The long wait is almost over. The old school trucks are bedecked in their bold livery, the snazzier-than-thou brewery is up and running, the brewers have purpose once more and the beer is about to be put out for public consumption. After a lengthy gestation period – it’s a year since they took a stand and a posse of promotional peeps to the Beer & Brewer Expo – Thunder Road Brewing has beer. Tomorrow night at the Great Beer Debate, one of the taps will be pouring a beer called Scream Time Action, which we’re told is a close relation to the “Local Ale”, a bitter made using all Victorian ingredients that will ultimately become the second major release from the brewery following the Full Steam Pale Lager.
According to the brewery’s jazzy tasting notes flier, the beer’s a 4.5% ale that’s “sparkling, orange, honey” in colour, has an aroma of “light caramel, orangey and aley” and a “robust, quenching, juicy” flavour. It was first poured at a trade day organised by Bintani as part of Good Beer Week on Thursday and, says the brewery’s Justin Trail: “It was really well received.”
The Full Steam is due for a trade launch on June 8 at Josie Bones and will be launched to the public the following week at Beer DeLuxe and the Cherry Tree) in Cremorne as the brewery in East Brunswick is cranked into life.
“It’s starting to smell and look like a brewery. We’re starting to feel a bit more like the real deal,” says Justin. “It’s all very well doing development and building a brewery but having tasted the Scream Time and the lager it’s gone up another gear. The brewers have come into their own and are brewing at a furious rate. Smiles are rising on their faces. We’re really excited about what’s coming up and focused on getting the beers out.”
Initially, Thunder Road will not be open to the public other than for samples and the cellar door style sale of growlers. The intention is to open a 30 tap in-brewery bar further down the line, while the historic bluestone cottage that fronts the warehouse containing the brewery has been given a classy refurb and now houses a beer-focused library, collections of beer memorabilia and private tasting rooms.
As for the Scream Time Action Beer, there are only 50 kegs being made – and two of those have already been “knocked off” at the trade day – so keep your eyes peeled if you’re keen to find out what Thunder Road and the “quest for the perfect beer” are all about.
