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!
Feral Brewing Boris 2020
Tapped June 3, 2020
Boris is back, and that’s a good thing. There’s a straightforwardness to this beer that allows the drinker to meet it on Boris’ terms, which for most WA drinkers was always the dark, belligerent, odd-one-out in Feral's Swan Valley brewpub tasting paddles... “People drink this?” There's no concessions here. You like it or you don’t. However, it’s a relationship that grew over time and, like all great romances, ended up created a faithful following. As such, while times have changed,… Read more
Black
- Style
- Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV
- 9.1%
- Stockists
-
Find Boris at Feral stockists nationwide
Barossa Valley Brewing COWIT-20
Tapped June 3, 2020
Sometimes when the world is all doom and gloom, we need a little bit of fun in our lives, a little reminder to look at a situation as glass half full. Cue Barossa Valley’s latest, COWIT-20, a spiced herb beer that looks to shine a light on the positives that have come from the pandemic. Positives such as fuel dropping to under a dollar a litre [And the fact we barely need to use it – Editor], pollution noticeably improving in some cities, wildlife returning to otherwise empty canals and streams… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Spiced Witbier
- ABV
- 4.5%
Barossa Valley Brewing Peanut Butter Chocolate Coffee Milkshake
Tapped June 3, 2020
The Barossa Valley brewing team had a little bit of spare time on their hands and decided to experiment with two of their most popular darker beers – the Chocolate and Coffee Stout and Peanut Milkshake Stout – melding the peanut butter sweetness of the latter with the richness of chocolate and coffee in the former. The coffee comes from local provider Bean Addiction, the peanut introduced via PB2 powder – dehydrated peanut. It makes for an experience close to the perfect dessert stout, as… Read more
Black
- Style
- Peanut Butter, Chocolate & Coffee Milk Stout
- ABV
- 6.5%
Eagle Bay Brewing Single Series: Norwegian Barleywine & Assembled Cabernet BA Stout
Tapped June 3, 2020
One benefit of the COVID-19 lockdown for WA's beer lovers has been the necessity for Eagle Bay's brewers to put out five beers destined to be keg-only releases in bottles in very quick succession. And, if punters were stoked to get their hands on the limited, single series Dark Lager, IPA and Red IPA, then they might have to take a seat for the latest double drop. A barleywine with a Norwegian edge and a cabernet barrel-aged imperial stout complete the rapid-fire quintet and, although they’re… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Barleywine & Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
- ABV
- Both 10.0%
- Bitterness
- 66 IBU & 58 IBU
Ocho Winter IPA 2020
Tapped June 2, 2020
Given the past pattern of seasonal IPAs from Ocho, you’d be forgiven for expecting something dark and hoppy for the latest winter instalment. This time, however, brewer Stu Grant has flipped the bird at your expectations and delivered a juice bomb for which even the fussiest haze-heads (or haters) will be lining up to demand seconds. Who said you can’t have juice in winter? There are no adjunct tricks in this 6.5 percent ABV pillow fight. Although when we say pillow fight, we really mean cloud… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Hazy IPA
- ABV
- 6.5%
- Bitterness
- 34 IBU
Helios & Nowhereman Single Malt Red IPA
Tapped June 2, 2020
Samples of this beer were sent to two Crafty contributors at the same time and their reviews landed within 2.5 hours of each other. So I thought we'd run them together for a bit of fun... When brewer Charlie Hodgson gets the chance to brew a beer with any of his mates from WA, you can always taste the friendship, and this collab between Helios and Nowhereman in Perth is no exception. To be fair, though, the platonic love can only take partial credit for the rich flavours in this red IPA - Voyager… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Red IPA
- ABV
- 7.5%
St Andrews Beach Brewery Tidal Artesian Hard Seltzer: Yuzu Citrus & Lime
Tapped June 2, 2020
While it's still early days and we'll likely not be able to make much in the way of a judgement call about hard seltzer in Australia until we've had the next summer (assuming things are in any way normal by then), it's already apparent there's some variety to be found in the offerings from local producers. With their entry into the fledgling market, St Andrews Beach Brewery on the Mornington Peninsula have eschewed the pastel shades favoured by many here and overseas; their slim, white Tidal cans… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Hard Seltzers
- ABV
- 4.2%
Cheeky Monkey Silverback Imperial Stout 2020
Tapped June 2, 2020
Cheeky Monkey’s Silverback is a hotly anticipated cult icon within WA's craft beer scene. Released annually and currently in at least its sixth packaged reiteration (along with three barrel-aged versions), it’s back for 2020 and, as usual, is here to blow us away. As with most releases of Silverback, this year’s interpretation sees a few cheeky changes from the last. Most noticeably in 2020, it's delivered in a 375ml can with refreshed, on-brand artwork. Simplified graphics and a familiar silver… Read more
Black
- Style
- Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV
- 10.0%
Cheeky Monkey Gallows East Coast IPA
Tapped June 2, 2020
Cheeky Monkey’s surf break series has very quickly become a highly sought-after collection of hazy IPAs for WA craft drinkers. The fourth in the series, Gallows East Coast IPA, will surely attract the same kind of attention as its predecessors thanks to the striking can artwork and distinct orange juice like appearance. Named after the famous break in Wilyabrup that's been heavily surfed since the 1950s, Gallows is, by contrast, a modern day beer. Thick and hazy appearance aside, Gallows is firmly… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- East Coast IPA
- ABV
- 6.0%
Hop Nation Site Fermentation Project Lapin 2019
Tapped June 1, 2020
This time last year, Hop Nation released Lapin under their Site Fermentation Project banner: a blend of cherries and their foedre-aged sour blonde ale. It returns for winter 2020 but has taken a slightly different route to this point. The beer still features organic Lapin cherries from Mark’s Farm in Benalla, but this time they were added to the 3,000 litre oak vessel where the fruit-enhanced liquid was allowed to re-ferment for a few months longer. It still shares qualities with a French table… Read more
Red
- Style
- Cherry Sour Blonde Ale
- ABV
- 8.0%
Hops to Home & Blackman's Hopsie & Homie
Tapped June 1, 2020
It's not particularly rare to come across brewers using essentially the same beer then changing one element – the hops, the yeast, the barrels, etc – to showcase the impact that change can have on the finished product. It's essentially what Blackman's have done here in partnership with online retailer Hops to Home although the different directions in which they've taken the base of this IPA leave them a long way apart on the beer spectrum. Hopsie is a West Coast IPA that fires of crystalline… Read more
Golden
- Style
- West Coast IPA & Raspberry Hazy IPA
- ABV
- 6.6% & 6.7%
- Stockists
Hawkers & Against The Grain Bo & Luke Down Under 2020
Tapped May 29, 2020
The story of Bo & Luke Down Under goes back a while. Sticking to the Australian chapter of the story, the beer was brewed in May 2019 when Against The Grain were in Melbourne for Good Beer Week. They laid down a smoked imperial stout featuring rye, mesquite and beechwood smoked malts, which then spent time in rum barrels before being split into a trio of formats: straight, maple and hazelnut & cocoa. I've only tasted the first two, with the straight version less the larrikins of Dukes of… Read more
Black
- Style
- Barrel-Aged Imperial Stouts
- ABV
- 13.0% & 12.9%
Wolf of the Willows ISO GABS Collection
Tapped May 29, 2020
Just because there was no GABS this May / June doesn't mean breweries haven't been putting out GABS beers. In the case of Wolf of the Willows, three of them, all of which are collabs with local producers too. The newcomer is The S'Mores Man, a nitro amber ale with a marshmallow twist (and man on the label) featuring organic cacao from longstanding Wolf mates Essential Wholefoods. For much of the experience, you're very much in traditional amber territory, like their Woodsman - some toasty dryness,… Read more
Eagle Bay Brewing Single Series: Dark Lager
Tapped May 29, 2020
Hot off the heels of not one but two Single Series IPAs from the Eagle Bay crew comes a lager ready to fill the void between summer sour crushing and winter warmer sipping. A dark lager, to be exact, loaded with brooding, rich malts and noble hops. An expansive malt bill and lengthy lagering process give this biscuity lager plenty of robust character. Chocolate malt, roasted wheat and Aurora malt add complexities in the form of dusty chocolate, sweet biscuits and light caramel, which are apparent… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Dark Lager
- ABV
- 5.0%
- Bitterness
- 26 IBU
Bright Tank IIPA
Tapped May 29, 2020
When their recently canned East Perth Lager arrived, gone was the graff-inspired artwork and in its place arrived a clean aesthetic that echoed the brewery venue itself, while also featuring the long mothballed East Perth power station. Clearly, change was afoot at Bright Tank. Now comes this IIPA, wrapped in the new skin and featuring the nearby Matagarup Bridge, its shape reflecting the black swans that glide below, and the Wagyl, the Noogar Aboriginal serpent which created the Swan River. This… Read more
Golden
- Style
- IIPA
- ABV
- 8.0%
- Stockists
-
Available from the brewery and WA stockists
Blasta Brewing Big Brekkie Of Champs
Tapped May 28, 2020
Blasta’s Steve Russell has been refining Big Brekkie Of Champs over the last few years. And by refining we mean finding more adjuncts to add to this winter release. On the lighter side of imperial, but still at a weighty 7.3 percent ABV, Big Brekkie Of Champs now weaves six different specialty malts, coffee, organic maple syrup, cacao nibs and vanilla into an opulent kickstart to the day – if that’s your thing, of course. Mostly likely, it's a nightcap for everyone else – we’re not judging,… Read more
Black
- Style
- Imperial Coffee Stout
- ABV
- 7.3%
- Stockists
-
Available from the brewery and Blasta stockists nationally
Nail Brewing NBT Pale v7
Tapped May 28, 2020
With an ever-increasing and diverse array of expression filling bottleshop fridge doors, it makes for a lovely change to sit with the same beer and appreciate the nuance within each edition. With NBT, there’s neither radical change nor hype, but in their place resides an education on how to build a beer, specifically a modern pub beer for whenever that particular levee breaks. Now in its seventh iteration Nail’s NBT series of pale ales draws from German Amarillo and classic US hop Centennial.… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Pale Ale
- ABV
- 4.7%
Bad Shepherd Strawberry Milkshake IPA 2020
Tapped May 28, 2020
Not only have Bad Shepherd been moving into cans for some time now but, as they make the transition, they've been shaking up the way they present themselves to the world – and on occasion shaking off the relatively austere look of their early years for something rather bolder. Case in point: following the golden ticket-esque Peanut Butter Porter comes this year's Strawberry Milkshake IPA with a look we reckon can be best described as jazz hands. As for what's inside the spangly can, it's something… Read more
Red
- Style
- Strawberry Milkshake IPA
- ABV
- 6.0%
- Bitterness
- 25 IBU
Modus Operandi Hazy Series 04: Azacca, Mosaic & Hort 4337
Tapped May 28, 2020
When Modus said they were going to “take it up a notch” with their Hazy program, and that “the series gives us licence to play with yeast and hops and dial up the ABV”, they weren’t kidding. The fourth in the series is a triple dry-hopped, ten percent ABV fire hazard (in a good way). We’ve all heard of “Stop, Drop and Roll” when it comes to fire safety. Well, with this hot thing, we need to follow those instructions in reverse. Roll - Roll the can briefly before opening to wake up… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- TDH IIPA
- ABV
- 10.0%
Cheeky Monkey Salty Peaches & Great White Orange & Grapefruit
Tapped May 28, 2020
It’s midway through 2020 – sorry if this is shocking news – and our suggestion brewers would become orchardists in our annual Best New WA Beers article is looking an ever safer bet. Fruit in beer is here to stay, as this pair from Cheeky Monkey can attest. Firstly, Salty Peaches’ playfully disgruntled peach emoji can art is sure to bring a smile even if sours aren’t your thing. But, if they are, then expect a mix of salty, peach fuzz and pulp with fruit tartness providing contrast, while… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- Peach Sout & Fruited Hard Seltzer
- ABV
- 4.2% & 4.0%
