They might not put out darker beers that often, but when the brewers at Mismatch do, they tend to do it well. Various iterations of big and barrel-aged stouts have made our annual Best Of... lists for SA, while their Traditional Stout – a recent returnee for winter 2022 – is a sessionable, straight-up offering, even at 6.2 percent ABV. Such beers have always come and gone, sometimes just the once, sometimes annually, but with Dark Ale the Adelaide Hills team have created one for their core range.
Essentially, what you have here is a celebration of malt in a can (or glass). Upon a base of English Maris Otter malt are layered another six specialty varieties, and for me it's the pale chocolate that takes centre stage. The overriding character here is chocolate, leaning towards the milky variety, in a beer with a ruby tinge and something in the aroma that reminds me of Christmas oranges. Bitterness is kept low and earthy, hop character minimal, so as not to get in the way of that malty goodness.
James Smith
Published July 25, 2022 2022-07-25 00:00:00
