Forest for the Trees, barrel-aged saison

Byron Bay-based Forest for the Trees has launched its latest barrel-aged saison.

The brewing company said that following the success of its inaugural Forest for the Trees Saison, it has now produced a French oak barrel-aged saison.

The beer rested in the chardonnay wine barriques for six months prior to blending and bottling, giving it a clean, dry and zesty finish.

Forest for the Trees says the French barriques offer vanillin oak undertones, complementing the spicy, yeasty and fruity aromatics of the beer, which also has notes of coconut and mint.

Forest for the Trees Barrel Aged Saison is available in 375ml bottles in limited quantities via Square Keg.

Two Birds Brewing, Solstista Black IPA

Yesterday Two Birds Brewing launched its latest beer, a Solstista Black IPA.

Inspired by the longest night, Two Birds’ Solstista Black IPA gets its appearance from Carafa Special Malt.

It contains three varieties of US hops, delivering notes of citrus and pine, plus notes of dark berry fruits.

The keg-only beer comes in at 6% abv. In Victoria, it’s available at the Two Birds’ Nest, University House, Bar Josephine, The Mallow, Hop Temple, Hop Heads and Big Ears

In New South Wales, the Clarendon Hotel, The Grain Store and Windsor RSL stock the Solstista Black IPA.

Newstead Brewing, Westerlies Winter Lager

Newstead Brewing is set to launch its Westerlies Winter Lager tomorrow, intended to combat Queensland’s chilly 25-degree winters.

The Westerlies Winter Lager is a 4.9% abv lager, designed for a ‘colder’ climate.

Newstead said it has dialled back the black malts to round out the finish and let the roasted malt character combine with the hop spice.

Find Westerlies first on tap and in tins at both of Newstead’s brewpubs on Doggett Street in Newstead and Castlemaine Street in Milton this Saturday, 1st June as winter officially arrives.

It will be available from local bottle shops next week.

Stone & Wood ‘Sticky Nectar’

Stone & Wood relaunched its Sticky Nectar hazy IPA on Wednesday under its limited Counter Culture range, which kicked off in March with an Imperial Berline Weisse called Killer Kween.

Sticky Nectar is a heady tropical-fruit beer brewed with Galaxy, Citra and Amarillo hops and a tonne of mango puree. Pale, wheat and caramunich malts balance the beer’s bitterness. “Creamy” and “dreamy”, a touch of lactose gives this beer a great mouthfeel.

At 6.5% abv, Sticky Nectar is now available in two-pack 500ml cans online and in select bottle shops. You can also find it on tap at the Byron Bay brewery.

Burnley Brewing & Mountain Distilling ‘Burnley Mountain Botanical Sour’

Melbourne’s Burnley Brewing and Mount Macedon’s Mountain Distilling have collaborated to brew a sour beer featuring locally foraged botanicals.

The lovechild of Burnley Brewing’s head brewer Michael Stanzel and Mountain Distilling‘s owner and head distiller Michael Harris, the duo have nicknamed the beer Michael Squared.

Brewed withPilsener malt and Wheat, Citra hops and pine needles, mountain pepper berries, orange peel, lemon myrtle, coriander and juniper berries, this sour comes in at 3.5% abv.

The Botanical Sour is available on tap at GABS this weekend and will be available nationally early June.

Ballistic Beer Co & Jebediah ‘Jebediah Pale Ale’

Brisbane’s Ballistic Beer Co has teamed up with alt-rock band Jebediah to brew the Jebediah Pale Ale. Ballistic head brewer Lachy Crothers said that he was stoked to be able to brew a beer with one of his favourite childhood bands.

“The jebs have been going at it for years and it’s a real testament to their music,” Crothers said.

Brewed for the Stone’s Corner Festival in Brisbane, this latest beer from Ballistic is now available in kegs and cans.

Ballistic Beer Co ‘Sleep when you’re Dead IIPA’

Ballistic Beer‘s latest Sleep when you’re Dead release is here and it’s only available for eight weeks.The last batch rapidly sold out and so the brewery has decided to brew it once again.

Available in kegs and cans and cold shipped to craft beer bars and bottle-shops as soon as it’s packaged, this is as fresh as a brew can be. Released yesterday, this IIPA will be withdrawn from bars and bottleshops on June 11.

Two Birds Brewing ‘Fempocalypse IPA’

Brewed as a tribute to Two Birds‘ annual Good Beer Week event, the Fempocalypso IPA features Mosaic and Calypso hops and is brewed with pineapple that gives the beer a striking golden colour.

Released on Monday, Fempocalypso is a bitter beer with minty, tropical notes and comes in at 5.5% abv. This latest brew is available in Victoria at the Two Birds Nest, The Fox, Terminus, Beer DeLuxe Fed Square, Fancy Hanks, Otter’s Promise, Uitgang Bar, Royal Mail on Spencer and in New South Wales at High Street Social.

Two Birds ‘Oatmeal Winter Stout’

Two Birds released a second beer on Monday. Brewed with seven different specialty malts and British Fuggles hops to give a berry hopped profile, this winter roasted oatmeal stout comes in at 5.2% abv.

This is a keg-only release available in Victoria at the Two Birds Nest, Thornbury Local, Cherry Tree Hotel, The Black Sheep, University House, Palace Hotel and in New South Wales at Station Bar.

Stomping Ground ‘Robert IIPA’

At 8.9 per cent, Stomping Ground’s latest limited-release beer is true to its style. The ‘Robert’ IIPA is said to be part of Stomping Ground’s commitment to “bring back the bitterness in IPAs”. Call it a NEIPA backlash.

Robert is described by the brewery as a “big, bold and legendary IIPA” that has a hoppy richness of citrus and pine. Now available, Robert comes in 355ml cans and is available on tap.

4 Pines Keller Door ‘Honey Imperial Stout’

4 Pines Keller Door Honey Imperial Stout is the brewery’s first bottled stout since it released its Black Box of Dark Ales Imperial Stout in 2016.

The Honey Imperial Stout is brewed with Ale Malt, Marris Otter, Carapils, Munich 2, Med Crystal, Roasted Barley and Carafa Special 1 malts, Fuggles and Target hops and 300 kilograms of Paxton’s Honey. This viscose brew exhibits chocolate and coffee flavours care of the complex malt bill. There is a subtle honey sweetness that balances this big 9% abv 60 IBU beer.

This latest release by 4 Pines Keller Door was inspired bythe old Brookvale Brewing Company, which was located down the road from 4 Pines HQ in the 1950s. The old Brookvale brewery was famous for its Honey Stout, which was supplied to local ex-servicemen and union clubs for more than half a decade.

Mountain Goat and Garage Project ft Chai Addict ‘Horn Please Chili Chai Imperial Stout’

Mountain Goat’s two-years-in-the-making collaboration with Garage Project and Chai Addict was brewed with a blend of ten malts, lactose, masala chai and habanero and ghost chillies.

This Horn Please Chili Chai Imperial Stout is a smooth, velvety stout with soft layers of chai spices and a heated finish. With a recommended serving temperature of 12 degrees C, Horn Please will be launching at the brewery on Sunday, May 12.

Urban Alley Brewing Co ‘Ruby RRIPA’

Urban Alley’s Red Rye IPA is a 6.3% abv ruby red beer with subtle aromas of toffee and caramel. Ruby RRIPA is described by the brewery as a balanced beer of toast and bready malt flavours with a bold bitterness from an impressive lineup of hop varieties.

With a strong finish of pine, stone fruit and blackcurrant sweetness and a hint of spice from the malted rye, this latest beer from Urban Alley is available now.

Fixation Brewing Co ‘The Fix’

Fixation Brewing Co has been brewing The Fix IIPA over several hop harvests and it’s now available in 500ml cans.

The Fix is a fruity, punchy and hop-driven beast with a surprisingly dry and light mouthfeel. The brewery has chosen to use new world American hops Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe for less sweetness. The hop additions provide dank and fruity aromas of pine, mango and apricot.

Coupled with a light malt body, The Fix comes in at an unrestrained 8.2% abv and a high IBU of 70+.

Colonial Brewing Co Good Beer Week Collaborator Brews

Colonial Brewing Co has collaborated with three different breweries to brew three different beers in time for Melbourne’s Good Beer Week. These collaboration beers will be available in draught only in very, very small quantities.

CBCo and Green Beacon San Diego IPA

Brewed with all-American El Dorado, Azacca and Idaho 7 hops, this San Diego-inspired IPA has a lean pale malt backbone with pine, citrus and tropical aromas. Underneath the layers of hops, the palate is dry and there’s a long bitter finish with plenty of resin to leave a lasting impression.

Overall, this is a “simple beer” with “complex hopping” that comes in at 7.7% abv. San Diego IPA is launching at Penny Young on Wednesday, May 15.

CBCo and Firestone Walker Hazy Kveik IPA

Brewed with Cashmere and HPA 016 hops and Pale Ale and Marris Otter malts and wheat and oats, this hazy IPA displays orange and mango notes derived from the almost forgotten Nordic yeast Kveik.

Layered with pineapple and peach hop characters, the wheat and oats lend balance leaving this beer with a lightly viscous and creamy mouthfeel. At 7.3% abv, the Hazy Kveik IPA is launching at Hats & Tats on Sunday, May 12.

CBCo and Fixation Yuzu, Passionfruit & Raspberry IPA

Brewed with Citra, Simcoe and Galaxy hops and Maris Otter, CaraMunich and wheat, this fruity IPA has a slightly acidic mouthfeel from the fermented fruit. However, post-ferment fruit additions add sweetness and body.

Finally, moderate dry hopping with classic IPA hops and Yuzu – a Japanese citrus fruit – give this 5.3% abv beer a unique fruity and floral aroma featuring flashes of juniper and pineapple. Yuzu, Passionfruit & Raspberry IPA is launching at Carwyn Cellars on Saturday, May 18.