Hepburn Springs Brewing Co Pilsner

It might not have been the first beer Hepburn Springs poured, but in many ways it's the beer where it all started for them. And it's not hard to see why the Champion Lager from the 2020 Indies found favour with the judges.

If, on hearing they have it brewed off-site at Barossa Valley Brewing, you assume this is a small brewery that's picked an off the shelf recipe you’d be wrong, the rye malt, flaked barley and rice flakes plus some Amarillo alongside the Saaz hops ensuring this is very much Nick's recipe. Even though it's small in ABV by his standards, the grain bill ensures ensures a firm palate weight and adds a little extra depth to the malt sweetness as well as spice to the traditional hops. Golden, with a light haze, a little citrus to accompany the spice, and a well-judged, balancing bitterness, it's a cracking Bohemian pilsner.

James Smith