On the 7th September I revisited Stone & Wood Brewing in Byron Bay, New South Wales to try the Fixation Brewing Co IPA beers and a couple of other special beers. The beers that I sampled were:
1. Fixation IPA, 6.4% abv, this is a hazy golden coloured IPA with a strong citrus hop aroma. It has a lovely sweet citrus flavour that transitions smoothly into a great bitterness on the finish.
2. Saison Du Pops, 7.0% abv, this is a very limited beer that was made as a tribute to Neil Whithorn for his 70th birthday. He is a very special brewer who has mentored many brewers through Stone and Wood and is the Guru of brewing in this part of the world. It is a hazy straw coloured farmhouse style beer with a lovely yeasty and banana aroma. It has a great, smooth banana flavour that is very true to the style. A perfect Saison!
3. Fixation, The Fix, 8.2% abv, this is a double IPA that is golden in colour with a very strong, sweet citrus aroma. It has a wonderful strong fruit flavour and a huge, lingering bitterness. Fantastic!
4. Christmas Barley Wine, 11.5% abv, this is a special drop that was made for the Stone and Wood Christmas party. It has a hazy amber colour and a super strong Christmas cake aroma. It has been aged in Lark whiskey barrels for 5 months and is smooth, rich and yummy with flavours of raisins like only a great barley wine can be. Truly wonderful!!
5. Stone and Wood, Stone Beer, 6.7% abv, this one was tasted at The Railway Hotel in Byron Bay and is a limited release beer that is made annually in the traditional method of putting hot stones into the brew to boil the wort. It is a dark amber brown colour with a roasted malt aroma. It has a great complex malt flavour with hints of smoke and caramel. Very, very nice indeed.
I would like to thank Cale, once again, for his wonderful hospitality. He really is a great host and does a fantastic job of promoting Stone and Wood Brewery and to top it off a great West Aussie.