Recent Tasting Notes

Thanks to Lachlan Strong for providing Red Oak's Melbourne-based apologist with the opportunity to try a handful of AIBA-only show bottle releases (ie outside of the brewery cafe)..............

Framboise Reserve (12/20)
Thin caramel head with a blood tinge. Darkish brown in colour with a cherry hue. Sweet nose, intense early, but settles quickly. Sweet fruits to taste with a weird hard, bitter edge. Can't quite place my finger on it. Stinky fruit notes on the finish have some appeal. I hope this ain't the $75 beer...oh dear!

Eisbock (14/20)
Cola appearance with a very thin head. Massive, yeasty dirty nose, vegemite, complex...good. Alcohol laden palate with heat and licorice. Quite smooth and carries th 14% with incredible ease. Good fun.

Old Baltic (13/20)
Cola-like again in appearance (a house trait it seems). Yeasty, vegemite nose (again) although quite balanced and settled, perhaps the result of the aging? Very similar to taste, although somewhat underwhelming in terms of intensity. Not a patch on a sample of the 'current vintage' I tried a couple of years ago (which, admitedly, seduced me in a big way). At face value pricing looks greedy and opportunistic at $35, and I'm note sure what the aging delivers?