CHARACTER IN A CAN
This Brisbane brew is bringing some sorely needed spice to the mid-strength market
BEING responsible when it comes to drinking means spending an increasing amount of time looking at the mid- strength section of the bottle-shop fridges and deciding which drop will bore you least.
Admittedly, the market is getting better and the choices are slowly expanding.
One of the better releases in the category comes from Brisbane’s Newstead Brewing Company with their Session Ale 3 Quarter Time.
While some mids are simply toned down versions of fullstrength releases, Newstead’s Session Ale is a “purpose built” product, satisfying many of the criteria serious beer drinkers are looking for.
This mid at least has plenty of flavour, some body and doesn’t make any claims about carbs or calories. (If I want to be that conscious about my girth and lose weight, I’ll go to a gym and not try to find some quasi “health beer”).
Session Ale has a subtle hop nose, not too overpowering but enough to give you a slight
fruitiness in flavour initially.
It leaves the palate with a good degree of bitterness, drawing you back for more.
It’s a clean, refreshing beer and a thirst quencher on a hot day.
However, at 3.4 per cent, Session Ale doesn’t have as much body as other Newstead brews.
While there’s an aftertaste, it’s not a lingering one — perhaps its only weak point.
But, given it is a mid strength, I could easily knock a few of these over — it’s interesting enough and has more character than many others on the market.
It would go well with fish and chips or a chicken Caesar salad.
Overall, a very welcome edition to a limited market from one of our worthy Queensland brewers.