Holgate Millennium Falcon

There has been no holding back for the 1000th brew by Victoria's Holgate Brewhouse. Taking the millennium as the starting point, they spun a Star Wars-inspired tale and followed it through to the nth degree by throwing as many references as possible into the beer. It features Millennium, Falconer's Flight and Galaxy hops, is subtitled an "Empirial IPA" and was launched at the Village Brasserie with the entire brewery crew dressed as Star Wars characters, including a rather dashing Hans Solo... As for the beer, it's a 10 per cent, 100 IBU (a measure of bitterness) affair brewed with nothing but pale malt to allow the hops to take centre stage. The result is an impeccably pale ale that surprises, mainly because the hop character is apparent more in the flavours than on the nose, which is surprisingly subtle and leans more towards light, sweet malt / alcohol. The body is unsurprisingly full and resinous, although far from the chewy beasts such beers can be, with the finish also remarkably contained - no runaway bitterness here despite the massive hopping. A refined rather than boisterous affair, in keeping with the polishing that's been going on throughout the Holgate range in recent months. (Go try the Mt Macedon on tap to see what we're on about if you've not had it in a while - easily one of the country's best session beers.)

Published March 1, 2013 2013-03-01 00:00:00