When Tom Waits and Keith Richards crooned a husky folk song about their determination to fight against an inevitable fate, it seemed to be the perfect allusion for the autumnal years of a life in rock ‘n' roll. Drawing from this, the Last Leaf beer sees the Indian Ocean Brewing Co and the Riverside Brewhouse – at the site of the old Swan Brewery – celebrating both the eponymous song and seasonal change.
Not content with one beer, the collaborators developed two expressions of the original recipe. There's an imperial, possibly Keith Richards version, pouring at the Riverside Brewhouse as the maple leaves that line Mounts Bay Road drift into the brewery. Further north, the more modest Tom Waits edition is pouring at the Mindarie brewery.
The second of these, the regular Last Leaf, pours the colour of falling leaves and has a contemplative simplicity - don’t overthink it, just enjoy the moment. Dry caramel flavours rise from a creamy white head, while moreish malt and more caramel lead to the dry and lightly spiced finish and restrained bitterness.
A limited amount of both Last Leaf versions is available now from each brewery with Indian Ocean also offering takeaway CANimals.
Guy Southern
Published March 15, 2018 2018-03-15 00:00:00