From their company’s inception, the founders of Endeavour talked about one day having two things: a brewery of their own and a beer estate where they could grow their own grain and hops and produce beers that were a true reflection of their location. While they’ve managed to chalk off the first thing on the list with their lovely little brewpub in The Rocks, that dream of country life is still some way off. In the meantime they’re doing they next best thing and collaborating with growers. And, in doing so, they’ve designated a tap to the project at the pub, calling it "Something With Friends".
The latest in this series is New South Pils, a European pilsner made with NSW ingredients: Atlas and Munich malt from Voyager and Saaz hops from Ryefield. Being the first lager they’ve put through the Tap Rooms, they were determined to do it right, using the cloak of winter to ferment and condition the beer for five full weeks. The result is a delightful drop that shows the merits of simplicity, a beer built on a deliciously smooth malt character which spreads through your mouth in a most fulfilling manner and is complimented by the spiciness of the Saaz, which gives way to a gentle bitterness before rounding out with a soft yeast character.
Endeavour has now been in business for eight years and one of the beers that’s won them admirers is their annual Reserve Amber. It’s a recipe that’s apparently changed little over the years, and fair enough too as it’s one that delivers a satisfying beer balanced on lots of layers of malt complexity. There are seven varieties in total, if you’re counting, and they serve up characters from caramel to chocolate to fudge to roast. There’s a gentle hint of hop spiciness to turn your attention, but otherwise this beer remains firmly in the domain of the grain. On top of the usual offsite bottling run, this year they also brewed a special small batch at the Tap Rooms which is your only chance to get it on draught – either at the brewery or a handful of pubs around Sydney.
The third new beer to hit the taps is something decidedly different to the aforementioned two: a Belgian Tripel. This is a 7.2 percent ABV winter warmer built on a blend of sweet malts, dark characters of candied sugar, a phenolic profile and an invigorating flourish of alcohol. It’s the kind of nourishing beer you’d want to be wrapping your paws around as you see out the last vestiges of winter. Which, incidentally, feels like it’s about now.
Nick Oscilowski
Published August 6, 2018 2018-08-06 00:00:00
