Ashes to Ashes will be available online and for take-away/collection from 12pm (Sydney time) on Friday 4 March 2022.
When poised to make a beer with smoke for Mountain Culture's Rauchbier festival in early March, we felt right at home. After playing with 100% smoked malt grists for the better part of three years making Foggy Morning, we decided with this challenge to express the varying notes of smoke which we have seen previously in some of our beers.
Smoke is not a universal aroma. There is campfire smoke, charcuterie smoke, cigarette smoke, whisky smoke, ashy smoke and it goes on. We had found that particularly with the age of the smoked malt being used in a beer, we were able to perceive these different types of smoke at different ages in the beer's arc and found that some were more pleasurable than others at different levels. Now I know this is vague, but in attempting to make something which would suit being served at a festival full of other beers with smoke... we thought we might take advantage of our little head start we had on the other breweries and instead of brew something with smoked malt, we instead blend various components that had already seen one type of smoke or another and had the advantage to age in barrel.
Thus, this beer is a study in the nuance and layering of smoke flavours in beer. It is comprised of three separate base beers and contains elements of smoked malt, smoke affected grapes and germinated, toasted Sydney Wattle Seed. In this way, we were hoping to present yet temper the type of smoke or roast that each element gave the blend. Its a wonderful drop to drink and we look forward to sharing it at the festival this weekend.
At release, we get aromas of day old campfire, cocoa, roasted nuts, smoke layers, baked bread and caramel notes. It's deep and rich. The oak plays with raisins and currants. The palate is super smooth, a malty sweetness marries with red fruits and whiskey like smokiness. Seamless with a muscat like body making it very attractive drinking.
Like all our beers, Ashes to Ashes is best enjoyed when decanted off a settled natural yeast sediment at cellar temperatures (10-12°C).
Please see the specific product page for bottle quantities and limits.
Enjoy.
