Thus Let Us Drink Beer

7th Day Brewing

Needless to say that after having covered and thoroughly enjoyed the approachable and immensely sessionable quality brews of 7th Day Brewing before, I was excited when I got word about their occasionally blasphemous Making Waves series dedicating two releases to paying homage to a country known for its love of waffles, chocolate, French fries, and, most importantly, a vast diversity in beer. 

Being a huge fan of the highly carbonated and crisp Duvel, 7th Day Brewing’s fruity Sinner Belgian Blonde hits the spot with characteristics not entirely dissimilar to the Belgian triple style albeit drier and a tad more bitter.

Adorned by can art courtesy of the much lauded illustrator Biffy Bretano, this copper hued golden blonde little number tickles the nostrils with a melange of sweet and funky notes reminiscent of wet hay, which seamlessly transitions to the top of the mouth where light sweetness, spices and low to medium fruity ester flavours are married with sugary, almost caramelly notes, tinged with hints of light floral components that are somewhat similar to jasmine.

Clocking in at an ABV of 6.7%, sinning with this Belgian makes it a sessionable affair.

Taking things up a notch or four is 7th Day Brewing’s take on the Belgian quadruple style, i.e. the Belgian Quad Saint, which greets the nose with aromatic esters of winey, fruity raisins and clean clove spicy, slightly tropical nuances. 

Flavour-wise, we got a veritable tour de force in terms of piquant richness:

On the palate this dark brown beauty unfolds nicely calibrated flavours of cinnamon, ginger flavoured biscuits and a sweetness reminiscent of the creamy middles from a stack of French toast, further accentuated by a distinct maltiness, molasses and spiced rum highlights.

I can only hope that 7th Day Brewing will start sinning in Double and Triple IPA territory soon.

Otherside Brewing

Sometimes you have to create what you want to be part of: Founded in one of the most remote parts of this earthround, i.e. Fremantle in Western Australia,  Otherside was started by a conglomerate of mates who set out to brew straightforward quality, preservative free beers that they wanted to drink with the best of ingredients available.

Centred around their approachably and fun-loving ethos, it did not take long until Otherside’s liquid emissions became loved and sought after by craft beer loving communities both on terra australis and internationally to an extent that necessitated for Otherside’s game to be stepped up and for their operations to be upscaled significantly, culminating in the establishment of their own brewery.

Apart from a solid and extremely sessionable core line-up comprised of classic expressions like a Teutonic styled Helles to musically themed IPAs, my interest was piqued by their experimental Pilot series, which set out to push the envelope in terms of creativity and seasonality.

Informed by a playful approach and the endeavour to give back to the community, the Pilot series cans feature artwork from local artists to further accentuate and give those expressions an idiosyncratic note.

One of the aforementioned releases that blew me away from the get go is Otherside’s tour de force in the realm of tropical notes, i.e. the aptly named Headliner DIPA. 

Resting on a foundation of Pavlovian-response evoking deliciously dank resinous flavours, sweet, tart and bitter nuances are married with honeydew and cantaloupe before culminating in a crisp finish that leaves one lusting for more. The fact that the can is artfully designed by Melbourne-based artist Maegen Brown only adds to the holistic appeal.

Otherside’s Redliner DIPA is a seasonal, annual release, whose name not only hints at its crimson hue but is flavour-wise firmly rooted in juicy, moderately bitter territory, backed by caramel, toffee and a dark fruity malt character which is carefully calibrated so that hints of hops, mangos and peaches still manage to shine through.

If you harbour a remote interest in this beer-centric series, it should not come as a surprise that I am partial of a great Boilermaker.  Otherside’s Shift Brewers’ NZ Double IPA proved to be the ideal partner to a dram of Octomore 6.3 with its aromatic, weedy New Zealand aromatic hops, which dance against a backdrop of  intense lime, lemon zest, anise, lemongrass and tropical fruit notes. 
Much more refreshing than traditional IPAs courtesy of its delicate dryness, this subtle little number is an example par excellence for a well-calibrated, balanced and therefore dangerously moreish sipper. 

Last not least, Liquid Noise does exactly what the name alludes to in terms of upping things to eleven when it comes to over-the-top haziness, which is accentuated by bright tropical characters of pineapple, pine, and passion fruity nuances courtesy of Vic Secret hops, earthy blueberry and berry medley aromas derived from Mosaic hops and potently unique stone fruity flavours with faint elements of resiny pine and black tea derived from Idaho 7 hops being part of the mix.

With each of the four Pilot expressions I have had so far the chance to sample being a winner, I cannot wait for future Otherside releases.