Hop Dog Beer Works
On Tuesday the 31st of October I visited the Hop Dog Beer Works in Nowra, New South Wales. This brewery opened just over six years ago, although, Tim the owner and brewer, has been in the craft brewing industry for seventeen years. He produces small batches of beers so that he can guarantee freshness and uses only quality ingredients to maintain quality beers.
The brewery initially used a 200 litre system but it now consists of a 800 litre brew system and has six 800 litre fermentation tanks. They have a taproom at the brewery as well as a second venue in Nowra town centre called The Dog and Monocle. This is a restaurant as well as a bar.
The taproom is open from Wednesday to Saturday and has a great offer on Friday when they will fill growlers for $13. They have a core selection of three beers and produce a regularly changing range of seasonal and specialty beers. The core beers are Cosmic Highway, Redhopulous and Horns Up.
Their beers can also be found in selected bottle shops between Canberra and Sydney.
The beers that I sampled were:
- Cosmic Highway, 4.7% abv, this is a Pale Ale with a golden colour and a sweet citrus and tropical fruit aroma. It has a biscuity, malt initial flavour and then a mild bitter finish.
- Something, Something, Kettle Sour, 5.6% abv, this is golden ale that has been aged on Japanese Umoboshi ( these are a salty, tart, sweet preserved plum). The beer has a golden colour and a subtle sour aroma. It has a very sweet initial flavour that is followed by a fruity gentle sourness.
- Redhopulous, 5.0% abv, this is a Red Ale that is amber in colour and a biscuit and caramel malt aroma. It has a wonderful malty flavour and then a fruitiness on a mild hop bitter finish.
- Horns Up, 5.8% abv, this is a Rye IPA with a straw colour and a citrus, pineapple and tropical fruit aroma. It has a sweet tropical fruit taste that flows into a spicy fruit bitterness on the finish.
- Sludge Core, 8.0% abv, this is a Rye Double IPA with a golden straw colour with a tropical mango, pineapple and pine aroma. It has a nice smooth mouth feel and a sweet fruity flavour before a generous, resinous, dry hop bitter finish.
- Panda Popping Fairy Turkish Floss, 8.3% abv, this is a sweet Milk Stout that has been aged in Lark Whiskey barrels and was produced for GABS. It contains popcorn, fairy floss and rose water. It has a black colour and a sweet roasted malt aroma. It has a super sweet flavour with hints of dark chocolate. It is unusual and very delicious.
- The Baconator, 5.5% abv, this is a collaboration brew with a heavy metal band called Reign of Terror made for the release of their EP “Tormentor of Lost Souls”. It is a smoked amber ale with a copper colour and a smoked meat aroma. It has a great smoked malt flavour with tastes of bacon and smoked meat. Available in bottles only.
- Psychedelic Lizard Wizard, 4.7% abv, this is a citrus and Szechuan pepper Belgian Pale Ale, it has a hazy golden colour and a spicy citrus aroma. It has a complex tart citrus flavour with a mild spiciness on a dry finish. Available in bottles only.
- Mage Armor, 7.7% abv, this is a Belgian styled Tripel with a hazy, light orange colour and an aroma of Belgian yeast, bananas and tropical fruit. It has a creamy mouth feel and a sweet flavour of malt and fruit on a gentle bitter finish. Available in bottles only.
- Super Beast 2016, 10.5% abv, 85 IBU, this is their 5th anniversary Barley Wine, it has a cloudy copper colour and a strong fruity aroma. It has a nice smooth mouth feel and a rich, strong , sweet flavour of raisins and alcohol soaked fruit. Delicious! Available in bottles only.
- Super Beast 2017, 10.3% abv, 75 IBU, this is their 6th anniversary Barley Wine, it has a cloudy copper appearance and a sweet fruity hop aroma. It has a fantastic strong sweet fruity flavour of Christmas cake on a mild bitterness. Wonderful!! Available in bottles only.
The Hop Dog Beer Works is making some delicious beers, some of which that are very unique and unusual. It is also a great venue to have a few brews. It is definitely worth a visit.
I would like to thank Tim for taking the time from his busy brewing schedule to talk with me and for his hospitality. 
Cupitt’s Craft Brewery
On Sunday the 29th of October I visited the Cupitt’s Craft Brewery in Ulladulla, New South Wales. This is a craft brewery within a winery. It was started in 2014 by brothers Wally and Tom. Their focus is to produce beers of quality first and foremost and also to make styles that they personally enjoy. They were initially worried about the response that their beers would receive from the local community, however, they have been pleasantly surprised and have become quite accustomed to converting the locals to drinking good tasting craft beers.
The brewery consists of a 300 litre brewhouse with five 300 litre and two 800 litre fermentation tanks. They also barrel age and condition some of their beers. They make enough beer to keep up with the demands of their cellar door and to supply a couple of bottle shops and a few select restaurants in the region. Their cellar door bar has several standard taps and one hand-pump.
They are considering expanding their output and to this end they have recently employed a new brewer to start there in the near future. This will be Liam Jackson, who will bring a wealth of experience from his time brewing at Staves Brewery. They are hoping that he will assist them in taking the brewery to the next level which should include producing packaged beer for wider distribution.
The venue is wonderful and includes a wine tasting room, a restaurant and a deck area where there is also bar food available, including delicious wood fired pizzas. The deck is great and overlooks a grassed area, where live music is performed every Sunday from 12:30, before having views over the vineyard, livestock paddocks and Lake Burrill.
The beers that I sampled were:
Kolsch, 5.1% abv, 23 IBU, this has a straw colour and a sweet fruity aroma. It has a nice malty taste and then a gentle bitterness on a crisp, clean finish. Very easy drinking.
Cupitt Hibiscus Wit, 4.2% abv, 15 IBU, this wheat beer has a hazy pink colour and a subtle sweet, spicy yeast aroma. It has a sweet wheat flavour with hints of banana and a gentle spiciness.
Pale Ale, 5.3% abv, 45 IBU, this is an American Pale Ale with a golden colour and a pine and floral aroma. It has a well balanced flavour of sweet malt and then a fruitiness before a good hop bitter finish.
Nut Brown Ale, 5.1% abv, 28 IBU, this brown coloured Ale is served from the hand-pump and has a malty aroma of nuts and toffee. It has a wonderful malt flavour with good hints of caramel, toffee, nuts and chocolate. Very nice.
Indian Black Ale, 6.8% abv, 80 IBU, this has a black colour with a dark head and a fruity hop aroma. It has a great flavour of sweet fruit, chocolate and coffee with a pine-like resinous hop bitterness on the finish. Nice!
IPA, 6.4% abv, 60 IBU, this has a golden colour and a strong fruity, citrus aroma. It has a wonderful sweet, juicy, fruity flavour that transitions into a generous, lingering hop bitter finish. Excellent.
Cupitt Belgian Dark Strong, 9.1% abv, 30 IBU, this has a dark amber colour and a strong malt and Christmas cake aroma. It has a wonderful, smooth, buttery sweet flavour of caramel, toffee and Christmas pudding with a gentle spiciness. Quite magnificent!!
Cupitt Russian Imperial Stout, 8.0% abv, 75 IBU, this black Stout has a thick, dark head and has a roasted coffee and chocolate malt aroma. It has spent twelve months in Shiraz barrels and has a fantastic, rich, smooth flavour with tastes of dark chocolate, coffee and fruit cake. This is very special!!
The beers being produced by Cupitt’s Craft Brewery are all quite excellent. They have a great selection of beers, wines and cheeses, a wonderful venue and delicious food. This is definitely somewhere that you should visit if you have the opportunity.
I would like to thank Wally and Tom for taking the time to talk with me and for their hospitality when I visited.
Zierholz Premium Brewery
On Friday the 27th of October I visited the Zierholz Premium Brewery, Restaurant and Bar in Fyshwick, ACT. This brewery was started by Christoph Zierholz eleven years ago. He came from a home brewing background of ten years, where he had also won the National Home Brew Championship for two years in a row. He left his job in public service to start the brewery with second hand brewing equipment from America.
They produce European influenced beers and have German style food available at the restaurant. The beers are made in 17 hectolitre batches using a steam jacketed kettle and hot liquor tun before being fermented in one of six 20 hectolitre, glycol jacketed fermentation tanks. They also have seven bright tanks that are kept in the cool room. All of their beers go into kegs but they are considering packaging some in the future.
They are still producing the same selection of beers that Christoph started with eleven years ago. These have proved to be very popular and have been supplied to both the German and Austrian embassies for special events. At the recent Oktoberfest event held on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin they attracted over 4000 people and sold 110 kegs of beer.
They hold brewery tours and beer tastings with the Master Brewer, Christoph. Although, most of the brewing duties have been passed on to Martin for the last two years. The brewery/restaurant is also able to be booked for private functions and can even arrange catering for your special event, including a bar with their beers.
The beers that I sampled were:
Schankbier, 2.7% abv, this is a light style Lager with a light straw colour and a malt aroma. It has lovely full malt flavour at a sessionable alcohol level.
German Ale, 4.3% abv, this was the first beer brewed at the brewery and is a Kolsch style with a light straw colour and a subtle fruity aroma. It has clean, crisp taste on a gentle bitter finish. Refreshing.
Hopmeister, 5.0% abv, this is an English style Pale Ale with a golden straw colour and a fruity aroma. It has a well balanced flavour of malt and fruitiness with a dry finish.
German Pilsner, 5.0% abv, this has a light straw colour and a sweet malt aroma. It has a nice sweet malty flavour and then a mild bitterness on a dry finish.
Weizen, 4.4% abv, this is a German style wheat beer with a hazy straw colour and a spicy banana aroma. It has a lovely, sweet, spicy banana flavour on a gentle tart finish.
Amber Ale, 4.9% abv, this is a Düsseldorf style Altbier with an amber colour and a toffee and caramel malt aroma. It has a nutty malt flavour with good hints of caramel and toffee before a mild bitter hop finish. Very nice!
Porter, 5.4% abv, this is an English style with a black colour and a roasted malt aroma. It has a strong roasted malt flavour with tastes of chocolate on a mild bitterness on the finish.
The Zierholz Premium Brewery, Restaurant and Bar is a wonderful venue that is producing very authentic European style beers. It is well worth visiting.
I would like to thank Martin for his hospitality and taking the time away from his busy brewing schedule to talk with me.
Wig & Pen
On Thursday the 26th of October I visited the Wig and Pen Craft Brewery and Tavern in Canberra, ACT. This brewery started in 1994, which gives it the distinction of being Australia’s second longest continuously running craft brewery after The Lord Nelson in Sydney.
The brewery equipment originally came out of the closed Extract Brewery in Darling Harbour and although it is not a huge brewery it still maintains a large selection of beers including producing Lagers that have had a two and half month fermentation, as good lagers should have. The brewery consists of 6 hectolitre fermentation tanks and a 12 hectolitre bright tank. While in the brewery I was lucky enough to try their Imperial Stout straight from the tank, which was delicious, and a kettle soured beer that was being aged in an oak barrel, also very good.
The bar area has sixteen taps, fifteen for beer and one for cider. These include four traditional hand -pumped taps for their cask conditioned beers. These hand-pumped ales are a defining feature of The Wig and Pen and provide a traditional British beer experience to their Canberra drinkers. They are cask conditioned and are chilled to cellar temperature rather than refrigerated.
The beers that I sampled were:
The Last Splash, 4.8% abv, this is a Czech style Pilsner with a golden straw colour and a spicy floral aroma. It has great malt flavour and clean, crisp finish. Refreshing and true to the style.
Auf meine StraBe! , Munich Helles, 5.1% abv, this has a golden colour and a subtle hop aroma. It has a sweet malty taste and gentle bitterness on a crisp dry finish.
JP’s ESB, 4.4% abv, this hand-pumped Extra Special Bitter has an amber colour and a caramel malt aroma. It has a great malt flavour with hints of caramel and toffee. Lovely and true to the style.
Le Paysan Noir, 7.1% abv, this is a Black Saison with a yeasty, spicy Saison aroma. It has a nice malty flavour of smoked malt and then a Saison warm, dry finish.
Velvet Cream Stout, 6.7% abv, this is a black Stout with a thick creamy head and a roasted malt aroma. It has a wonderful sm
ooth mouth feel and a lovely sweet malt flavour with a great creamy finish.
Red Coat, 4.5% abv, this is an English IPA with a hazy golden colour and a subtle caramel malt aroma. It has a sweet fruit and malt flavour with a gentle bitterness on the finish.
D’Unkle Ester, 4.7% abv, this is a German style dark wheat beer with a dark brown colour and a yeasty, banana aroma. It has a spicy, wheat and banana flavour with a slight hint of chocolate.
W&P Pale Ale, 4.4% abv, this is an English style Pale Ale poured from the hand-pump with a golden colour and a strong tropical fruity aroma. It has a very light malt flavour with a sweet citrus fruit taste and then a mild grapefruit bitterness on the finish.
Little Citra, 3.7% abv, this is a light IPA with a light straw colour and a subtle citrus aroma. It is light bodied with a mild fruity flavour and a gentle bitter finish. Easy drinking and sessionable.
Streamliner, 6.4% abv, this is an American style IPA with a golden colour and a strong fruity aroma from the seven hop varieties used. It has a sweet biscuity malt flavour and then a lovely fruitiness on a mild bitter finish.
They have a wonderful selection of beers at The Wig and Pen Craft Brewery and Tavern and are well worth visiting. I would like to thank Andy Cross, from We Love Craft Beer Australia, for arranging my tour and Alan, the brewer, for his hospitality and giving up his time to talk with me.
Capital Brewing Co
On Thursday the 26 of October I visited the Capital Brewing Co. in Fyshwick, ACT. This brewery has only been open for one and a half months. They shifted their operation here in July and set up throughout August and started brewing in September. Prior to that they were Gypsy Brewing at Hairy Man as well as other Sydney breweries.
The brewery consists of a three tank, 25 hectolitre brewhouse with three 5000 litre and two 10000 litre fermentation vessels as well as one 5000 litre bright tank used for kegging and when they package their beers. This is done into cans with the aid of East Coast canning and their mobile canning line. However, Capital will be installing their own line next year. They have plenty of room for expansion in the future if required. They even poached their head brewer from a very successful San Diego brewery.
Although the brewery is very new they already have a strong following, they had 4500 people through their door on their opening day and went through 61 kegs of beer.
The venue is excellent with plenty of room inside as well as beer gardens out the front and an enclosed one on the side of the brewery that has a children’s cubby house.
The front beer garden even has a stage area for bands to perform.
Food at the venue is supplied by Brod Burgers and Dogs, who were recently named the best burgers in Canberra. Their burgers did taste delicious.
The beers that I sampled were:
Coast Ale, 4.2% abv, 20 IBU, this is a California Common Ale made in the Steam Ale style with a golden colour and a very subtle fruit aroma. It has a malt flavour and a mild hop bitter finish.
Trail Pale Ale, 4.7% abv, 30 IBU, this has an amber colour and a sweet citrus fruit, floral and pine aroma. It has a lovely well balanced malt taste followed by a big fruity hop bitterness on the finish.
Evil Eye, 6.0% abv, 60 IBU, this is a Red IPA with a dark amber colour and a citrus aroma. It has a malt body of caramel flavour and then a generous hop bitter finish.
Springboard Summer Ale, 4.6% abv, 10 IBU, this has a golden colour and a subtle malt and citrus aroma. It has malty flavour with gentle citrus hints.
First Tracks Stout, 5.2% abv, 10 IBU, this is a black Stout with a roasted coffee aroma. It has a smooth mouth feel and a nice malt flavour with lovely coffee tastes. Very good!
DYEUS Pilsner, 5.0% abv, 35 IBU, this is a New World Pilsner with a golden straw colour and a sweet fruity aroma. It has a great malty flavour on a gentle bitter finish.
Broken Shoulder Brown, 3.5% abv, 30 IBU, this has an amber brown colour and a citrus and floral aroma. It has a lovely malt palate with hints of chocolate and nuts on a nice hoppy bitter finish.
Rock Hopper IPA, 6.1% abv, 50 IBU, this has a golden colour and a grapefruit, citrus and tropical fruit aroma. It has sweet tropical fruit taste and then transitions into a generous hop bitter finish.
Old Man River Barley Wine, 10.2% abv, 50 IBU, this has an amber colour and a fruity aroma. It has a full fruity flavour with tastes of apricot and caramel before a mild bitter finish. Nice!
Batlow Saison Cider, 4.4% abv, this apple cider is fermented with Saison yeast, it is cloudy in appearance and has a mixed aroma of apples and farmhouse style beer. It has sweet apple initial taste and then a gentle tart finish.
Passion Hop IPA, 6.1% abv, this has a golden colour and a passionfruit and tropical fruit aroma. It has a nice sweet tropical fruit taste and then a generous strong bitterness on the finish.
The beers at Capital Brewing Co. are all very well made and quite enjoyable. I really recommend giving this brewery a visit if you are in the Canberra area.
I would like to thank Dan for his great hospitality when I was there. 
Marketing in the Craft Beer Industry
Do you own a Brewery or Craft Beer venue? Are you running a Craft Beer Festival or selling products in the industry? What ever you are doing, the Craft Beer Industry is a specialised industry and it requires specialised marketing.
We Love Craft Beer provides a range of marketing services to the Craft Beer industry through our website, social media channels and in conjunction with our own Digital Marketing Agency Solutions 4 Biz.
So no matter what business you are running, or what your needs are, we can help market your business. Below are some of the ways we can help you.
Access to the We Love Craft Beer Network
We can provide you with direct access to over 14,000 Craft Beer Lovers through a range of channels and marketing including
- Organic and Paid post across social media
- Mentions by Social Influencers
- Banner Ads on our web site
- Inclusions in Email Newsletters
- Involvement in Competitions and Promotions
- Press releases and content writing
- Reviews, Blogging and Vlogging
Our Digital Marketing Agency can provide a full range of professional Marketing services including
- Digital Analytics
- Web development and management
- Logos and Branding
- Organic and paid Social media Marketing
- Email marketing
- SEO and Google Adwords
- Content writing (Blogging and Press Releases)
- Video Production
- Marketing plans
- Market research
- Online Polls and Surveys
We also offer the following specialised services for individual businesses
Breweries
- Brewery Reviews
- Promotional Products and Merchandising
- Listing on our Find Beer App
- Distribution and Agency agreements
- Set up and management of Ale Trails
Craft Beer Venues
- Promotion of Tap Take overs and special events
- Promotional Products and Merchandising
- Listing on our Find Beer App
Craft Beer Retailers
- Adding to our Member Discount Program
- Listing on our Find Beer App
Craft Beer Festivals
- Promotional Products and Merchandising
- Professional Video production for promotional purposes either before or at the event
- Incentives to our members to attend (discounts etc)
- Competitions and promotions in the lead up to the event
- Tour groups to the event (subject to numbers and lead time)
- Live Vlogging services at the Festival
- Sale of tickets through our web site and social media channels
Not every business is big enough to employee their own in house marketing person, and whilst you might know a lot about brewing or running a venue, you are probably not an expert in marketing. Well never fear, we can help you.
Our Business and Marketing consultant can help you with all of your marketing needs, and we can be available as much or as little as you need.
We already work with a number of (non competing) clients in the Craft Beer industry and have loads of experience. So if you are looking to build or grow your business and you need some help with your marketing, contact us today.
BentSpoke Brewing Co
On Tuesday the 24th of October I visited the BentSpoke Brewing Co. in Canberra, ACT. The brewery was opened in 2013, about three and a half years ago. It operates with a three vessel, 12 hectolitre brewhouse and has seven fermentation tanks, five 24 hectolitre and two 12 hectolitre. They also have six bright tanks for delivering their core range of beers to tap, as well as one bright tank that is used for kegging their seasonal brews. They use the system to brew three to four times a week.
At the bar they have their six core beers on tap as well as eight rotating seasonal beers. They also have two through the hand pump and one that runs through their ‘Hopinator’ , while I was there this was their Barley Griffin which was run through Galaxy Hop flowers. Last week it was their Descent 17 Imperial Stout which was run through cherries and cocoa nibs, it sounded wonderful.
All of their packaged beer is produced off site at Mitchell where they have a 50 hectolitre system and a seven head filling canning line. They hope to open a retail bar there in 2018. They try to be environmentally friendly with all of their spent grain going to local farmers as stock feed.
The brewery bar was designed from the floor up, so they have made it the way they want it. All of the beers are plumbed through stainless steel piping that compliments the look of the venue.
They have a great food menu at the bar as well.
The beers that I sampled were:
Mort’s Gold, 4.5% abv, 30 IBU, this is a Pilsner with a golden colour and a subtle fruit aroma. It has a nice malty flavour on a gentle bitter finish.
Sprocket, 7.0% abv, 45 IBU, this is a summer IPA with a hazy golden colour and a tropical fruit aroma. It has a sweet tropical fruit taste and then a generous fruity bitterness on the finish.
Crankshaft, 5.8% abv, 35 IBU, this is an orange IPA with a cloudy orange colour and a citrus hop aroma. It has a strong orange, citrus flavour with a big hop bitter finish.
Big Nut, 7.5% abv, 45 IBU, this is a dark Ale with a black colour and a roasted coffee malt aroma. It has a wonderful rich malt flavour of nuts and coffee on a mild bitter finish. Very nice.
Cluster 8, 8.8% abv, 65 IBU, this is an Imperial IPA with a golden amber colour and a sweet fruity aroma. It has a great sweet fruity taste that turns into a rich but mild hop bitter finish.
Cluster 12, 12.2% abv, 65 IBU, this is a Triple IPA with a copper colour and a fruity citrus and pine aroma. It has a full fruity flavour of sweetness with hints of citrus and stone fruit before a generous, resinous hop bitterness on the finish.
Stratus, 8.0% abv, 62 IBU, this is a New England IPA with a golden colour and a strong fruity aroma of citrus and tropical fruit. It has a super citrus fruit flavour on a good, lingering, resinous hop bitter finish. True to the style.
Cluster 16, 16.2% abv, 52 IBU, this is a Belgian quadruple IPA with a dark amber colour and a sweet fruit aroma. It has a wonderful, strong, rich fruit cake flavour with a very serious kick. Magnificent!
Barley Griffin, 4.2% abv, 22 IBU, this is an Australian Pale Ale with a straw colour and a subtle sweet citrus aroma. It has a sweet initial malt taste and then a mild fruitiness on a gentle bitter finish.
Braddon Bitter, 4.2% abv, 36 IBU, this is an English Bitter served on the hand pump. It has a sweet caramel malt aroma and a lovely malt flavour of caramel and toffee on a mild bitter finish.
Red Nut, 7.0% abv, 56 IBU, this is a Red IPA with a dark amber colour and a pine hop aroma. It has a sweet malt initial taste that transitions quickly into a big fruity, resinous hop bitter finish.
Blow Your Bagpipe, 8.1% abv, 25 IBU, this is a strong Scotch Ale with a dark brown colour and a mixed aroma of malt and fruit. It has a sweet, rich, fruity flavour. Quite delicious.
I really enjoyed all of the beers that I tried at The BentSpoke Brewing Co. they have a very extensive selection and are really putting out some amazing flavours. They also produce a cider and a ginger beer for those that are not into beers. I really recommend visiting this venue if you have the opportunity.
I would like to thank Tracey for taking the time to talk with me when I visited.
Illawarra Brewing Co
On Friday the 20th of October I visited the Illawarra Brewing Co. in North Wollongong, New South Wales. This brewery was started in 2012 after Dave and his father purchased brew equipment from the closed Five Islands Brewery. They have expanded the brewery to now have eight 20 hectolitre fermenters and have further plans of expansion into the next door unit which is presently occupied by East Coast Canning. They took a Gold Medal in their first year for their Kolsch at the AIBA.
Their tasting room has been open for almost five years to showcase their fresh out of the tanks beers. They also put some of their beers into cans and some of them into bomber 640 ml bottles. Their core beers are the Summer Ale, Pale Ale and Kolsch. They also produce a great selection of seasonal beers with their Chuck Norris being very popular.
The beers that I sampled were:
Summer Ale, 4.7% abv, this is a straw colour with a subtle fruit aroma. It has a nice fruity flavour and then a mild bitter finish. This is their biggest seller.
Kolsch, 5.5% abv, this is a golden straw colour with a subtle yeast aroma. It has a great malty flavour and then a gentle bitterness before a crisp finish.
Chuck Norris, 6.4% abv, this is a Single Hop American Red Ale, made with Mosaic hops, with an amber colour and a sweet fruit aroma. It has a wonderful sweet fruity flavour and then transitions into a gentle bitterness on a crisp finish.
Apocalypso IPA, 7.0% abv, this has a golden colour and a citrus hop aroma. It has a sweet fruity taste and then a generous, lingering hop bitter finish.
Shot in the Dark, 5.0% abv, this is a Coffee Milk Stout with a black colour and a roasted coffee malt aroma. It has a complex malt flavour of dark chocolate and espresso. Very nice!
Sour IPA, 6.0% abv, this has a golden straw colour and a fruity grapefruit aroma. It has a fruity taste and then a mild sour finish. Refreshing.
Watermelon Lambic, 5.0% abv, this beer spent two years in French oak Chardonnay barrels and one month on fruit, namely 120 kg of watermelon flesh. It has a golden colour and a sour fruit aroma. It has a nice sweet initial taste and then a sour fruit flavour. Very true to the style.
Illawarra Brewing Co. are making a great selection of beers, I enjoyed all of the ones that I tried. It is a brewery that is worth seeking out.
I would like to thank Tim, the brewer, for taking the time to talk with me and Pam and Dave for their hospitality.
Five Barrel Brewing
On Friday the 20th of October I visited Five Barrel Brewing in Wollongong, New South Wales. This family business was started two years ago after Phil, the brewer, had traveled the world and developed a love for good craft beers. He decided he needed to bring great beers back to the Wollongong area so he started the brewery with his father Mike.
In their first year they won the Best New Brewery Award at the Sydney Royal Craft Beer Awards. They have continued since then to produce a wide selection of wonderful beers.
The brewery consists of a 600 litre brew system that is capable of producing 3000 litres per week, with a total capacity of 6000 litres.
The venue includes their brewery and a tasting room, that is quite spacious, and will soon have food available as well, as approval has recently been granted to add a kitchen.
They produce a core range of four beers, being; Golden Ale, Pale Ale, Amber Ale and Milk Stout, as well as a changing selection of seasonal beers.
The beers that I sampled were:
Golden Ale, 4.5% abv, this has a golden straw colour and a subtle sweet fruit aroma. It has an initial sweet fruity taste and then a gentle bitterness on a crisp finish.
Pale Ale, 5.3% abv, this has a golden colour and a tropical and passionfruit aroma. It has a citrus fruit taste and then a nice bitter finish.
Amber Ale, 6.5% abv, this has a light amber colour and a sweet passionfruit aroma. It has a sweet maltiness before a tropical fruit flavour and then a generous bitter finish.
Milk Stout, 6.0% abv, this is black in colour with a dark creamy head and a sweet dark chocolate aroma. It has a wonderful sweet malt palate of dark chocolate and coffee. Excellent!
Centennial XPA, 5.3% abv, this has a golden colour and a citrus and pine aroma. It has a sweet fruity taste before a generous hop bitter finish.
Sour Blonde, 4.5% abv, this kettle soured beer has a straw colour and a sour grapefruit aroma. It has a tropical fruit initial taste and then a mild sour finish.
American Brown Ale, 5.4% abv, this has a dark amber colour and a sweet malt aroma. It has a rich, complex malt flavour with hints of chocolate and toffee before a nice hop bitter finish.
Flemish Red, 5.2% abv, this beer is aged in oak barrels for 18 months and has a copper colour and a slightly sour fruit aroma. It has a nice sweet malt taste and then a lovely, well balanced, fruity finish. Delicious!
Wee Heavy, 7.2% abv, this is a black colour with a subtle caramel and fruit aroma. It has a malt taste and then a mild fruitiness on the finish. This is an OK beer but I was hoping for more flavour.
Imperial Stout, 10.5% abv, this stout is aged in Shiraz barrels for four months, it is a black colour with a dark thin head and a spicy, fruit aroma. It has a strong, rich flavour with hints of chocolate, coffee and plums. Very nice!
ESB, 4.9% abv, this has an amber colour and a caramel malt aroma. It has a great caramel malt flavour with gentle hints of citrus. Very good.
Imperial Stout 2017, 9.6% abv, this is similar to the previous Imperial Stout in preparation, it has a black colour and a very thin head with a lovely aroma of raisins and rich fruit cake. The flavour is similar to the previous vintage with a strong, richness that includes chocolate and Christmas pudding tastes.
The Five Barrel Brewing are turning out some really quality beers. They are definitely worth seeking out if you are in the Wollongong area.
I would like to thank Phil for his hospitality when I visited.
Eden Brewery
On Thursday the 19th of October I visited the Eden Brewery in Mittagong in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. This brewery opened in January of this year and is owned and operated by a husband and wife team of Jacob and Deb. Before opening the brewery they worked in the care and missionary field in Papua New Guinea and Cairns. However, Jacob has a history of home brewing stretching back to a time when he was too young to buy beer legally.
The brewery consists of a 1000 litre brewhouse and six 1000 litre fermentation tanks. The beers are available at the brewery as well as being on tap at the Imperial Hotel in Bowral, the RSL in Mittagong, the Oak Barrel in Sydney as well as a few restaurants.
The brewery has seven beer taps, two of these are used for their most popular beers and the others rotate through seasonal brews. Two of the seasonal beers that they have made and were not available while I was there are a Pecan Maple Beer and an ANZAC biscuit beer. They both sounded fantastic and sold out rather quickly.
The brewery had their first attempt at bottling one of their beers recently with the use of a mobile bottling line as part of a collaboration brew. The beer that was bottled was their Phoenix D. Kottbusser. This is an ancient style of Pilsner that is made from a recipe that predates the German Purity laws, it contains honey, molasses, oats and wheat in the brew. These bottles are available at the venue. They also have growlers and squealers available for take away.
The brewery is as Earth friendly as they can be including having their used grain used as stock feed. They are also very charitable with 10% of their profits being donated to Oxfam. On Sunday there is food available at the brewery from a changing variety of food trucks.
The beers that I sampled were:
Birch Wit, 5.2% abv, this is a Belgian wheat beer with a hazy straw colour and a wheat and yeast aroma. It is very true to the style and has a great wheat flavour.
Phoenix D. Kottbusser, 5.0% abv, this ancient style Pilsner has a golden colour and a malt aroma. It has a nice sweet malty taste and then a gentle bitterness on a crisp dry finish.
Argania Bock, 4.4% abv, this dark Lager has an amber colour and a subtle caramel malt aroma. It has sweet malt palate with hints of caramel on a crisp finish.
Peach Sour, 2.8% abv, this kettle soured beer has a cloudy straw colour and a subtle sour aroma. It has a light peach fruit flavour and then a gentle sour finish.
Palm Pale Ale, 4.5% abv, this is an Australian Pale Ale with a golden colour and a tropical fruit and passionfruit aroma from the Galaxy hops used. It has a sweet fruity initial taste and then transitions into a nice bitterness on the finish. Very good and easy drinking.
Hopped Mahogany, 5.2% abv, this is a collaboration brew with Neil Cameron. It is a Black Hopped Lager style with a dark brown colour and a subtle sweet malt aroma. The flavour is of sweet caramel malt and then a gentle bitter finish. Excellent!
The beers that I sampled were all very enjoyable. The Eden Brewery is a great venue and they are turning out some fantastic beers. I strongly recommend visiting this brewery if you have the opportunity.
Shark Island Brewing Company
On Tuesday the 17th of October I visited the Shark Island Brewing Company in Kirrawee, New South Wales. This brewery started with a partnership between two men with a background in liquor distribution about five and half years ago. Dion had quit working in the liquor distribution industry and started working at Murrays and then Four Pines Breweries to get experience in the craft brewery game. While James had at one stage had his own craft brewery in Orange.
Dion and James started the business but had a few issues prior to pouring their first beer. About three years ago they started paying rent on a factory unit in preparation for starting the brewery only to be ripped off, along with about ten other Australian craft brewers, by an equipment supplier that kept them waiting and then did not deliver at all. They lost a lot of money including paying rent on an empty building for twelve months. This meant that they were almost out of business before they even started. However, things got better, they took over another factory unit that had been used by Black Rock Brewing and used some of their equipment. Then the craft brewery industry showed how big its heart is by helping out. The Royal Albert hotel held a fundraising event for them and other craft brewers generously donated kegs to get them started.
The beers that they brew at their factory unit are all consumed on site and their packaged beer is made via contract brewing at other venues, including Dad and Dave’s Brewery. All of their beers are named after local surf breaks in the Cronulla area. And their main sales focus is to supply the Shire area. At the brewery they have food trucks present every Friday and Saturday. They are hoping to be able to extend their hours of business in the future and are aiming to be open on Sunday as well.
They are also happy that two other craft breweries are setting up in the Shire area, namely; Hairy Man in Taren Point and Sunday Road in Kirrawee. This will enable people to carry out craft brewery tours of the area.
The beers that I sampled were:
Shark Island Lager, 4.6% abv, this has a golden straw colour and a subtle malt aroma. It has a smooth malty flavour on a crisp dry finish.
Sandshoes, Golden Ale, 4.5% abv, this has a golden straw colour and a tropical fruit and passionfruit aroma. It has a sweet fruity flavour before a gentle bitter finish.
Caramel, Chocolate Irish Cream Ale, 5.0% abv, this is a collaboration brew with Willie The Boatman. It has a golden colour and a sweet caramel malt aroma. The flavour is a sweet complex malt one of caramel, toffee and chocolate. Delicious!
The Point, Dark Ale, 5.0% abv, this has a dark brown colour and a sweet, roasted malt aroma. It has a lovely roast malt flavour with a coffee backbone. It has a nice smooth mouth feel from the Pilsner malt used.
The Alley, Texas Brown Ale, 5.5% abv, this has an amber brown colour and a creamy dark head with a malt and citrus aroma. It is very well balanced with a sweet malt initial taste and then transitions into a gentle citrus bitter finish. The hops used in this brew are Lemon Drop which gives the citrus flavour. The beer started as a seasonal but demand has seen it come onto the core range.
The Shark Island Brewing Company is producing great beers and has a wonderful little venue that is definitely worth visiting. I enjoyed chatting with Dion, he really is quite a character, and an accomplished musician as well. I would like to thank Dion for his hospitality and recommend visiting him yourself.
Australian Brewery
On Monday the 16th of October I visited the Australian Brewery in Rouse Hill, New South Wales. This brewery is a story about a family with a love for craft beer.
Twenty years ago six brothers from Sydney with a passion for craft beer and hospitality started taking small steps towards creating a range of signature Australian craft brews. Along the way these steps became giant leaps as they have consistently produced award winning beers and distributed them nationwide and even overseas.
It all started with the family owning pubs that they refurbished and then sold to buy more. They also owned Potters Brewery in the Hunter Valley at one stage.
Now, Marcello and his five brothers own two breweries and three hotels, with another one in the Macquarie Park area in construction and other plans for expansion in the future.
This brewery in Rouse Hill is an enormous establishment with bars, a restaurant and a children’s playground as well as the brewery. It is growing rapidly and has increased from employing two full time and one part time brewers last year to now employing five full time and one part time brewers this year. They can produce about a half a million litres of beer a year and are in the process of adding new tanks to take that capacity up another 375000 litres each year. They are also putting in another 12 prong canning line that should be much faster than the present 5 prong line. They were actually the first craft brewers in Australia to can their beers back in 2012, a decision they made to enable them to attack the export market. Something they have done very successfully.
The beers that I sampled were:
Seis Hermanos Lager, 4.5% abv, 16 IBU, this is a straw coloured Mexican style Lager with a citrus aroma that is made with maize. It has a malt and lemon flavour on a crisp dry finish. Refreshing!
Fresh Press Cider, 5.0% abv, this has a cloudy appearance and a sweet apple aroma. It has a nice medium sweet apple flavour.
Pilsner, 4.8% abv, 36 IBU, this has a golden straw colour and a citrus aroma. It has a nice malt taste on a spicy, crisp, gentle bitter finish.
Australian Pale Ale, 4.8% abv, 26 IBU, this has a golden straw colour and a citrus and passionfruit aroma. It has a nice sweet fruity flavour and a crisp, gentle bitterness on the finish. Easy drinking.
Session IPA, 4.2% abv, 45 IBU, this has a golden colour and a fruity hop aroma. It has a sweet fruity taste and then a good hop bitter finish. Very sessionable.
Into The Void, 5.1% abv, 30 IBU, this has a black colour and a dark creamy head with a roasted coffee malt aroma. It has a nice smooth mouth feel and a rich, strong espresso flavour on a mild bitter finish. Very, very good!
Kiwi Sour, 4.1% abv, 10 IBU, this is a Kiwi fruit infused Berliner Weisse with a cloudy straw colour and slightly sour fruit aroma. It has an initial taste of sweet fruit that is quickly replaced by a big sour finish. Unusual flavours.
Fire and Brimstone, 6.0% abv, 48 IBU, this has an amber colour and a smoky aroma. It has a nice smooth mouth feel and a malty flavour of smoked meat on a nice hop bitter finish.
This brewery is a seriously big business that is still putting out some great beers. They have won numerous international awards for their Lager and Session IPA.
I would like to thank Dan and Marcello for taking the time to talk with me and for their hospitality when I visited, especially as they were exceptionally busy due the delivery of new fermentation and bright tanks at the time.
Lord Nelson Brewery
On Monday the 16th of October I visited the Lord Nelson Brewery in Sydney, New South Wales. This brewery is housed in the Lord Nelson Hotel that has been serving beer for the last 176 years, having opened in 1841. The brewery side of the operation started 31 years ago when Blair Hayden bought the pub. Prior to this it was a wharfies pub. When Blair took over he renovated the place by putting in a restaurant and most importantly the brewery. He started brewing British style, sessionable ales with a core range of four beers. The operation has grown quite a bit in the last thirty years, however, he is still specialising in the same style beers and now the core range has grown to six beers with a few seasonal ones thrown in.
The head brewer has been with them for ten years and comes from a strong brewing background as his father was one of the pioneers of the Australian home brewing industry. The beers consumed at The Lord Nelson are all produced on site using their 6.5 hectolitre brewhouse and putting through three or four batches a week. The packaged beers are produced off site for distribution nationally. All of the beers use only 100% natural ingredients and no added sugars or preservatives.
The beers that I sampled were:
Quayle Ale, Summer Ale, 4.2% abv, this has a straw colour and a subtle citrus aroma. It has a gentle malt flavour on a clean, crisp, dry finish.
Trafalgar Pale Ale, 4.2% abv, this is an English Bitter style with a straw colour and a malt aroma. It has a biscuit malt flavour with a long, dry finish.
3 Sheets, 4.9% abv, this is an Australian Pale Ale with a golden colour and a subtle citrus and floral aroma. It has a nicely balanced sweet malt and gentle fruit flavour on a slightly bitter, dry finish.
Victory Bitter, 5.0% abv, this is a British Pale Ale with a amber colour and a sweet bubblegum aroma. It has a rich malt flavour of caramel and toffee on a gentle bitter finish.
111, British IPA, 5.4% abv, this has a cloudy amber colour and a sweet hop aroma. It has a lovely sweet caramel malt flavour on a good, lingering bitterness on the finish.
Old Admiral, 6.1% abv, this is a dark Ale with a dark amber brown colour and a strong caramel and toffee malt aroma. It has a wonderful complex rich malt flavour with strong tastes of caramel and toffee. Excellent!
Nelson’s Blood, 5.0% abv, this is a Porter with a dark brown colour and a creamy head. It has a subtle aroma of roasted malt and a great malt flavour with hints of chocolate and coffee on a smooth finish.
The beers at The Lord Nelson are all quite delicious and very easy drinking. This is a brewery with a fantastic history and it is still maintaining a great standard of producing British style, sessionable ales as it has done for the last thirty years. Really something special and well worth visiting.
I would like to thank Kieran and Martine for taking the time to talk with me and for their hospitality when I visited.
Akasha Brewing Company
On Sunday the 15th of October I visited the Akasha Brewing Company in Five Dock, New South Wales. This brewery was started almost three years ago by two mates. One was a great home brewer and the other was his drunk mate that didn’t even like beer at that time. Dave had the brewing knowledge and Wesley had the belief in Dave’s ability and the money to invest. They are a great partnership as Dave is cautious and thinks things through while Wesley is full on and pushes Dave to the limits. Wesley has also developed a taste for good beers since they have started making them.
They took the lease for their building in January of 2015 and started contract brewing while they waited for their equipment to arrive. It was delivered in July and they made their first beers in September. They have had to expand the operation since then and are planning a further expansion. At present they can ferment 20000 litres at a time but this will grow to 40000 litres in the near future. All coming out of a 12 hectolitre brewhouse. They only recently put in a small pilot system to give the brewers something to experiment with.
The name Akasha comes from Sanskrit meaning the fifth element or the perfect environment. This is carried through with their beers with the core range representing the other four elements; Air, Water, Earth and Fire.
The beers that I sampled were:
Tradewind Lager, 4.4% abv, this has a golden colour and a citrus aroma. It has a sweet malt flavour and then a mild fruity, crisp finish.
Freshwater Pale Ale, 5.2% abv, this has a golden colour and a sweet fruity aroma. It has a well balanced flavour of sweet malt and then a generous fruity taste on a gentle bitter finish.
Hopsmith IPA, 7.2% abv, this has a golden colour and a strong fruity hop aroma. It has a wonderful sweet fruity flavour and then a generous hop taste on a mild bitterness. Very well balanced and easy drinking.
Fire Within Amber Ale, 5.8% abv, this has an amber colour and a sweet malt and citrus aroma. It has a nice malty initial taste and then a mild bitter finish.
Cranky Son Of Pale Ale, 5.8% abv, this has a hazy golden colour and a citrus fruit aroma. It has a great fruity taste and then a big hop bitter finish.
Korben D. Double IPA, 8.5% abv, this has a golden colour and a strong fruity aroma of citrus and tropical fruit. It has a very well balanced flavour of sweet malt and then transitions into a fruitiness before a big, resinous hop bitter finish. Dangerously drinkable.
American Stout ( Vetala’s Blood), 6.0% abv, this is a black Stout with a thick, dark head and an aroma of roasted malt. It has a nice full mouth feel and a strong malt flavour of coffee on a gentle bitter finish. Nice!
I had a great time chatting with Wesley at Akasha Brewing Company and would have loved to have spent a lot longer there. Their beers are all fantastic and the venue is great, they even had food available. This is a brewery that is definitely worth visiting. I would like to thank Wesley and Bryce for their hospitality when I visited.
Awaken The Soul!!
Sauce Brewing Co
On Saturday the 14th of October I visited Sauce Brewing Co. in Marrickville, New South Wales. It was their official opening, however, the brewery has been in the making in one way or another for the past two years. Mike, the owner, made the big decision to quit a career in the telco business to start the brewery and then spent nine months looking for the right site for the brewery. He then had the huge job of cleaning the building and preparing it to become a brewery. The planning and licensing process took another twelve months.
The brewery consists of a 20 hectolitre brew system, six 40 hectolitre fermenters and two 40 hectolitre bright tanks which gives it the capacity to produce 400000 litres a year. There is also plenty of room for expansion. The venue is quite spacious and also has a beer garden. They have twelve taps, eleven for beers and one for cider.
The beers that I sampled were:
Extra Hop Sauce IPA, 6.2% abv, this has a golden colour and a strong tropical and citrus fruit aroma. It has a lovely sweet fruitiness on a strong, resinous hop bitter finish.
Hoppy Hefe, 5.4% abv, this has a hazy golden colour and a sweet yeast and banana aroma. It has a sweet banana taste and then a gentle crisp finish.
Bubble and Squeak, New England IPA, 6.4% abv, this has a hazy golden colour and a citrus and pine aroma. It has sweet fruity flavour on a big, lingering, resinous hop bitterness.
Saucy Mole, Chipotle Chocolate Porter, 5.6% abv, this is black and has spicy chocolate aroma. It has a nice sweet malt flavour of chocolate and then a spicy chilli finish.
I enjoyed all of the beers that I sampled at Sauce Brewing Co. and wish them all the best for a bright future. I would like to thank Mike for his hospitality and taking the time to talk with me.
Wildflower Brewing & Blending
On Saturday the 14th of October I visited Wildflower Brewing & Blending in Marrickville, New South Wales. This brewery was opened in June this year by Topher, who had been the head brewer for Batch prior to going out on his own. The brewery specialises in fermenting beers with a mixed house culture of brewers yeast mixed with wild yeast and bacteria foraged from New South Wales. Their goal is to balance the tart, funky characteristics of their house culture to deliver a beer with length, nuance and subtlety.
They are only open on Saturday afternoons but seem to have a good following.
They will be holding a Sydney Beer Week Event on October 21st between 8am and 2pm where they will release Waratah, the first modern day beer made with 100% NSW ingredients. The day will include learning and tech talks geared towards home brewers about brewing and being local. The event is free with no bookings being necessary.
The beers that I sampled were:
Table Beer Batch #2, 3.0% abv, this has a golden straw colour and a yeasty taste with a slightly sour finish.
Gold Australian Wild Ale Blend #7, 5.0% abv, this beer is bottle conditioned for two months. It has a hazy straw colour and a spicy yeast aroma. It has a sweet, spicy Saison like flavour and a slightly sour finish.
St Florence, 7.0% abv, this is an ale that is refermented with Sauvignon Blanc grapes. It is a hazy golden colour and a spicy sour aroma. It has a strong but enjoyable sour flavour.
Amber Australian Wild Ale Blend #5 #6, 6.0% abv, this is an amber colour with a thick creamy head and an aroma of spicy smoke. It has a sour cherry and cranberry taste on a tart finish.
The beers being produced by Wildflower Brewing and Blending are quite unusual but very enjoyable. If you like Lambic style beers then they would definitely suit you.
I would like to thank Topher and Luke for their hospitality when I visited.
The Grifter Brewing Co
On Saturday the 14th of October I visited The Grifter Brewering Co in Marrickville, New South Wales. This brewery is owned by Trent, Matt and Glen. Trent owns a skateboard brand and Glen is a professional skateboarder. Trent started brewing as a home brewer and then when they went into business they started contract brewing through Young Henrys Brewery. They opened their present location about two and a half years ago, prior to becoming a brewery the building was a commercial laundry.
The brewery consists of a 12 hectolitre brewhouse, eight fermentation tanks, with the largest having a capacity of 48 hectolitres, and three bright tanks.
They have been involved in collaboration brews with Parrot Dog from New Zealand, Capital Brewing Co. from Canberra and Newstead from Brisbane as well as others. They have also produced a special bottled beer for the Noma restaurant in Denmark. This was a Landlord Macadamia Brown Ale. They put most of their beers into kegs and squealers but some goes into 375 ml cans. This is done on site by a contract canner who brings in his own canning line once a month. Their Pale Ale is the beer most consistently canned, but they have done other varieties. All up the brewery employs about fifteen people including owners and families.
The beers that I sampled were:
Serpents Kiss, Watermelon Pilsner, 4.4% abv, this has a straw colour and a subtle malt aroma. It has a strong melon flavour on a crisp, dry finish.
C-Boogie, Cucumber Kolsch, 5.2% abv, this has a golden straw colour . It has sweet malt flavour with a strong, refreshing cucumber background taste on a crisp finish.
Grifter Pale Ale, 5.0% abv, this is an Australian Pale Ale with a straw colour and a citrus aroma. It is light bodied with a fruity flavour on a mild bitter finish.
Medusa, Watermelon and Mint IPA, 5.9% abv, this is a collaboration brew with Netherworld of Brisbane. It has a hazy golden colour and a sweet fruit aroma. The flavour is of subtle sweet melon and then a fruity bitterness on the finish.
Horse’s Head, American Red Ale, 5.5% abv, this has an amber colour and a citrus aroma. It has a nice malty initial taste and then a well balanced flow into a mild fruity bitter finish.
Banshee, Black Lager, 4.9% abv, this is black with a roasted coffee malt aroma. It has a sweet malt flavour of chocolate and coffee on a gentle bitter finish.
Omen, Oatmeal Stout, 5.5% abv, this has a black colour and a roasted malt aroma. It has a complex malt flavour with hints of chocolate and coffee. Smooth and delicious.
Voodoo Paradise, Coconut Milk Stout, 5.1% abv, this is served on nitro. It is black with a dark creamy head and a subtle roasted malt aroma. It has a smooth mouth feel and a wonderful, sweet malt flavour of chocolate and coconut. A great dessert beer.
I really enjoyed all of the beers that I sampled at The Grifter Brewing Co. They have quite a spacious venue and they also have food available. I would like to thank Wade and Dan for their hospitality. Dan was the same barman that served me at Young Henrys, he is lucky enough to work in two great breweries.
Willie The Boatman
On Saturday the 14th of October I visited Willie The Boatman Brewery in St Peters, New South Wales. This brewery was first established in 2012, but has only been in operation at its present site for about three years. It is owned by Nick and Patrick who had been home brewing in the Tempe area for years and then decided to take the big step of quitting their jobs to establish a brewery.
The brewery is all about bringing people together and the local characters of the area. The name for the brewery came after hearing of one such local character while on a history walk through the surrounding suburbs. William Kerr was a convict in the 1800s who worked for a local shipwrights, he used to row people and goods across the river, as well as getting up to much more mischief. So the brewery is named after this local personality.
The brewery consists of a 12 hectolitre brew system that was converted from dairy equipment with four 12 hectolitre and three 24 hectolitre fermentation tanks. It is very manual in operation especially the one prong bottling line. They put 75% of their production into kegs with the remainder being bottled. When they are working at full capacity they can manage to bottle 1000 bottles in a week and put through four batches of beer or about 5000 litres. They also run a 150 litre pilot system to produce special small batches and new experimental brews.
The beers that I sampled were:
M’ville Lager, 5.0% abv, this is their biggest seller, it has a straw colour and a subtle malt aroma. The flavour is of sweet malt on a crisp, dry, gentle bitter finish.
Albo Corn Ale, 5.0% abv, 10 IBU, named after the local politician, this has a golden colour and a malt aroma. It has a sweet malt taste and then a gentle fruity bitter finish.
Nectar of the Hops, East Coast IPA, 6.0% abv, 20 IBU, this is made with Mosaic, Centennial, Cascade and Amarillo hops. It has a hazy golden colour and a pine and citrus aroma. The flavour is of sweet fruit before a resinous hop bitter finish. Very nice!
Black Bunny, 4.9% abv, this is a traditional English Dark Ale that uses eight different malts. It has a black colour and a roasted malt aroma of coffee and dark chocolate. It has a complex malt flavour with strong hints of chocolate, coffee and smoked meat. Delicious!
Crazy Ivan IPA, 6.0% abv, 40 IBU, this was served by the hand pump which gives it a nice smooth mouth feel. It has a cloudy golden appearance and a strong citrus hop aroma. The flavour is of a strong, sweet, fruitiness before a big, lingering hop bitterness on the finish.
The beers at Willie The Boatman were all very good, the venue is not huge but there is still a fair bit of room to sit and have a drink. They often have a food van outside as well.
I would like to thank Joel, the head brewer, for taking the time to talk with me and show me through the brewery, for his hospitality.
Dad & Dave’s Brewing
On Friday the 13th of October I visited the Dad & Dave’s Brewing in Brookvale, New South Wales. This brewery has been in operation for about four years and is a true family business. Unfortunately, when I was there Dave was away in Munich carrying out “research ” , lucky bugger. When he started the brewery he came from a cooking background and had been home brewing and then contract brewing before venturing out on his own brewery. His father helped him out with the finance required to start up.
The brewery really believes in helping out others to get started and with this in mind Dave carries out a lot of contract brewing for others, even having kegs available for their use.
On Friday evenings a burger van is present making fantastic food available for those who are hungry.
The beers that I sampled were:
#4, Gold Summer Ale, 4.2% abv, this has a golden colour and a subtle sweet malt and fruit aroma. It has a sweet malty, fruit flavour and is easy drinking and refreshing. It won a silver medal at the 2017 CBA.
#3, Pilsner, 4.2% abv, this has a golden straw colour and a malt aroma. It has a nice sweet malt flavour and then a crisp dry finish. It won a bronze medal at the 2017 CBA.
#1, Pale Ale, 4.6% abv, this has a golden colour and a sweet malt aroma. It has a great sweet malty flavour and then a mild hop finish. It is very approachable and very easy drinking. It has won four bronze medals over the years.
#NEIPA, 5.6% abv, this has a hazy golden colour and a sweet, floral, fruity aroma. It has a nice sweet malt taste and then a fruitiness before a mild bitterness on the finish.
#3, Belgian IPA, 5.5% abv, this has a golden colour and a citrus and sweet malt aroma. It has a sweet, creamy, buttery malt initial flavour and then a fruitiness before a resinous hop bitter finish. Lovely, with a great flow from the malt to the fruity flavours. It won a silver medal in 2016 and a bronze medal in 2017.
#0.1 Mum’s Oat Porter, this has a black colour and a dark creamy head with an aroma of roasted malt. It has a smooth mouth feel and a complex malt flavour with hints of chocolate and coffee. A great easy drinking Porter.
Dad and Dave’s Brewery is making some wonderful beers that are all quite enjoyable.
I would like to thank Jay, behind the bar, for his hospitality while filling in for Dave when I was there.
Nomad Brewing Co
On Friday the 13th of October I visited the Nomad Brewing Co in Brookvale, New South Wales. This brewery came about after Kerrie and John came back from living in north western Italy and started importing Italian craft beers, this soon expanded to importing craft beers from all over the world. It was then decided that they should start making their own beers with a strong European influence about three years ago.
They first launched with craft beers that made use of Australian native ingredients including such things as; finger lime, lemon myrtle, wattle seed, lemon aspen and hibiscus flower. They made a point of balancing the beers in a way that did not allow any ingredient to dominate the flavour but rather compliment it
.
They still concentrate on European style craft beers with varieties such as Gose and Berlinerweisse prominent in their range. They won the French and Belgian Style Champion trophy at the 2017 Craft Beer Awards.
The brewery comprises a 25 hectolitre brewer, six 5000 litre fermentation tanks and bright tanks to feed their kegging, bottling and canning lines. All of which is completed on site. They also barrel age some of their beers in Grappa, wine and whiskey barrels. They also carry out contract brewing for Yeastie Boys and distribute their beers in Australia.
The bar has eleven beers on tap with some of them being guest beers that they still import and distribute. They have food and entertainment at times at the brewery and they also hire the venue out for private functions on Saturday nights.
The beers that I sampled were:
Freshie Salt and Pepper Gose, 4.5% abv, this is a hazy straw colour with a lemon citrus aroma. It has a nice lemon citrus flavour and then a slightly salty finish.
Rosie Summer Punch Berlinerweisse, 3.8% abv, this has a straw colour and a yeasty aroma. It has a fruity taste and then a slightly sour taste. Refreshing.
Freshie Moka, 4.5% abv, this is an espresso Gose with a black colour and a coffee aroma. It has a lovely sweet coffee flavour with a gentle salty finish.
Sideways XPA, 4.0% abv, this has a straw colour and a citrus aroma. It has an initial taste of sweet malt and then a big citrus hop flavour on a bitter finish.
Long Trip Saison, 6.6% abv, this won a gold medal at the CBA in 2016. It has a straw colour and a citrus and yeast aroma. It has a sweet flavour and then a nice citrus fruit and slightly sour finish. This beer is exported to the USA, Brazil, Europe and the UK.
The Nomad Brewery is making some very distinctive and individual tasting beers that are all quite delicious. I would like to thank Kerrie for her hospitality when I visited.