Beer and Brewer Magazine

When I lived in the UK for 2 years in the late 90’s, I loved exploring the local drinking dens in the hope of finding some tasty brews. But often in the corner of these pubs was the easily identifiable yellow XXXX tap.

As noted in the news recently, Tasmania’s Moorilla Brewery, home of the tasty Moo Brew range, has just released their 2008 Vintage Imperial Stout. With just over 1500 bottles being produced, or 500 liters worth around $37,800, as of last week, over half has already been pre-ordered.

The new release is in the style of Matilda Bay's earlier limited release vintages, MB21 and Grayston Reserve, being a dunkelweizen. I didn't taste the MB21, but well enjoyed the Grayston Reserve and have a bottle saved from that release to sample side-by-side with the 2008.

The media material from Matilda Bay says Sebastian "is brewed with five different malts and two noble hops - Hersbrucker and Tettnang - and fermented using classic Redback yeast. It has distinctive chocolate and banana aromas followed by subtle hints of clove and spice. The palate is characterised by a smooth, round malty body with warming alcohol balanced by low bitterness from the German hops." (For those interested in the name of the beer, it was named after a three-year-old Indian Runner duck)

The brewery suggests the beer will age well over a number of years, though I note a number of reviewers on Beeradvocate doubt its cellaring potential. I'll make up my mind when I try them side by side this weekend.

The rise of the seasonal and reserve beer is an exciting development for beer in Australia. In the US, seasonal release beers are the highest selling category of craft beer, even surpassing the mighty American Pale Ale. Their Brewers Association has even launched a website dedicated to seasonal beers.

As our own craft beer industry goes from strength to strength, seasonal and special releases are increasingly being offered, from the nationally available examples such as Sebastian Reserve and James Squires' Pepperberry Winter Ale, but also the smaller regional brewers such as the excellent Migration Dark Ale from Northern Rivers Brewery at Alstonville, a new fruit lambic to be releases this week by Bright Brewery and the regular release of seasonals from Red Hill Brewery - just to name a few.

Matilda Bay Sebastian Reserve
Releasing 1 October 2008
750ml 6% abv
Available nationally for a limited time. RRP 18.99
Available on draught at select venues in Qld (and Vic, NSW, WA and SA)

Post script

I sampled the 2007 release, Grayston Reserve, over the weekend - and I thought it had aged very nicely. Still had an evident hop character and complex malt backbone. It was thoroughly enjoyable as a post-lunch digestif, but I think it would also go beautifully with a meal - and duck, as suggested by Matilda Bay, would probably go beautifully.

It seems to be all over the news this morning that The Australian Monarchists League is up in arms about this ad from Coopers:

ABC News is reporting that this bunch of intellectual giants have taken umbrage at this ad. The ABC reports that League national chairman Philip Benwell says the wording of the ad by South Australian beer company Coopers is an attack on the constitutional monarchy.

"This particular advertisement is designed to get people to support publicans, but it's also saying 'Forget the monarchy', and that's what we object to," he said.

"Why couldn't they say 'Forget the Republicans, support the publicans?' Why do they have to attack the monarchy?"

Now, I hold no particularly strong view about the issue of a republic. I tend to think that we're grown up enough to have our own head of state, but I wouldn't die in a ditch over it. But if this is the most important issue that the Australian Monarchists can come up with it does seem to show that the monarchy - and The Australian Monarchists - are irrelevant.

Coopers ads are some of the cleverest going - that view may be coloured by the fact that some of them appear in our magazine, but I hope not.

Perhaps in these ads need to be exported to the home of our monarchy. Pubs are closing at a record rate.