An Ale of a Time
Time for summer and what better way to quench your thirst than a tall, cold frothy. Tony Cox explores some of the region’s best – well, someone has to do it!
For those who haven’t noticed, craft beer has exploded in the last five years or so and Noosa isn’t immune with craft beer breweries firmly establishing themselves in the hearts and minds of locals and tourists. Led by Heads of Noosa and Boiling Pot, both are located in the industrial area of Noosaville, albeit at opposite ends.
Boiling Pot is located on the corner of Project Avenue and Venture Drive in Noosaville, just off the roundabout of Eumundi Noosa Road.
With a range more in the atypical craft beer genre, Boiling Pot’s flagship beer is the Golden Ale. Very easy to drink, sitting at a comfortable 4.5% ABV, kick back and relax with this pale ale featuring delicious tropical fruit notes and clean
but low bitter finish.
The Best Behaviour Mid Strength, at a manageable 3.5% ABV for an afternoon’s consumption, has all the flavour of a full-strength without the resultant behaviour as the name suggests. Hop-forward delivering citrus and tropical flavours it has low bitterness and finishes dry.
The Bat Migration Black Lager is more Tooheys Old-like and less stout. The darker roasting of the malts releases coffee and dark chocolate flavours framed in a clean lager style.
You had me at Black Lager!
For a change of pace the Guava Sour, soured with local Kenilworth Yoghurt, delivers a lighter-bodied experience with cleansing acidity/sourness delivering great length. Smashing on a hot day consumed super chilled.
For those who prefer their beers a little more vanilla, Our Lager, tipping the scales at 4.7% ABV, is Boiling Pot’s mainstream style offering. Restrained malt, delicate hop bitterness with an overlay of floral and spice nuances, it finishes crisp and dry.
Boiling Pot has a broader range than what I have mentioned, I do have to keep some mystery after all. Combined with food that is more wine bar than dude food, Boiling Pot’s Taproom caters to a diverse range of clientele.
Heads of Noosa, located in Rene Street, is a little different to most of the breweries in the craft beer space. Eschewing the rich ale, heavily-hopped styles, which are almost a caricature of what a craft brewery is supposed to be, brothers Craig and Lance have instead focused on crisp, clean, lager styles, which are perfect for a warm sub-tropical climate.
The range is led by the multi award-winning Japanese Lager which is refined, clean and crisp. Many would think these are easy beers to make but it is quite the opposite with the delicate appearance and flavours leaving no opportunity to hide faults in the brewing process.
The Summer Dusk features darker malts, which provide a richer beer with tropical fruit flavours emerging from the hops.
The Lager 3.5 is designed so you can settle in for a session; being a mid-strength with the cold ferment resulting in a clean, crisp finish.
Another must-taste in their range is the Bock Lager which is a higher alcohol, maltier style of lager with a little more hops than the Japanese Lager but not enough to appease the hipsters.
Heads of Noosa also has a limited release range, which allows them to be a little more experimental whether they be seasonal or effectively test marketing potential additions to the core range.
An array of beer food can be enjoyed at their Taproom, check the website for opening hours.
If you have a spare afternoon when in Noosa search out either or both of these venues or better still make it a two-afternoon exploration for double the fun.
Cheers
