Athena’s Courage likes to mess with expectations.
If you’re an Aussie thinking, "Scotch ale", you may be surprised at how easy it is to drink: most Scotch ales made in Australia tend to be wee heavies (usually sitting above 7 percent ABV) whereas at 4.8 percent ABV Athena’s Courage sits comfortably in the export Scottish ale category.
If you’re a Scot, you may be shaking your head: peat isn’t traditionally used in this kind of ale in Scotland. But when an Aussie brewer thinks of a lovely malty Scottish ale, and thinks of the warming smokiness peat can bring to a good Scotch whisky, the temptation to marry those two flavours together can be overwhelming. Who can blame them?
And for most of us: we hear "peat smoke" and think "intense flavour", but this beer is gentle and relaxed. Light peat intermingles with a soft caramel malt depth, balancing the subtle sweetness with its savoury infusion.
Picture thin tendrils of peat smoke curling through the barley, drying it out while clearly in no particular hurry. Because while it goes down quite easily, this is also a beer with which you can take your time.
Athena’s Courage has been on tap before (including all the way back when the brewery opened five years ago), but this is the first time it’s available in cans.
Mick Wüst
Published June 28, 2022 2022-06-28 00:00:00
