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!
Innate Brewers Space Juice Double Hazy IPA
Tapped December 17th, 2019
It’s tempting here to talk about Michael Jordan’s intergalactic basketball vehicle or the colloidal properties of juice in space - but nope, too obvious (and jammy in the case of the former), not to mention the fact NASA covered the later in ’98. I did consider discussing a possible pairing with Space Food Sticks but these were, unfortunately for the purposes of this article, discontinued five years ago. Instead, let’s address the beer at hand, which is the point of these things after all. Double… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Double Hazy IPA
- ABV
- 9.0%
- Stockists
-
Available in limited release from Innate stockists in WA
4 Hearts Coal Miners Stout
Tapped December 17th, 2019
Nowadays, "working in the coal mines" tends to mean operating enormous vehicles and complicated technology. But, back in the day, it meant wearing overalls, wielding a pickaxe and getting a sooty face, counting down the days until you were diagnosed with the black lung. (We all look to Zoolander for our knowledge of coal mining, right?) But if you want get a taste of the past without contracting a respiratory disease, get some Coal Miners Stout into you. Bestmalz smoked malt brings a touch… Read more
Black
- Style
- Smoked Stout
- ABV
- 5.5%
Prancing Pony India Red Ale (Cans)
Tapped December 16th, 2019
The first beer to appear under the Prancing Pony special release range called Thoroughbred was also the first beer to start a buzz about the brewery among beer aficionados in their home state. The India Red Ale is a no-holds-barred beer that ramps up the malt profile (initially making full use of their much-loved "fire brewed" caramelisation before they switched to their state-of-the-art German brewhouse) and the hops in equal measure. Frank's inspiration came from wanting to combine a… Read more
Red
- ABV
- 7.9%
- Bitterness
- 60 IBU
Boatrocker Krieky & Super Krieky
Tapped December 16th, 2019
Why put one kriek on the dinner table when you can have two? As 2019 draws to a close, the sour side of Boatrocker's barrel program has served up a few more treats for people who like some pucker with their supping, including a pair of barrel-aged wild ales fermented with hand-picked fresh Morello cherries. I'll admit that upon opening the delivery from the Braeside brewery I assumed Super Krieky would be an imperial version of Krieky; however, it turns out they both weigh in at 6.5 percent ABV,… Read more
Red
- Style
- Krieks
- ABV
- 6.5%
Boatrocker House White
Tapped December 16th, 2019
Boatrocker's House Red has been out for a couple of tours of sour beer fans' glasses and fridges already, and now it's got a stablemate in the shape of, you guessed it, House White. It's a blend of 12, 18 and 24 month old barrel-aged beers from the Barrel Room, and I suspect those liquids will have appeared in, or at least be very similar to, some of the sour blonde ales upon which other Boatrocker blends have been built to date. Here, as much as anything, it's a showcase for the house culture that's… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Barrel-Aged Sour Wild Ale
- ABV
- 6.0%
Molly Rose & Blackhearts & Sparrows Local Horizons
Tapped December 16th, 2019
There's a tradition in parts of the Northern Hemisphere whereby brewers create festive ales at this time of year. Although not overly common, whether it's Belgian Christmas ales or British winter warmers, they tend to be of the darker, boozier and spiced ilk. Essentially, imagine the sort of dessert you'd be served up if you were celebrating the holiday season around a fire as the snow falls outside – but in liquid form in a glass – and you're on the right track. Yet how do you go about creating… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Spiced Farmhouse Ale
- ABV
- 5.8%
- Stockists
-
Blackhearts & Sparrows Braddon
Blackhearts & Sparrows North Hobart
Molly Rose Brewpub
And other Blackhearts stores
More stockists...
Exit Brewing & Slowbeer Nieuw Zuur
Tapped December 16th, 2019
The first sour beer Exit brewed and released commercially was launched at Slowbeer a few years back, when the former were regulars at the latter's former Richmond home. (There have to be better ways of phrasing that bit of background...) So, when they decided to bring the beer back, it was in collaboration with Slowbeer – now operating out of the one bar and bottleshop in Fitzroy – once again. The name means, simply, "new sour" and in this case is one that's designed as a showcase for… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Apricot Sour
- ABV
- 4.1%
- Stockists
-
And other retailers where you find Exit beers
More stockists...
Ballistic Beer Co Merry Berry Twang
Tapped December 16th, 2019
Twang the night before Christmas, no creature did rouse When Father Ballistic arrived at the house. His job, as you know, is to bring Christmas cheer, So he stood on the roof with a sack full of beer. No fire was burning for evening was warm, All humid and stuffy, all ready to storm. So right down the chimney the old man did scurry, Then straight to the fridge he went in a hurry. He opened the door, reached into his sack Then pulled out a shiny and festive four-pack. He placed this fine gift… Read more
Red
- Style
- Berry Sour
- ABV
- 4.6%
Prancing Pony Dizzy Donkey Cider
Tapped December 16th, 2019
One of many changes at Prancing Pony in the latter months of 2019 was the decision to put a cider into cans as part of their core range. It's an offering that has allowed them to celebrate their home region too, with Dizzy Donkey made from freshly pressed Adelaide Hills apple juice and fermented with a brewer's yeast. It's as densely cloudy as the most turbid of hazy IPAs and, while it has juicy characteristics like those beers, here they're of the fleshy apple kind. There's a touch of aromatic farmhouse… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Apple Cider
- ABV
- 5.5%
Prancing Pony Sunshine Ale (Cans)
Tapped December 16th, 2019
Prancing Pony's Sunshine Ale was first released as a seasonal during summer 2015/16 but proved popular enough that it was soon transitioned into the brewery's year round lineup. And, as of the end of 2019, that means it gets to reach your hands in cans. You could easily substitute "golden" for "Sunshine" in terms of where it sits in the grand beer sphere. Built upon a simple recipe, this pale yellow drop sets gentle melon aromas against honeyed malts before delivering a bigger… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- 4.8%
Prancing Pony Hopwork Orange (Cans)
Tapped December 16th, 2019
Hopwork Orange started out as a one-off for summer a few years back, when head brewer Frank Samson decided there was room for more than one easy-drinking ale to his lineup: one a little fuller in flavour than a traditional summer quaffer. Since then, it's become a permanent fixture, been tweaked and then become one of the first of their beers to be canned. The Burgess / Kubrick-referencing title makes sense when it hits the glass: a light orange, tangerine appearance heralds an citrus hop aroma that… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Pale Ale
- ABV
- 4.8%
- Bitterness
- 25 IBU
Stone & Wood Counter Culture Lovely Bubbly
Tapped December 15th, 2019
Given the outrageous success they enjoyed with the first Counter Culture beer, Killer Kween, it's easy to see why Stone & Wood would return to such a place later in the series. Where the former was a big, rosé like, raspberry Berliner Weisse, here they've homed in on summery bubbles in the shape of a beery spin on a Brut Rosé, one delivered in quite delightful Art Deco inspired tallboy tinnies. In attempting to reach their end goal, the brewers laid their hands on a few non-traditional beer… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Beer-Wine Hybrids
- ABV
- 6.0%
- Stockists
-
Find your nearest Bubbly here
Mash Brewing Redpool
Tapped December 15th, 2019
Fresh out of the Swan Valley comes another pop culture-inspired Mash Brewing beer, the Redpool RYE’N’IPA. Marvel fans will quickly note the references to the Deadpool character played by Ryan Reynolds. If you missed them, there's a few more puns to be found on the can – “That’s gonna leave a brews” among them. The brewers reportedly had Shoop by Salt n Pepa on repeat throughout the entire brew too, because that's what Mr Pool would do. But, as with all things beer, it's what’s inside… Read more
Red
- Style
- Red Rye IPA
- ABV
- 5.2%
- Stockists
-
Available for a limited time from both Mash Brewing venues and liquor stores around Perth
Hop Nation & Lervig Bearded Seal DDH Hazy IPA
Tapped December 14th, 2019
One boon for Aussie brewers when events like Moon Dog's Mate Fest bring guests to town from across the globe is the opportunity it opens up for collaboration. Hop Nation leapt at that opportunity, welcoming Mike Murphy, the American behind much-loved Norwegian brewery Lervig, to Footscray and setting about creating the sort of beer fans of both brewers crave. The Bearded Seal – named after the heavy set creatures found in Norway (and featured in odd embrace on the labels) – is a DDH Hazy IPA.… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- DDH Hazy IPA with fruit
- ABV
- 8.0%
Rocky Ridge Pilsner
Tapped December 14th, 2019
After a brief period of relative quietness for the Rocky Ridge team – just four or so new releases in a few months – they’re ready to hit the ground running for the thirsty summer months ahead and have launched a fresh salvo with this crisp Pilsner – a beer designed to beat the heat. Carefully lagered for approximately three months, with the result it pours with a crystalline clarity, the real star of the show is a skillfully curated malt bill. A super clean and light base has been enhanced… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Pilsner
- ABV
- 5.0%
- Bitterness
- 35 IBU
Eagle Bay Lemon Coco-Nilla Donut Session Ale & Refreshing Ale
Tapped December 14th, 2019
Eagle Bay have been collaborating again, with a pair of new releases leaving the WA brewery as spring turned to summer. One goes under the moniker of a donut session ale, with Lemon Coco-Nilla a coming together of two of the greatest food groups on the planet: beer and donuts. Brewed with Perth's cult bakery-cum-café Mary Street Bakery, this intriguing ale is brimming with bold flavour, intrigue and pastry sweetness. Brewed with actual MSB cinnamon donuts, along with more than 10kg of toasted coconut… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Pastry Ale & Refreshing Ale
- ABV
- 4.5% & 6.5%
- Bitterness
- 23 & 30 IBU
Fixation Brewing Little Ray Hazy IPA
Tapped December 13th, 2019
When you've got the sort of track record the Fixation team has amassed in the few years since launching, you're always going to approach a new nationwide release with a degree of confidence. If they're going to back one of the beers developed at The Incubator to be scaled up and released in printed cans, they're going to be happy with it. And, quelle surprise, Little Ray is another cracking addition to their canon. He pours with a deep, smooth haze and a steepling, fluffy head – all the better… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Hazy IPA
- ABV
- 5.2%
Modus Operandi Sonic Prayer Hazy IPA & DIPA
Tapped December 13th, 2019
The psychedelically-inspired Sonic Prayer first started sending out its hoppy reverbs as a limited release in 2015 but its popularity - both among drinkers and within the Modus team - soon saw the beer move into the brewery’s core range. Now Modus have quite literally doubled down on the beer by offering up two super Sonic twins: Hazy and Double Sonic. You can watch the yarn of their conception here (one told with a reliably tongue-in-cheek approach) but the premise of the double release is a simple… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Hazy IPA & Double IPA
- ABV
- 6.0%
Wilson Brewing Golden Seahorse
Tapped December 13th, 2019
This Wilson Brewery seasonal was brewed as an ode to the Golden Zeepaert (AKA Golden Seahorse), allegedly the first ship to sight the part of the Australian coastline that would become their hometown of Albany in the early 17th century. If that doesn't mean much to you and you just want tasty craft beer, then this beer certainly still has relevance to you. Starting out with a traditional hefeweizen recipe, an abundance of locally grown Albany lemons were thrown into the mix, adding a ship load of… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Citrus Hefeweizen
- ABV
- 4.9%
- Bitterness
- 15 IBU
Mountain Goat Rare Breed: Swamp Thang Dank DIPA
Tapped December 13th, 2019
Mountain Goat return to the world of movies – B Movies, in this case – for inspiration for another Rare Breed release. In fact, they've plundered two films, Swamp Thing for the title and The Creature From The Black Lagoon for the imagery on what they're tagging a "Dank DIPA". To achieve this double D goal, they've loaded the beer with much-hyped new US hop Strata, alongside a trio of other classic Americans and locally-grown Cascade. The tasting notes promise "strong dank, piney… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Double IPA
- ABV
- 8.7%
- Bitterness
- 80 IBU
- Stockists
-
Available nationwide from December 16
Find stockists here
