SLOWBEER'S NEWS, REVIEWS & ARRIVALS

Short & sweet again this week. The addition of some great limited releases from a local, a chance to try some of Japans best craft beers & a reminder of our Mikkeller showcase session on Sunday. Also, our good friend James Smith (aka The Crafty Pint) has been busy spreading some love for us!
http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/restaurants-and-bars/takeaway-draught--what-next-20100802-11336.html

FEATURE BEERS
RED DUCK (VIC)
Ugly Duckling Braggot 330ml $19.50
Great to see red duck back onto the small batch releases. Braggot has been somewhat of an unknown quantity among many brewers, being that it is no more beer, than it is mead. In essence, Braggot is a spiced honey & malt beverage, with hops sometimes utilized. Certainly a common misconception about “honey beers” is that they are all sweet. On the contrary, honey is highly fermentable & often the sweetness is lost in the brewing process, while an earthy honey character remains. In this case that earthiness compliments the array of spices & traditional hops employed. As the name states, this is somewhat of a dirty looking brew, couple that with the rather high abv of 14.3% (for beer at least, not so much for mead) & you have a really intriguing & quite endearing brew!

Loch Ness Whisky Aged Scotch Ale 330ml $6.00
Indeed a match made in heaven. The guys have sourced old whisky barrels from the local Timboon Distillery & housed this brew in them for 6 weeks. The result is a beer with rich caramel/toffee notes, a hint of dark roasted malt & some lovely, subtle oak/whisky notes. Exceptional value for a barrel aged beer.

BAIRD TASTING!
NEXT FRIDAY 13th August 5-7pm
Somewhat surprisingly the Baird range of beers have flown under the radar since arriving in store. I often think that some have the mentality that US craft beers are the be all & end all, thus some real gems can go unnoticed.

In a bid to give these brews the chance they deserve, we will be having 2 of their best on tasting next week:
Baird Dark Sky Imperial Stout 650ml $19.00
Baird West Coast Wheatwine 650ml $20.00

Come by for a chat & a sample of these brilliant brews, you wont be disappointed!

MIKKELLER WINTER WARMER SHOWCASE - REMINDER, THIS SUNDAY!
Line-up includes:
Beer Geek Brunch Weasel – Imperial Oatmeal Stout brewed with kopi luwak, the world’s most obscure & expensive coffee (RRP $32.00)
Beer Geek Brunch Weasel Highland Edition – As above + aged in Highland Whisky casks (RRP $40.00)
Beer Geek Brunch Weasel Islay Edition – As above + aged in Islay Whisky casks (RRP $40.00)
Black – Huge, thick & rich Imperial stout fermented with champagne yeast to get to a heady 18%abv (RRP $23.00)
Black Whisky Edition – As above + aged in French Whiskey casks (RRP $42.00)
Black Peated Edition – As above + aged in Peated Whiskey casks (RRP $42.00)

When: Sunday 8th August 7pm
Cost: $30.00 to try ALL beers ($210 value!)
+ Attendees receive 10% DISCOUNT on any purchase that night
IF YOU WISH TO ATTEND PLEASE LET US KNOW ASAP!

THE BEER LOVERS GUIDE TO AUSTRALIA
Stocks of this brilliant book have just arrived in store. The guide provides comprehensive info on Australian beers, breweries, bars & stores (of which we are included!). At $30.00 each, this annual release truly is great value & the perfect gift for any self respecting beer nerd.