G’day Guys and welcome to the new monthly wrap up/accountability post on Beer O’Clock Australia. The idea I have is that I’ll put this post up in roughly the first week of each month & it will hopefully encourage me to finish this project at some point! I’ve already given up on the idea of finishing it this year with the amount of stuff I still have to do this year; I think a more realistic target is mid-2024. I’m doing a double up this month as life has been a touch hectic & we’ve done a lot of behind he scenes work!

Year of the Local

The state of play; looks very different to last time! I have done a significant cull of contract brands as well as a more in depth search for new brands. In the process the number of current Victorian breweries/brewing companies has fallen to 236. According to my numbers as they currently sit, I have now got 98 posts to write (an increase of 14), beers from 41 brands to try (an increase of 9) & 20 breweries to visit (an increase of 5). 12 breweries/brewing companies were added to the list.

I visited 10 breweries across the two months, admittedly 1 was a double up & only one I visited for the first time; Maffco Brewery & Distillery. I did manage to try beers from 6 new Victorian producers; Barwon Heads, The Boys, The Yea Brewery, Blind Bight, Maffco & Hale.

Untappd

I’ve been slightly surprised how many comments/questions I’ve gotten since I stopped doing the Untappd posts. I mean there’s a very easy way you can find this data… In any case I got 21 badges in March & 23 in April; 35 of these were unique. The duplicates were:

  • Cheers to Independent U.S. Craft Breweries (4)
  • Sky’s the Limit (3)
  • Super Style: American IPA (3)
  • Super Style: New England IPA (3)

You’re used to seeing those badges by now so I picked some of the ones I pickup most rarely.

Hella Delicious! (Level 19) – Unlocked by the really solid Bayreuther Hell – first time since September 2022, which surprised me as I drink a lot of Helles Lager. Although it may be a lot of the same Helles Lagers…

Wake Up & Smell the Coffee (Level 9) – Unlocked by AleSmith’s Speedway Stout (Espresso & Madagascar Vanilla. Like all of these variants it was pretty spectactular! The last level of this badge came in June 2022 for me.

Going Dutch (Level 15) – Unlocked by Frontaal’s Kia Ora, a Dutch take on a Kiwi IPA. It was a pretty solid beer from a brewery I’d never heard of, yet who were big enough to be stocked in BWS. I last unlocked a Going Dutch badge in April 2022.

Zwickel City (Level 4) – Unlocked by Mountain Culture’s Cellar Door. No one is making these traditional German styles anymore! I last got this badge in March 2021!

Mild Mannered (Level 3) – Unlocked by Bright’s Pilot XPA. It doesn’t sound like a mild, but it was definitely on the earthy side of lightish ale. The English Mild is another style that we see far too infrequently in Australia! As evidenced by the fact that I last unlocked this badge in December 2019! That’s pre-COVID! Which seems like an age ago…

Beer of the Week

Week 9 – Banks Jacked Juice

I thought Banks had a bit of an off year last year. This beer showed me that either I was wrong, or that they’re back this year in a big way. A pillowy soft, fruit forward IPA that hides the 8+% ABV dangerously well!

Week 10 – The Albert Blue

Dylan & I trekked down to Carwyn for The Albert Brewery tasting and sampled their wonderful array of lagers. The clear standout for me was Blue – a 3.5% midstrength lager! The body was full despite the low ABV and there was a good amount of grassy bitterness. If you like lagers you need to check these guys out!

Week 11 – Trillium Rink

As Dylan says on a podcast that you haven’t heard yet – it’s amazing that we’re able to access fresh Trillium and it not be enormous news. Rink was incredibly tasty with loads of pineapple & stone fruit notes.

Week 12 – Good Land Something Something Vic Secret

Years ago I used to hate Vic Secret – I think it was mostly because brewers hadn’t quite worked out how to get the best out of them. Good Land’s Something Something series have all be seriously good IPA’s. This one is no exception with loads of that pineapple & pine resin thing that Vic Secret, used well, can throw.

Week 13 – Chimay Blue

One of my all-time favourite beers. If you haven’t had it; you must!

Week 14 – Bottle Logic Fundamental Observation (2019)

From one of the most traditional beers to this decadent Pastry Stout. It’s a truly exceptional beer, which is somehow incredibly drinkable despite the obvious sweetness. The beer is loaded with vanilla notes from the bourbon barrels it spent over a year in, as well as the hundreds of pounds of Madagascar Vanilla Beans which were added to barrels a number of times throughout the year.

Week 15 – Jester King Le Petit Prince

What do you drink at a baby shower? Was the question Dylan & I asked ourselves as we made our way into Purvis Surrey Hills around the corner from our mates place. The answer became apparent quite quickly; Table Beer. And not just any table beer, one of the most beautifully delicate beers around. It’s a classic for a reason!

Week 16 – Exit Milk Stout

Some might say it’s a nostalgia pick – but I’m not having any of that. A pint of Exit Milk Stout is something that I’m incredibly sad I’m unlikely to be able have again. Those guys were such a wonderful part of the Melbourne beer scene and it’s so sad to see them “exit” stage left.

Week 17 – Mortalis Morning Truffle

A collaboration with Beer Tree City, this Mortalis Morning Truffle is a work of art! Coffee, coconut, vanilla, roasted cacao, this beer has everything you’d want in a Imperial Stout!

Other Stuff

Copper’s personality is coming out more and more every week. He made it to his first couple of breweries; visiting Westside Ale Works & Maffco Brewery & Distillery with me. As you can see from the photo above he’s thoroughly enjoying his time at the beach while we wait for our floors to be finished. Anyway, I think this has been reasonably comprehensive. Let me know if you’ve got any thoughts or anything you’d like to see added to this over the coming months at angus@beeroclockaustralia.com.

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