They don't put many beers into cans at Ballarat brewpub Aunty Jacks – it is first and foremost a brewpub, after all – but with Victorians enjoying a warmer, drier-than-expected summer than expected the brewing team decided to celebrate with Party Time. The limited release is a lager, yet stands apart from their AIBA gold medal-winning core offering Lager in casting eyes across the Pacific for inspiration and including some corn maize in the mix to help lighten proceedings.
Clearly, the party times they had in mind are those where the occasion takes centre stage with the beer there to offer simple, lubricating pleasures: soft, grainy / bready malts laying down a baseline from which there's little fluctuation. Light floral and citrusy hops accompany the cereal like sweetness and contribute a gentle bitterness alongside the crisp finish too.
While that beer has been given a release in cans, if you head to the brewpub itself, you might also find a couple of draught-only limited releases. ApriColada Golden Ale is an apricot and coconut spiced golden ale brewed with malt from Ballarat's House of Malt, plus Ariana and Sabro hops before being run off over a bed of shaved coconut to highlight what the brewers call its "tropical nuance".
Then there's Saison, their take on the classic Belgian interpretations of the historic style, with Aunty Jacks telling us their 6.3 percenter "is fruity, reminiscent of apples and pears, with subtle spicy notes", "very refreshing on the palate – crisp and dry with high carbonation", "thirst-quenching and definitely moreish".
James Smith
UPDATE: Party Time smashed it out of the park in our 2023 Mexican lager blind tasting.
Published February 21, 2022 2022-02-21 00:00:00
