Carwyn Cellars is a name that every Australian Craft Beer lover should know. It’s the preeminent bottle shops in the country. For their advent calendar, they’ve partnered with 24 Australian Craft Breweries to make an exclusive canned release for their “Canvent Calendar”.
In my eyes this is the best beer advent calendar on the market & as I’ve done the last two years I’ll be documenting it all here. Also along for the ride this year will be Richo, after a lot hiatus from Beer O’Clock Australia writing he’ll be back offering his thoughts on the beers of the day. This year the plan is to do 6 posts of 4 beers each – timeliness has never been a Beer O’Clock Australia quality so there should be no spoiler issues as long as you’re only a couple of days behind…
Day 17 – Black Arts Biere de Coupage Blueberry & Basil– I have been an admirer of Black Arts’ beers since they first launched a few years ago. Blueberry & Basil is an out there combination but one that I think could work with their house culture. I’m sure plenty of people were divided on this one…
“Absolutely fantastic colour! A deep pink almost rose-gold colour from the blueberries. Classic farmhouse funk on the nose mixed with the aniseed from the basil. The blueberries work well with the tartness and basil provides a delicate aniseed finish. Herbaceous, acidic and sour this is a delicious little brew!”
Day 18 – Bright Mystery Batch 03 – Bright decided the Canvent is the perfect opportunity to release their third mystery beer. Basically the idea is to guess the style of beer they’ve produced. I got fruit, earthy & yeast characteristics & have decided that I think it’s either an Australian Sparkling Ale or a Kveik Pale Ale.
“The 18th night brings with it a mystery in a can! An enticing packaging reveals nothing about what kind of beer it is. Nose smells lightly of malt. Creamy mouthfeel. Not much hops on the nose. Very Hazy consistency and only slight carbonation. Potentially hints of citrus, and fruit but very subtle mixed with some toasty notes. A lot more malty sweetness coming through as it warms. Oat cream IPA? Oat Cream Pils?”
They are completely different answers; the beauty of taste! I can’t wait to find out the answer & will endeavour to report back when I find out!
Day 19 – Philter O Hazy Night – Day 19 brought us a Hazy Pale from Philter. I was shocked at the amount of negative comments I saw about Philter on social media as I’ve always found their beers really good & this being such an approachable style. I get people not liking the branding, but the beers? Seriously people get a grip!
“There’s something odd seeing the classic philter logo in Christmas colours. The can art reminds me of bad Christmas sweater which I imagine is very intentional. This hazy pale ale is packed full of flavor! Familiar floral and tropical notes on the nose. Extremely juicy citrus and melon flavours on the palate, with a hint of spice/bitterness at the finish. Slightly thick mouthfeel, this beer is an absolute delight.”
Day 20 – Bridge Road Mayday Hills Hoppy Sour with Blood Plum – I have been an avid fan of the Mayday Hills series since Yee Hah was released in 2016. Hoppy Sour with Blood Plums sounds like exactly the sort of beer I want on a hot Melbourne Summer evening.
“Into the final stretch now! Fantastic reddish hue on this beer. Familiar aroma of funk from the farmhouse fermentation. Deliciously tart and dry mouthfeel that makes the mouth pucker on first contact. The plums lend an acidity to the brew that complements the flavours perfectly. Certainly another beer fit for Australian Summer!”
There we have Part 5 done & dusted. I think the Black Arts has taken over as my favourite beer of the pack so far. As usual you’re welcome to send feedback, comments, questions & general statements to angus@beeroclockaustralia.com. Hopefully I’ll be back with Part 6 in the coming days and we can get back into Year of the Local stuff!
Remember it’s always Beer O’Clock somewhere in the world!
