A rarely-seen beer style has claimed the WA Beer of the Year crown, with The Seasonal Brewing Co's Mudi finishing in pole position in a diverse top 25 showcasing the breadth of brewing talent in Western Australia.
The beer is a black oat cream IPA released back in midwinter as head brewer Kalle Weavel figured: “Oats go in dark beers and oats go in hazies, so why not put them together?”
It's proven to be a smart move with the Maylands brewpub joining Beerfarm, King Road, Otherside and Cheeky Monkey as winners of the award handed out by the WA Good Food Guide.
After winning the award, Kalle (pictured above) told The Crafty Pint the request to blend two oat-heavy styles as one came from the bar team, and that he was keen to take on the challenge.
“But when it was fermenting, I thought, 'This could be a huge mistake because no one has done this before. And maybe there’s a reason for that!' But it turned out better than we expected.
“I'm proud of Mudi. I know it's different, but I’m proud that we have the opportunity to make this style of beer in a brewpub, and then send a small run of can out for people to explore and enjoy.”
The WA Beer of the Year Awards debuted in 2020, with Crafty Pint contributor Guy Southern in the role of head judge. Today, it's part of the WA Good Food Beer and Spirits Awards.
Guy described this year’s Top 25, judged blind over two days, as “diverse, joyous, assured and wonderfully West Australian”, adding: “Mudi was a strong contender for the top spot from the first pass. And every time we sampled it the beer just offered more, for what is an especially hard style to get right.
“I’ve previously described Mudi as having ‘tropical Milo’ characters, but there’s also chinotto, resin and bitterness at play in the juicy chocolate malt profile. It really shouldn’t work as well as it does!”
Completing the top five are Whitelakes Brewing's Dark Lager, Eagle Bay's 90 Day Pilsner, Area 51's Symbiote hazy pale, and Boston Brewing's non-alc Little Wren Raspberry Sour, which picked up a trophy at the Indies in Perth earlier in the year.
“Lager and hazies fared well this year,” Guy says. “Our first non-alc in the top 25 was outstanding. And seeing beers appear for three or four years running is wonderful. Core range can be cool! But who doesn’t love a Flanders red, or a barrel-aged beast...”
Joining Guy on the judging panel this year were food and beverage quality expert Clare Clouting of Athena Quality, Mane Specialist Bottleshops co-owner Josh Daley, beer industry expert Pia Poynton, and WAGFG bars editor and Crafty Pint man in the South West Jono Outred.
Seasonal's co-founder Nick Southwell, whose Nudi Oat Cream IPA finished in sixth, said of their triumph: “Black IPAs can easily miss the mark. There can be harshness, out of balance roastiness, astringent bitterness; there’re so many contrasting characters but Kalle has made a remarkable beer.”
The Top 25
1. Seasonal Brewing Co - Mudi Black Oat Cream IPA
2. Whitelakes Brewing Co - Dark Lager
3. Eagle Bay Brewing Co - 90 Day Pilsner
4. Area 51 - Symbiote Hazy Pale
5. Boston Brewing Co - Little Wren Non-Alc Raspberry Sour
6. Seasonal Brewing Co - Nudi Oat Cream NEIPA
7. Brewcha Libra - TMDK Pacific Rice Lager
8. Beerfarm - Lager
9. Margaret River Beer Co - In The Pines Hazy IPA
10. Phat Brew Club - Phat-N–Ripe Cherry Ripe Pastry Stout
11. Seasonal Brewing Co - Passionfruit Guava Gose
12. Finlay’s Brewing Co - Coral Coast Mid
13. Rocky Ridge Rocky Candy Fruited Sour
14. Area 51 - Exogenesis NEIPA
15. Eagle Bay Brewing Co - Grapefruit Hazy IIPA
16. Otherside Brewing Co - Cloudburst Hazy IPA
17. Eagle Bay Brewing Co - Cacao Stout
18. King Road Brewing Co - IPA
19. Phat Brew Club - Scrumpdi-dilumptious Pastry Stout
20. Margaret River Beer Co - River Dog South Coast IPA
21. Homestead Brewing - Flanders Red Ale 2023
22. Nail Brewing - Rye Whisky Barrel-Aged Clout Stout 2023
23. Cheeky Monkey - Hazy Pale
24. Feral Brewing - Perth Local Aussie Lager
25. Shelter Brewing - XPA
About the author: Guy drinks and writes about beer, goes for a run most mornings and makes his own chilli hot sauce. Find out more on Goodtimes Craft Beer via Facebook and Instagram.
For me, beer writing is about sharing experience with others, most of which is as much about what happens around the glass as what’s in it. It’s why I started a blog in 2014 after years of drinking beer and through quite literally bumping into founder James Smith at Good Beer Week began writing for The Crafty Pint. Many amazing friendships have developed from the love of water, malt, hops, yeast, adjuncts and hype!
The beer(s) or moment(s) that turned you on to good beer
Early 90s experience with Dogbolter and bottles of Delirium Tremens at the Sail and Anchor proved that there was more to beer than the cheap stuff I was drinking. A few years later, Chimay Blue once again teased before Little Creatures Pale Ale and Feral Hop Hog set the course for beer with flavour and nuance.
Favourite beer styles
Balance and drinking context are key but a short list includes Brett saisons, super fresh West Coast IPAs, well constructed BA sours, BA imperial stouts and fresh India pale lagers.
You've got three beers to turn someone else on to good beer; what are they and why?
Depending on the beer and circumstance, bitterness and acidity are the hurdles to overcome.
- Right now, Eagle Bay’s IPL is a great modern expression of technique and approachability. The hop presence arrives in soft mango and lime with enough bitterness but it’s the tight carbonation and refreshingly super dry finish that seals the deal.
- Boston Brewing’s Afterglose: Raspberry gose brings a near-perfect fruit / salt / acidity balance to a vibrantly coloured beer. It’s a real talking point which can lead to conversation about the history of beer styles, acidity on the palate or just: "Do you want another one?"
- Any fresh Czech-style pilsner. This has to be fresh in order to pick up the grassy noble hop characters and zippy bitterness on the slightly more biscuity malt body. While familiar to many, a really fresh expression is great starting point for a massive world of beer.
Tell us about a standout beer moment
A favourite beer memory involves spending an afternoon sitting under the dripping eaves of a café in the 5th Arrondissement watching Parisians run in and out of a bakery with fresh baguettes while I drank large goblets of Duvel as the winter rain soaked the tiny cobblestoned square. So much about beer is context!
