It wasn’t that long ago that if a brewery didn’t have a core range of three or four different American pale ales of various strengths and colours, then they were either criminally uncool and destined to fail or too niche and weird. While those days are well and truly dead and gone, there’s a good argument to be made that, in 2022, a lager and a hazy is de rigeur. Thus, with a new release Dunkel (among two or three other lagers on tap) and a hazy IPA, accusing Sydney’s 2 Halfs of being off-trend is folly.
If you get the chance to visit Kirk and Dragana at 2 Halfs, you’ll very quickly understand that, unlike the majority of breweries around, a hazy IPA is the exception rather than the rule. One would imagine Kirk’s training in Berlin wasn’t exactly replete with classes on Juicy Fruit and Pillowy Malt™ but Hazy Daze is a fine example of the style. It’s a tropical salad of mango, papaya, guava and citrus on the nose with a gentle bitterness and soft malt body. At 6 percent ABV, it’s light and refreshing and thankfully wouldn’t be out of place in a session.
Uncle Dunkel, on the other hand, is right in the middle of Kirk’s wheelhouse. The Munich style dark lager is precisely the kind of beer 2 Halfs are known for and this one is a pretty good indication of why. Firstly, it’s an absolutely gorgeous beer to just look at: a deep red copper with a luscious tan head. Dunkels are a lesson in the virtues of Munich malt so expect aromas of toasted breakfast cereals and fresh baked biscuits on top of a rich but not sweet malt base.
Uncle Dunkel is on the lower end of the style’s usual ABV range, which makes it exceedingly crisp, clean and very easy to drink. A cracking beer for this wet and humid autumn.
Judd Owen
Published March 4, 2022 2022-03-04 00:00:00
