It's set to be a huge year for the team at Holgate Brewhouse, with the Woodend brewery marking a quarter century of beers before 2024 is out. As part of their celebrations, they're releasing 25 limited release beers: some in cans and some just on tap; some new recipes with relevance to their story; some collaborations with past Holgate brewers now operating elsewhere; and one which readers of The Crafty Pint will get to play a role in selecting later in the year.
They're kicking off "25 Years Of Beers" with something old and something new. The former is Original Mt Macedon Ale, a kolsch inspired by the very first beer Paul Holgate brewed commercially 25 years ago, the latter is the first canned release of the series.
Hazed As Bro is a Kiwi-hopped hazy IPA that pays homage to a trip to New Zealand Paul and wife Natasha made in 1998 to check out small brewing operations there, a trip that led them to buy their first brewing kit from NZ. The beer couldn't look more like a hazy IPA if it tried, opening with smooth apricot and peach nectar aromas. Citrus of the blood orange variety joins the picture to taste, while there's a flicker of bitterness to balance the soft juiciness.
It's a tasty opening gambit for a year that promises collabs with brewers who've worked with Paul over the years: Nic Sandery (Molly Rose), Matt Ives (Aunty Jacks), Alex Carr (Noodledoof), Ian Morgan (CUB Development), Evan Hunter (Bendigo Brewing), Nick Rhodes (White Rabbit), Josh Kendall (Wolf of the Willows), Ben Turley (Love Shack), and Justin Corbitt (Fox Friday).
It's also no mean feat to reach a quarter century as an independent brewing company in Australia – very few have reached the milestone since the modern beer scene was seeded in Freo 40 years ago – so massive congrats to Paul, Natasha, and everyone that's been part of the Holgate story over the years. We look forward to celebrating with you as the year progresses.
James Smith
Published January 3, 2024 2024-01-03 00:00:00
