 7.0%
Burnley Brewing Zusammengehörigkeitsgefühl Part One
Tapped September 22, 2021
Oktoberfest is always a busy time for Burnley Brewing, with the Richmond brewpub transforming into a slice of Bavaria in honour of the land where head brewer Michael Stanzel and head of sales Chloe Hoiberg first dipped their toes into the professional beer world. It's month-long celebration that’s heavy on the pork knuckle, schnitzel and Reinheitsgebot, or Germany Purity Law, with the brewery’s 14 taps given over to beers from across Germany. The constant twist and turns of 2021 mean the brewery… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Various
- ABV
- Various
- Stockists
-
Still available from the Burnley taproom at time of writing.
Heads Of Noosa Pilsner
Tapped September 22, 2021
For anyone familiar with Heads of Noosa Brewing Co’s ethos of lager first, life second, the addition of a pilsner to their core range should come as absolutely no surprise at all. While it’s been available on tap at the Sunshine Coast taphouse for a little while, the brewery is now bottling up the pilsner and adding it to its stable of award-winning lagers. They take their lagers seriously at Heads of Noosa and this pilsner is no exception. It’s a close-as-you-can-get take on the Bavarian style,… Read more
Golden
- Style
- German Pilsner
- ABV
- 5.0%
Two Rupees Not Your Average Pilsner, Red Ale & Directors Cut NEIPA
Tapped September 21, 2021
With a canning line installed and a home city nearing the world record for lockdowns, Two Rupees have been busy getting beer into tins, releasing three at once for September 2021. Not Your Average Pilsner is one that looks to Europe on one hand and closer to home with the other, using yeast from Melbourne-based Bluestone Yeast along with Saaz hops and German pilsner malt. It makes for a beer steeped in tradition, pouring incredibly clear with a fluffy white head, and in which a slight grainy or bready… Read more
Red
- Style
- Pilsner, Red Ale & NEIPA
- ABV
- 5.2% & 5.4% & 5.5%
- Stockists
-
Two Rupees
Independent Melbourne bottleshops
And, soon, their online store
More stockists...
