For a business that started to complement an existing business, Prickly Moses sure has surprised a few! Luke Scott was brought in by the owners of the Otway Estate Winery way back in 2007 to start a brewery to complement their range of wines. It’s fair to say that in the ensuing years the beers had overtaken the wines & become the primary busines, so much so that in 2019 the winery was sold & re-branded as Otway Estate Vineyards.
Prickly Moses are located in the Otway Ranges, one of the worlds only coast temperate rainforests. They make the most of their location, one of the wettest in Victoria, and try and cajole as much water as they can into two 150,000L tanks so that they can brew all of their beers using local rain water from their rainforest.
Brewery Type
Physical
Region
Great Ocean Road
Tasting Room
10 Hoveys Road, Barongarook
Speaking of the beers; there are two quite distinct types of beers brewed at Prickly Moses, the easy drinking safe options & really big bold offerings; both Belgian & American inspired. I’ve always found their range interesting in that there are a number of entry level beers as well as a number of beers targetting serious craft beer drinkers (think Biere de Garde).
The brewery has become something of a proving ground with Sam Fuss (now Philter Brewing) & Steve “Hendo” Henderson (Brewcult, Rockstar Brewing Academy, much more) both former Head Brewers, with Hendo starting there straight out of brewing school.
Those who don’t know the history behind Prickly Moses would be forgiven for thinking they were in the wrong place upon arriving. There are vineyards on either side as you drive towards the two large sheds that hold the brewery equipment & the restaurant/bar area. They serve their own beer, wine & cider (there is also a distillery incoming) as well as pizza from their own wood fired oven, as well as an array of snacks.
There’s a large bar as you walk in, the brewery is on display behind glass and there is plenty of indoor & outdoor seating areas in various shapes and sizes. We settled ourselves on the deck overlooking a pond, which is a place I could’ve stayed at all day had the brewery not been in the middle of nowhere!
I’m going to review the Spotted Ale. Not just because it’s an excellent beer, it is, but because a portion of every Spotted Ale sold goes to support the conservation of Tiger Quolls in the Otway Ranges. The beer is a relatively straight up & down Golden Ale, a little bit of yeast, a wheaty body & some fruity hops. It’s a beer that most people would be able to drink all afternoon! And it’s got the added benefit of it being for a good cause!
Remember it’s always Beer O’Clock somewhere in the world!
