Two Go Beer Mad in Melbourne. Day Three.

Monday, and an early Valentine’s morning stroll through St Kilda and Chapel Street worked up our thirst sufficiently enough that we were ready to tackle The Local Taphouse: the big kahuna of Melbourne’s (if not Australia’s) craft beer pubs. What we didn’t know, is that we had stumbled on something quite spectacular - actually SpecTAPular. The two days before, The Local had been host to The Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular - where Aussie craft brewers were invited to create a brew style they had never done before. And once these had run out (which one lager had) that was it.

It is an understatement to say we were lucky enough to be treated to some of the most original beers I have ever experienced in my life.

#13 - Mountain Goat Cucumber Sandwich (Draught) - 4.7%ABV

 Hazy, pale straw summer ale. Sweet citrus aromas with just of touch of cucumber on the nose. A creamy bright white head and this carries through to the body, which has a beautifully creamy mouth feel. The cucumber isn't really there but wow, this beer really does refresh like a cucumber sandwich. There’s just a little bitterness to end with a touch of yeast aroma. Hoppy on the burp. This is an easy drinking, complex, interesting ale that had me instantly wanting more. Wow.

 

#14 - Doctor’s Orders Zephyr (Draught) - 5.6%ABV 

Hazy, very pale straw. Complex yeastiness on the nose and on the palate, really big in body. At first I thought this was a Hefeweizen but the tasting note informed me that it is a Double White Ale (my first) from New South Wales. There’s some banana tones on the nose and has a lemony, sweet finish. A lively, refreshing beer.

Left to right in this photo...

#15 - 4 Pines Wee Heavy (Draught) - 7.8%ABV

 This dark reddish brown Wee Heavy has a soft brown head and has raisin tones on the nose. My first mouthful revealed a little nuttiness, maybe hazelnut, and sweet plum notes. There’s a touch of roastiness there too. A crisp clean finish.

#16 - Jamieson’s Lemon Myrtle IPA (Draught) - 7%ABV

Kaboom! Stacks of sweet lemon, mandarin and passionfruit on the nose. Bright copper in colour. A really exciting beer. Sweet lemon to begin then a big bitter hit (not overpowering) - the lemon continues to dominate but is nicely balanced with the bitterness. It lingers for a really long time and fades to a pepperiness on the front of the tongue. An IPA with amazing character that doesn’t depend on big in-your-face hoppiness.

#17 - Feral Brewing Karma Citra (Draught) - 5.9%ABV

Black IPA from Western Australia. Dark black/brown with a creamy head. Nose is dark chocolate and coffee-like with plenty of grapefruit notes. The dark chocolate sweetness is absolutely mind blowing. Silky smooth with lots of roastiness. Another incredible beer.

#18 - Bridge Road Big Red Rocket (Draught) - 7%ABV

 Jamieson Brewing in Victoria brew this India Pale Ale with a hazy red hue and an incredibly fruity nose. I got woody, grapey and raisiny tones - like an old wine cellar. Very welcoming. It’s sweet on the palate with a bit of alcohol warmth, slightly acidic and wine like. Went really well with the garlicky hummus.

#19 - Murray’s Imperious (Draught) - 11%ABV

A crystal-clear bright copper Imperial Belgian Blonde. Big grapey nose and a touch of dark honey - smells like a dessert wine. It’s just as sweet on the palate with a lingering alcohol warmth. Tasting notes suggest apricot and mandarin - I got some feijoa. Belgian in complexity. Smooth warming body. A big beer.

#20 - Stone and Wood Red Relief (Draught) - 4.7%ABV

New South Wales Brewery Stone and Wood brewed this Red Ale to aid the people of Queensland affected by the floods. They donated $500 for every keg sold - so we made sure we gave the keg a good nudge (Wendy especially - she loved this drop). Red Relief is a bright, clear amber. It has a big honey nose and pleasant English hop flavour. There’s a subtle bitterness to finish and overall it’s a very refreshing ale.

#21 - Hargreaves Hill/Red Hill Brewery 2 Hills Maibock (Draught) - 6.8% ABV

 A collaborative brew and one of only two lagers presented for the SpecTAPular. This German-style Bock has a subtle honey nose and a touch of crisp apple. There’s a nice malt sweetness and it finishes cleanly.

From right to left in this photo...

#22 - True South Cherry Bomb (Draught) - 5%ABV

Opaque black with a soft creamy head. Dark chocolate and cherry on the nose. Cherry and coconut on the palate. As the tasting notes suggest, this is just like a Cherry Ripe in a glass. This porter leaves a nice roasty bitterness, from both the dark malt and the coconut, to finish.

#23 - Lobethal/Brewboys Quince Ale (Draught)- 5.6%ABV

A collaborative fruit-infused pale ale. I’ve never actually tasted quince before but was really impressed by the complexity of this beer. This ale pours a hazy dark straw with a billowy head. It is woody and sweet on the nose with some raisin like aromas (quince?). There’s a lovely caramel sweetness up front along with an almost marmalade-like tang (quince again?). A full flavoured malty and fruity drop.

#24 - Hunter Chocolate Chili Porter (Draught) - 5.8%ABV

A deep black porter with an espresso like head and aroma. Loads of bittersweet chocolate flavours then the chili kicks in - both on the front of the tongue and in the back of the throat. Despite the incredibly layered flavours, it’s still very light in body making it very easy to drink. The chili lingers for a long time, there’s some hop bitterness hidden in there too but the chili dominates. The perfect follow up to this would be the thirst-quenching Cucumber Sandwich.

#25 - Fanny Gertrude’s ANZAC Bickie (Draught)- 5%ABV

My notes for this went as follows; crystal clear copper, smells incredibly alcoholic for its ABV…then realised that I had been given another Murray’s Imperious 11%ABV.

So after rectifying the situation I began to enjoy one of the most pleasantly unusual experiences of my beer tasting pursuit to date.

Brewed by Burleigh Brewing Co. in Queensland, this Brown Ale pours a rich copper brown with a thin head. The nose is unbelievably biscuity, to the point where it actually smells like biscuits baking in the oven. ANZAC bickie has a marvelous vanilla flavour with golden syrup, condensed milk and caramel notes - almost Russian Fudge like. The sweetness lasts for just a while fading away cleanly with almost no bitterness. Delicious.

#26 - 2 Brothers “The Guv’nor” English Barleywine (Draught)- 11.5%ABV

The big hitter of the SpecTAPular, this Victorian barleywine pours a clear, dark copper. It has a sharp sherry like aroma and malty sweetness on the palate. This is followed up with subdued alcohol warmth that lingers nicely. A pleasant finish to a great tasting experience.

So thank you St Kilda’s Local Taphouse for an incredible afternoon of hospitality, information and flavours. Cheers.

But wait, the day wasn’t over. We managed to catch the right tram back to Federation Square, where we popped back into Beer Deluxe for another ale before taking a break back at the hotel.

#27 - Mountain Goat IPA (Draught) - 5.9%ABV.

Pours a light copper with quickly dissipating head. Nice caramel malt aroma and a little citrus and passion fruit. Pleasant bite of effervescence on the tongue combined with a well-hopped bitterness and dry finish. Very crisp and refreshing.