Okay, okay. I lied. I lied last-last time, in my post about Australian Ales, that the very next post would be about better ales--no, about Aussie porters. Instead, I spent a fortnight in the beautiful aquamarine mist of the Blue Mountains. But if it's any consolation, I spent every evening on a seductively silent porch, losing myself in the view of pristine landscape and taste of finely crafted Australian beers.
Hard to believe it, but I did indeed find some amazing beer in Australia. Though, I had to search long and hard for it, and it damn near wiped my wallet clean. But they're out there. Here are two. And these two are heavy hitters the whole craft-beer world over.
Moon Dog Brewery's Love Tap Double Lager
Holy Piss* A Lager I Actually LIKE!
Not just like, but love. Dear friends, it may come as a surprise to you, but I fell head over foam for this lager. For those of you who know me, who know me as the lauder of anti-lagers (i.e. Double IPAs and Imperial Stouts), I apologise if you weren't sitting down.
I love Love Tap because it looks, smells, tastes, feels, kicks like an IPA. An upfront citrus bouquet accompanies a bold and noticeable aroma of hops--followed by a bold and noticeable taste of hops. Slight but appreciated chocolate malts (yep, chocolate in an IPA-ish lager!) bear recognition to the beer's complexity, which is manifested in the hop-malt-yeast list on the label. From the citrusy taste, thick mouthfeel, and cloudy orange colour, only the finish is remotely like a lager; that is, it's a bit on the weak side. Which is fine; it's characteristic of the style. Still, you'd have a hard time convincing me it wasn't an IPA.
* "Piss" is Australian for beer. No shit.**
** "Shit" is unanimously a derogate word anywhere in the world.
Barossa Valley Brewing's Bee Sting
After a five-hour hike, few things are as nice as cold beer in the afternoon. Bee Sting suduced me with its honey wheat lovin'. It's an excellent, refreshing, superbly balanced Belgian-style wheat ale. The flavours of the yeast are quite noticeable on the palate, which substantiates its refreshing Belgian taste. But it's the distinct aroma and flavour of the orange blossom and honey marriage that stands out best, lightly sweetening the beer. Subsequently the mouthfeel is sweet, but not sticky. A plus in my books, and something Oscar Blues could take note of. Styrian Gold is the hop of choice, though providing a low level of bitterness. Nice, light spices provide a touch of complexity. This was the first Australian beer that actually impressed me.
Good alternatives to both, you ask?
Both Love Tap (if you can find it) and Bee Sting are going to cost you a pretty penny. 2,000 of them ($20) per four-pack, more precisely. $5 by the bottle. But if--nay, when-- you find yourself in the Land Down Under, keep your eye out for these alternatives. They're easier to find, and a whole $0.50-$1.00 cheaper!
Little Creatures is the brewery behind this solid, standard Imperial Pale Ale. At a only 6.4% ABV, it's not a knock-you-over IPA, but its hops are well balanced and flavourful.
White Rabbit Brewery crafts two easily-found ales: A dark and a white. Its witbier (the white) was a pleasant surprise, with a rich crispness and a slightly fuller body than you'd expect.
Now. To bestow some understanding as to why Australians err on the side of quantity over quality when it comes to beer, and to get you in the Australian-beer drinking mood:
