Not many small breweries could claim to have as tumultuous a history as Hargreaves Hill. Their original brewery was burnt down in the Black Saturday bushfires of 2009, but with the assistance of other breweries and a couple of relocations, they’ve been able to get on with the business of making craft frothies. Great news for beer lovers, because their pale ale is a ripper.
Straight from the vat and into the bottle, this beer is packed with flavour…and a load of sediment, with at least a millimetre settling at the bottom of the stubby. Aromas of citrus and spices are picked up, before leading into a malty backbone with some slight citrus and spice notes and a good level of bitterness. A slight chewiness in the mouth caps off this full-bodied and very smooth pale ale.
Whilst it doesn’t get the attention their ESB receives, Hargreave Hill have crafted a fantastic pale ale – a nicely balanced beer full of full fruity flavours. It’s almost the perfect embodiment of this style of beer, and easily goes down as one of my favourite pale ales. Not bad for a brewery which has had its fair share of adversity.
Drunk: from the bottle
