Barossa Valley Brewing open their account for 2024 with two new beers and a couple of old favourites making a comeback. Their forever evolving IPA series received a tweak courtesy of their Deep Liquid AI Neuron Network, taking on board customer feedback in the creation of the single hop Cashmere IPA. Similar to previous iterations, it combines big, juicy, clean hop characters – apricot and tangerine to the fore – with a touch of sweetness initially before drying out and finishing with a restrained and balanced bitterness.
In the early years of the SA brewery, Bee Sting – a honey wheat ale – was something of a flagship beer. It returns in time for the heat of summer (if / when it finally reaches SA), with yeasty, bready characters present but subtle on the nose. On the first sip, the wheat characters are pronounced, carrying a little honey sweetness early along with those bready malts, while lower carbonation aids drinkability in a beer that's very dry and crisp.
Raspberry Berliner Weisse is another beer brewed for the summer, in which loads of raspberries give it a light pink hue. The fruit is dominant, adding a cordial like sweetness, while there's also a decent sourness embedded alongside the beer's subtle wheat characters.
The second returning beer is the award-winning Doppelbock, which pours with an enticing deep amber. First impressions are of an aged vintage ale: rich currants, caramel, a touch of sherry, sultanas. It's a big beer, with a solid body and slick mouthfeel carrying some malt sweetness, that maintains its balance throughout. All in all, a fine opening salvo for what promises to be another fascinating year in beer.
Matt King
Published January 9, 2024 2024-01-09 00:00:00
