For the past year beer nerds and craft beer fans across Australia have been waiting in anticipation for the debut retail release from Melbourne’s first microbrewery dedicated to extreme beers – Moon Dog Craft Brewery. After showing off their brewing prowess with several very limited draught-only releases in the last 12 months, many were quickly convinced that Moon Dog’s entry to the market is a very exciting development for Australian craft beer.

Their mission is simple – to brew great beers of hybrid styles with flavour combinations that have never been commercially brewed before. Crazy beers with crazy names, everything they do is at least refreshingly interesting.

Initial supply of their products will be primarily limited to the inner-Melbourne region due to the current size of their brewery. However, if they find favour with the palates of local drinkers, Josh, Karl and Jake promise that the sky…nay, he moon’s the limit for where they hope to take Moon Dog beers.

Today the Moon Dog team release their first bottled beer, Skunkworks Cognac Barrel Aged Double IPA, and have provided a cheeky look inside their Abbotsford based brewing operation with this You Tube video…

Skunkworks Cognac Barrel Aged Double IPA

“Skunkworks” (def.) noun /skəNGkwərks/
1. (Project) Unhindered by the shackles of bureaucracy and conventional wisdom, a project that is developed by a small, loosely structured group of people primarily for the sake of radical innovation.
2. (Double IPA) A mysterious elixir of stupefying potency.

Born from the original Raindrops on Roses double IPA released for Good Beer Week 2011, we have taken the idea of a crazy IPA, and injected a liquified crack-cocaine enema into the very bowels of what is considered reasonable.

Cracking open the cap gives a light hiss as the first hopped-up aroma fills, nay, invades your nostrils. The first pour reveals a clear and dark golden amber liquid, sticking to the sides of the glass and forming a soft, almost wistful head.

Upon consuming the Skunkworks, you will be hit over the head repeatedly with the massive hop bitterness, big malty body, cognac warmth, fruity hop aroma, and lasting earthy hop characters.

At 9.1%, this big-bodied beer will be best enjoyed poured into a tall glass. Or a short glass. Or a beaker. Or out of the bottle. Hell, pour it into your hands and lap it up. It’ll taste great either way.

Beer/Food Match: The early fruity, then later earthy/grassy hop palate life-cycle of this beer will be best matched to Smith’s Crinkle Cut Salt and Vinegar chips. Or Capricciosa pizza (extra anchovies).

Purvis Beer in Richmond will be holding a tasting on Friday 14th October 2011 between 5pm and 7pm. Come along!

Current availability:

• The Local Bottlestore & Provisions, St Kilda
• Slowbeer, Hawthorn
• and more to come!

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