The mind is a powerful thing; just as I was thinking I hadn’t heard from Bonehead Brewing in a little while and wondered if they might be slowing down their typically diverse beer drops, all of a suddent these three arrive...
First up, Melon Head is a watermelon catharina sour and while you might assume that “catharina” refers to a cocktail or other drink that's been turned to beer (like I did), you’d be wrong (which I was). Instead, catharina sour is a common sight in Brasil with the wheat-based and fruited kettle sour beers quite similar to the more frequently sighted Berliner Weisse or gose styles but where the key difference is a higher ABV, with this one sitting at 5.9 percent. Also, unlike the modern twists on Germanic tradition, catharinas are actually meant to contain fruit and for Bonehead's entry, they've used watermelon to create an incredibly refreshing drop where tropical fruit is perfectly balanced by a lasting tartness and quite hefty palate weight.
Departing Brasil, Bonehead took to the seas for The Colossal Ambition, with the export stout a truly classic dark beer were both the can and the ABV hark back to an earlier, more swashbuckling, time when bigger beers were brewed to last great voyagers. Here, the ambition is 6.3 percent and it's filled with rich tones of dark chocolate, roasted malts and a slight licorice aroma while being buttressed by a lasting bitterness.
Back in sour territory is Time Will Tell, a Limoncello Spritz Sour. Fortunately, the brewery doesn’t have to wait for May’s Australian International Beer Awards with the since it's enjoyed success on its release by securing medals like the gold in the “Mum’s Choice Award” and silver for “Best Brewery Starting With The Letter B?”. The light, dry and refreshing sour is something of an antonym to a world filled with pastry sours where zesty lemon peel, sweet lemonade and herbal quality all lead into a sour finish. If you wanted a beer to pair with any pizza, then this is it (I know because I tried it).
Will Ziebell
Published April 2, 2024 2024-04-02 00:00:00
