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 21 – Spotty Dog TIPA Roads– I have been meaning to order some Spotty Dog beers for ages, so I was really excited to see this Triple IPA make it into the Canvent; even if it was huge beer on a schoolnight…

“The last entries were always going to be memorable but this one was huge! Massive hit of floral hop notes on the nose. Thick mouthfeel that is absolutely bursting with resin from the hops. Leads to a slight sweetness from the malts as a balance to bitter finish. Great to see a classic triple ipa on the list and executed so cleanly by the brewery. At 10.2% this is certainly big Monday night beverage.”

Day 22 – La Sirene Farmhouse Ginger & Lime – This year was such a clusterfuck it took us until the 22nd to get our lights up, but it was worth the wait! As was sampling La Sirene’s Farmhouse Ginger & Lime, everyone knew this was going to be good & these legends didn’t disappoint!

“Very excited to see a La Sirene saison in the lineup! Classic farmhouse funk on the nose with some elements of citrus and ginger already present. Huge flavours straight on the palate with the tartness being amplified beautifully by the lime and a warming spicy hit from the ginger that lingers in the mouth. These flavours work so well together it’s a wonder this isn’t a regular batch (apologies to La Sirene if it is).”

Day 23 – Slow Lane Solitude – I ended up drinking this bee on Christmas Day as I such a huge end to the year I couldn’t knock this off after dinner before work on Christmas Eve. Belgian Strong Dark Ale is one of my favourite styles & I was so pleased to see Slow Lane included in the Carwyn pack, after the profile we did on them earlier this year on the podcast.

“Coming in to the final two and we off with a big boy. A classic Belgian strong ale with beautiful dark nutty brown colour and only minimal carbonation. Belgian ales have always reminded me of dense fruit puddings and this beer certainly fits the bill. Spicy, fruity and complex, with a rich cassis/malty finish. A perfect Christmas beer and a great way to finish a Wednesday.”

Day 24 – Otherside Ambruana Russian Imperial Stout – Otherside I feel are a wonderful choice to bring home this years Canvent. They’ve brewed a Russian Imperial Stout with Ambruana, which is this fascinating South American wood that gives off gingerbread flavours when used in beer. I’ve had two Ambruana stouts before & loved both of them, so I have high hopes for this beer.

“The final day brings with it an absolutely giant stout! Dark black colour and thick motor oil consistency. A slight brown head on the beer that dissipates quickly. Rich malty flavours on the nose with a hint of cassis. Deep toffee flavours with slight bitterness that is almost coffee like. The can notes that the beer is brewed with Amburana which apparently gives it the spicy finish with notes of nutmeg, ginger and mace, like drinking a gingerbread house. Incredibly complex and very drinkable this a fantastic way to spend Christmas Eve!”

I really enjoyed this, although I got a lot of oxidative dark fruit character & less of the spicy Ambruana character that I was hoping for. In any case it was a wonderfully decadent stout and a fantastic way to end what is always Australia’s best beer advent calendar.

There we have it guys, another year done & dusted! I’ve got this up within 2 weeks of the year finishing so that is something… Richo, thanks for your contribution everyone seems to have enjoyed your take on this years beers. Dylan & I are recording a podcast tomorrow looking back on the year 2020 in beer, so check that out when it goes live. Until next time angus@beeroclockaustralia.com if you have any questions!

Remember it’s always Beer O’Clock somewhere in the world!