With the voting well underway to determine the Hottest 100 Australian Craft beers for 2016, it is a good time to reflect on some of the trends of the past year.
The 2015 list contained a large percentage of Pale Ales and IPA’s including 9 out of the top 10, the other one being a Kolsch. Of the 9, only 2 of those were darker, 1 being Modus Operandi’s Former Red Tennant IPA, and the other being Feral’s Karma Citra Black IPA.
With the exception of a couple of Stouts, the top 40 beers of 2015 were nearly all Pales or IPA’s and you had to get down to position 42 to find something a bit different with a Sirène Brewing – Praline Belgian Specialty Ale.
So what is going to change with the top 100 for 2016? Well probably not a lot actually. We will no doubt see more of the same with some of the popular IPA’s from Pirate Life and Feral continuing to take out top spots, followed by a barrage of contenders from brewers like PACT, Green Beacon, Bentspoke, Balter, Black Dog, Newstead, Akasha and Modus Operandi.
So that is what HAS been hot in 2016, but what about 2017? Well this is what I am hoping for.
Hopefully we have seen the peak of IPA’s in Australia and we will start to see some more variety from brewers in 2017. Why I hear you ask? Well basically because I am over them. I think we have all had a love affair with a good IPA over the past few years, but every time we found ourselves enjoying one, there was another one on the shelf, waiting to be drunk. After a while, the singles weren’t enough so we started moving to the Double IPA’s and that is where the real fun began. BIG citrusy flavours, smoky texture and hops coming out of our ears. You started with 40 IBU’s, and quickly skipped to 60 or 70, and before you know it, you are looking for 100+ which is basically like sucking on a bud of resin from the hop plant. But once you get to that level, what now? You can’t go back, because the nice sweet IPA with 40 IBU’s just don’t cut it any more. That’s because with these beers, bigger and bolder is the way to go and because HOPS is the only flavour in the beer. They don’t have any other layers, it’s just HOP THE HELL out of it and see how far you can take it.
So what would I like to see on the Hot List for 2017? Well that’s easy. Let’s start with the styles. Red Ales, Brown Ales, Pilsners, Lagers, Saisons, Sours and Speciality Beers. Why these styles? Well with most of them (except lagers) they have a number of layers going on. They are complex, with multiple flavours attacking your senses. They are often more malt driven, than hop driven and each flavour has something to offer, rather than one BIG hop bill, taking centre stage. Here are just a few beers that fit this bill and I would like to see more of in 2017.
5 Barrels Imperial Stout – Aged in Shiraz Barrels for 4 months, this Stout takes on the flavour of the Shiraz so much, you sometimes forget you are drinking beer and the after taste has you believing you just finished of a glass of red. It’s simply amazing.
Dainton Red Eye Rye – Like a sweet temptress this red head seduces you with her velvet tongue. As she passes your lips she slips down your throat and warms your heart, leaving you entwined in her love, wanting more. Much more.
Hop Dog Beer Works – A feast of Stevens White Stout. Well it’s not really white, it’s Amber, but it certainly is a feast. A feast on the senses with your mouth and nose convinced your drinking a stout and your eyes telling you that you’re drinking an Amber. It’s not just a novelty beer though, it’s a damn tasty one,
Mornington Brown – This English style Brown Ale has more layers than an eighties punk rock hair do. It’s got toffee, raisins, chocolate and nuts and they all seem to unfold one at a time. The mouthfeel is sublime and you feel like you are eating your way through a meal, rather than drinking it.
Lobethal Crème Brulee – This relatively unknown brewer, punches out some great beers, but this one takes the cake, or the dessert (beer) to be more precise. If you have ever had a Crème Brulee you will remember how you can savour the Vanilla bean flavours for ages after you have finished your sweet, and this beer leaves you feeling the same way. Dessert beers have their place, so they are not a lawnmower beer, but after a nice dinner, they go down a treat.
Tumut River Brewing Co – Blowering Blonde. Normally I wouldn’t give much attention to a Blonde (beer that is) but this one is special. It’s an absolutely smashable beer, but one that’s full of flavour and so refreshing, it would be hard to stop at 1 or 7. This Blonde certainly has more fun !
Bacchus Brewing – Anyone that knows Bacchus knows that it would be impossible to single out just one of Ross’s beers, so I won’t even try. All I can say is that we just want to see more of his incredulous creations, pushing the boundaries in every direction. More Bacchus in 2017 !
Two Birds – Taco and Sunset Ale – Both these beers are unique and needed to be included in the same way that Jane and Danielle need to be included. Not because they are women, but because they brew great beer. The Taco delivers exactly on it’s promise and has to be one of the best wheat beers ever produced in this country and the Sunset Ale is another multi layered malt beer, that goes down like a sunset, anytime.
Shenangians Malt Assault – As the description says, Sick of being blown away by hop bombs? Fight back with a Malt Assault.” This is the malt equivalent of a Double IPA and is like dunking Malt biscuits on your beer.
Other brewers to watch out for in 2017,
Cupitt’s in Ulladulla on the NSW South Coast. Known mainly for their wines, Cupitt’s have started brewing some beers and they are surprisingly good. Their Pale Ale (yes I know another Pale) is very tasty and the Belgian is very worthy of it’s heritage.
Bentspoke are expanding their operations and have opened a cannery to support their brewpub in Canberra. Richard has been pushing the boundaries in a number of areas including the Cluster 18 IPA with 18% ABV. Talk about chewing on resin.
PACT – Another Canberra brewer making a name for himself is Kevin Hingston. Now I know I have talked down the IPA’s and Pale Ales but if you are going to make a Pale Ale, make it like the Mount Tennant Pale Ale, one of the most refreshing Pales you could ever set your hands on. His Brown is pretty damn good too.
To be honest, I am only scratching the surface here because there are so many good breweries opening up. I just hope that 2017 brings some more variety and we start to see some of these other styles get the same sort of recognition, that the Pales and IPA’s do. There will always be a place for them, but there should also be some room for the malt driven beers, because they add so much