New Fire Falcon ale wonderful for winter

FIRE Falcon Hoppy Red Ale is the latest release from Little Creatures, and I reckon it is a beauty. Hugh the Neighbour and I tucked into a couple of stubbies last weekend and we both agreed that it was all class.

Fire Falcon is the third of the Little Creatures winter seasonal release – a special beer that is released on to the market to particularly appeal to palates during a chosen time of year.

Fire Falcon is inspired by a Fremantle sunset – at least that is what it says on the website. Having seen my last Fremantle sunset in 1977 aged 15, I cannot offer an opinion on whether that makes sense or not.

Remember that Freo is on the west coast of Australia so the sun disappears into the Indian

Ocean.

It’s named for the Falconer’s Flight hops used in its making, but to HTN and me, the real hero of this beer is the malt.

As is expected from a red ale, it gives a pleasant nuttiness to the taste, which when balanced with the prominent but not overpowering hops make this a superbly drinkable beer.

A couple of weeks ago, we tried the Sour Red from White Rabbit, and, to be frank, found it a little confronting.

White Rabbit and Little Creatures, as part of the Lion Brewing stable, share real estate at a brewery in Geelong.

If you get the opportunity to visit the brewery as I did recently, you do pick up on a hint of sibling rivalry.

Hugh mentioned the winter release from Little Creatures has featured in our list of Year’s Best Beers for the past two years – the Return of the Dread Stout in 2015, and the Hotchkiss Six Stout last year.

They released the stout in limited quantities this year, but living in the regions we are unlikely to see much of it in stores.

Hopefully, this will not be the fate of Fire Falcon.

It was released on May 13, so should be finding shelf space in a grog warehouse near you soon.

Hugh also had a couple of bottles of White Rabbit White Ale, which has just been awarded Champion Australian Beer and Best Wheat Beer at the Australian International Beer Show – from a field of more than 2000 beers.

Made with juniper berries, orange peel and coriander, with a backbone of wheat malt, it is a taste sensation and well worth grabbing while you are looking for the Fire Falcon.