Time to wrap up the last of the four barrel aged beers released by Van Dieman at the end of 2017 with a duo that are perhaps the least alike of the quartet. First up, Tetu, a farmhouse table beer fermented in oak with fresh raspberries and blackberries from the farm. Once you've uncorked the bottle and disgorged its contents (having a butler on hand is recommended), you're presented with a peachy, pinky, orange drop awash with lovely summer berry aromas. It's light on the palate, with a prickly yet pleasant carbonation that presents fruity and dry like a rosé wine, albeit at less than a third of the ABV.
Then there's Duchess, a "New World Barrel IPA" fermented in oak for 18 months with Brettanomyces then dry hopped with Galaxy and Enigma hops. She's a feisty one and comes with a split personality (possibly the result of aristocratic inbreeding), both hoppy and in possession of a distinctly horse stable whiff too. On the hoppy, fruity front, we picked up overripe pineapple, stone fruit and dank aromas rising from its steepling and soft white head, plus some tropical fruit flavours too. Alongside that, the Brett combines with the bitterness from the hops (and, perhaps, the tannic qualities of the oak) to ensure the beer presents as dry as anything. This Duchess is one out there lady.
Read more about Van Dieman's new direction here
Published December 20, 2017 2017-12-20 00:00:00
