Tipples Beer Review #132 - Australia's #askforindiebeer day

AIBA is the Australian Independent Brewers Association, and they represent the independenty of craft breweries of Australia, of which there are about 500 odd. There are then two large breweries who have about 90% market share, Kirin who own brand like Tooheys and XXXX and AB INBev (soon to be Asahi) who own Vic Bitter, Carlton, Fosters, Great Northern and a few others.

To help grow Australia's very important Indie scene AIBA created the first of what they hope to be annual Ask for Indie Beer days where we, the beer drinkers of Australia are meant to drink Beer from Indie brewers, so I have selected two beers to drink, from two local Melbourne breweries that I think are good stories from the Independent Beer World.

First up is Stomping Ground which is owned by three guys who have done more for craft beer in Australia than most. These guys also run Australia's biggest beer festival (GABs) which has intoroduced thousands of people to indie beer over the years. They still own one of the most important craft beer bars in Melbourne which normalised the 25 taps all indi beer model, and they used to own a similar bar in Sydney.

Then 3 years ago they started 'Stomping Ground' a brewery which re-wrote the rules for brewpubs, living in a warehouse in Collingwood it seats about 350 people, is family friendly and produces amazing beers.

Today's beer is Stomping Ground Triple Foot Triple IPA, brewed for their third birthday and named after their three gumbooted logo this is an amazing beer it weighs in at 10.2% and the first thing that hits you is the sweetness, it also has a big fruity hop hit but is supremely balanced. It really is a stunning beer for one of Melbourne and Australia's most important indy Brewers.

Next up is one of my favourite breweries - Moondog, again started by three guys, they were the enfant terrible of beer scene, working out of a tiny brewery, with borrowed equipment, from day one they set out to make wild crazy beers, they were doing sours when no one was doing them, I believe the brewed the first NEIPA in Australia (although they didn't all it that) the had everything from truffles to celery in their beers, some worked some didn't.

Think Brewdog but way more likeable.

More important they were sucessful and 7 or 8 years on they have just opened 'Moondog World' which is their new brewery which I believe caters for 800 people and has an artificial lake in the middle of it (I'm visiting in a couple of weeks so look out for a review). They prove that sticking to your guns and being innovative works.

But on to the beer at hand it's Captain Raisin Beard which is a Rum and Raisin Imperial Stout aged in Trinidad and Barbados small batch Rum barrels.

It pours pitch black with a big rocky tan head, the smell is overwhelming sweet rum and raisins. The first sip is sweet vanilla and booze, it has a syrupy mouthfeel, it is so on brand in that it is so darn left of centre, it sort of like a easy drinking rum than a beer, there is alcohol burn that sits in the throat and it takes a good 40 minutes to get through a glass. Just outstanding stuff.

I'm so proud of the Australian indie beer scene, from the early days not much choice and questionable quality there are now a wide range of great quality beers available in almost every town in Australia.