It might not attract anything like the noise of Hawkers' trophy-winning and typically high-quality lineup, but the Reservoir brewery's offshoot brand of affordable, approachable beers bearing the Rover moniker sure has its fans. Henty St Ale has been selling in vast volume since first appearing in plain gold cans, with Gilbert Rd. Lager as its wingman; ahead of summer 2022/23 the pair welcome a little sibling into the family.
As with its peers, it's a case of delivering value rather than cutting corners; sure, the beers are sold at a lower price than their Hawkers stablemates and rein in the extravagance, but that doesn't mean they lack character. Merri Creek Middy opens with sherbety tropical lime aromas rising from the pale, hazy beer with the whitest of heads. There's some pilsner malt breadiness on palate, with a crisp combo of carbonation and bitterness bringing refreshment in tandem with a lingering, resinous grapefruit pith aftermath.
Certainly, this does the trick for a modern one standard drink offering.
James Smith
Published December 6, 2022 2022-12-06 00:00:00
