Beer Bright Brewery Mystic IIPA & Barrel Series Barleywine 2019

Bright Brewery end a big year of releases with two of the biggest of them all. Mystic IIPA explodes with aromas of Navel oranges, ripe tropical fruits and some boozy fumes that tickle your nostrils so you know the IPA in your glass is of the imperial variety. The fruity character is less explosive on the palate, where it's more herbal and spicy, lean and quite slick thanks to its oily bitterness, yet finishes dry.

The Barrel Series Barleywine 2019 is a sign of things to come from Reid Stratton and his brewing team, a 13.9 percent ABV sipper aged for 15 months in former Starward whisky barrels. Deep copper with ruby hints, whisky and sweet, fortified malts combine with dark fruits an a rum like character on the nose; the effect is to conjure thoughts of wood panels on the walls of stately homes... Flavours of dark sugar, toffee and figs join the party in a beer that's boozy and rich yet retains an impressive tightness across the palate. One of the most enjoyable Aussie barleywines I've tasted.

James Smith