What was meant to be a 6-part, week-long extravaganza of reviews has turned into a rush job 1 off post in the final hour leading up to the opening GABS session.
My Good Beer Week plans my have scuppered dreams of a grander GABS preview, but this will still be one of the most informative ones out there. So without further ado here are the beers I’m looking forward to when I hit up GABS on Sunday.
In Section 1, there are a lot of fairly easy drinking option. My choices would be the 8 Wired Rastafari Unchained (NZ) – a stout with Brettanomyces – it’s probably not for everyone though. I feel it’s always good to try the collaborator, this year between CUB, Feral and 2 Brothers, a 6% Kellerbier called Land of Plenty Lager. Behemoth’s ROFLcopter sounds awesomely hoppy as does Bierbecks Kooringa and I’ll probably finish off with Thirsty Crow “& J’s” – I really enjoyed their stout the other night and that has swung me this way.
Section 2; Bright’s Battle of the Bulge Occupied Belgium IPA is too good of a name to go past. Camden Town’s Emperor Nero is a Black IPL, which is a style I think will really take off and I really like all their stuff so interested to give it a go. Croucher from New Zealand make some really nice beers and a Kiwifruit Pils sounds like a good easy drinking beer to hopefully cleanse the palate a little. If that doesn’t do it, then I know the Electrolyte Forte from Doctor’s Orders will! This is the sour that I would not miss at GABS! The Doc never makes bad beers and it’s a Gose, which is always nice. I thought this section was a little light on but for my fifth have opted for Duckstein’s Vanilla Bean Framboise, don’t know why just have.
3 Beers in a row start section 3: 39-41. Evil Twin’s Fitzroy Hipster Ale, from Mikkeller’s brothers brewery should be a treat if the other Hipster Ale’s I’ve had are anything to go by. My favourite Australian brewery; Feral’s offering pHunking a Wild Ale with Brett aged in Chardonnay barrels is not one to miss. I’ve picked the Gage Road beer as I think I’ll probably want something dark by this stage; A Cure for Mad Dog Bites and Other Maladies is certainly a mouthfull though… Holgate Midnight Cowboy – a sour cherry porter sounds awesome and then I’m tossing up between Illawarra’s Resin Dog IPA and Hop Dog’s Brett the Bloody Orange, we’ll see what I’m feeling like on the day.
Onto Container B now and Section 4, which I think is probably the best section of the lot. I’m really keen on some internationals in this one – Magic Rocks Circus of Sour – Barrel Aged and Mikkeller’s Super Hopped American Dream. Of the local stuff hard to go past the Little Creatures SS Menno or Morrison’s IPAison – an IPA crossed with a saison. MoonDog and Mornington’s beers are both going to be hard to pass up as is the offering from The Monk – a Belgian Black IPA. So many decisions to make in Section 4 – might just need to have 2 paddles….
Section 5 is again headlined by internationals with Sierra Nevada, Renaissance and Norwegian brewers Nogne O ones not to miss. I’ve heard some good things about Prancing Pony from South Australia so will definitely check out their beer the Frisky Pony. Riverside Brewing’s Othello’s Curse is an Imperial Black IPA and I’ve loved all of their beers that I’ve had so will definitely by checking out this one. (As a side note I think I’ve listed almost every Black IPA on the list…)
Finally as we’re getting towards the end of the day it’ll be time for Section 6. Sixpoint’s 150% is sure to be amazing, when these guys say “Extra Super Special Hoppy IPA” you can be sure this will be crazy; if Resin and Hi-Res are anything to go by. I’ll also be checking out the Stillwater She’ll be Right and the Temple Scarlet Super which promises to be amazing! The UK’s Thornbridge will have Valravn – Wild Raven’s big brother – there and I’m sure that will be awesome, again a big Imperial Black IPA. The last selection I’m going to leave up to what I feel like on the day.
It promises to be a great year at GABS! I can’t wait to get there on Sunday! I hope this helps some of you decide what you’re going to sample, let me know what your favourites are/were and I’ll hopefully have a chance to sample them as well. Always open for suggestions and inevitably I’ll have far more than I’ve listed above, think I might just preemptively take Monday off. Cheers guys, enjoy GABS!
Remember it’s always Beer O’Clock somewhere in the world!