It’s well known Wildflower founder and head brewer Topher Boehm has one of the most interesting and enviable old-world brewhouses in the country. Thankfully, he likes to share his toys and this new collab sees good friends Mountain Culture dropping in for a playdate we can all enjoy.
Following their lauded Village lambic-inspired series together, Topher, head Mountaineer DJ McCready and their teams have reunited for something completely different: an ongoing rustic lager program exploring their mutual love of traditional styles and techniques. It kicks off with debut drop, Mirror Image, and is a move that may surprise many fans – after all, Mountain Culture are best known for dropping hazy hop bombs on the reg while Wildflower have forged their reputation upon funky, mixed-culture barrel-blended beers light years away from a standard lager.
Mirror Image is both a reference to the brewing process and a playful nod to the uncanny similarities in Topher and DJ’s own lives. Both brewers are American, married to Australians, and raising young families here. And, with Wildflower now pouring MC beers and selling their new releases every week, it's a bond that's only growing and we're told, will have a real label soon.
To make Mirror Image, the Blue Mountains brew crew brought their core lager recipe to Marrickville and gave it a rustic reinvention on Wildflower’s old-school kit, which involved a rigorous double decoction in Topher’s wooden mash tun filtered through straw, a copper kettle boil and using a vintage coolship to settle and cool the wort afterwards.
Tasting Mirror Image alongside the core lager fresh from the tap provides an experience that's incredibly similar yet also stunningly distinct. The MC standard is a fine drop in itself – a classic, crisp, nobly-hopped Helles – but the rustic takes it to a whole new level thanks to the double decoction and copper boil giving it a deeper golden colour and a richer, creamy malt complexity, mingled with a more pronounced Saaz hop edge. Naturally carbonated with a fuller body, it’s a lovely debut in this intriguing new collaboration that will have lager lovers and beer gear nerds simultaneously salivating.
Jason Treuen
Published March 18, 2024 2024-03-18 00:00:00
