The countdown of the Critics’ Choice top 12 has been generating quite a bit of chatter online with all sorts of debate about the list. But if there has been one beer name that has risen above the general din of discussion as being a beer that punters demand to be in any credible list, Feral’s Hop Hog is it.

Brewer Brendan Varis has established himself as one of Australia’s leading craft brewers and Feral Hop Hog is developing a name as his flagship beer, threatening to push the venerable Feral White from it’s throne at the brewery. That this beer, with comparatively limited distribution, can reach the top three of a list crowded with national identities speaks volumes for the esteem in which it is held.

The brewery describes the 5.8% American-style IPA as having “strong pine needle and citrus aroma followed by an aggressive bitterness and a dry finish”. The CraftyPint’s James Smith says more expansively, “on a roster overflowing with inspired inventions, the Hop Hog stands out – an American IPA the Yanks would happily call their own.”

Want to try the best of the Critics’ Choice beers, including a rare out-of-brewery appearance of Knappstein’s Reserve Lager on tap? The Local Taphouse will be tapping the top ten at midday on 1 April at both venues. Apart from trying some great beers, you could win a copy of this terrific new book.

The Critics’ Choice: Australia’s Best Beers
RRP $14.95
Available from bookstores & newsagents from April 1, 2011

www.beerloversguide.com.au

We’re giving readers a chance to win one of four copies of The Critics Choice: Australia’s Best Beers. Just tell us in the comments below which beer you think should be the choice for Australia’s best beer. Winners will be chosen at random from the comments.