This is a special beer. It comes at a special price and I’ve never seen it in my local bottle shops. My ever-loving-buddy brought it back for me specially after a short sojourn to Hobart which included a visit to the picturesque Cascade Brewery. Aint I the lucky one?
They say:
Cascade First Harvest is the only brew of any kind in Australia brewed using fresh green hops. Once a year, at the first harvest of hops in Tasmania’s Derwent Valley, we hand select new hop varieties to brew a single batch of super fresh, super premium beer. Within hours of harvesting, the dew soaked, green hops are combined with new season pale malt, Cascade’s exclusive yeast and the purest Tasmanian water. The result is a limited edition handcrafted ale with a full malt character and a delightful fruity finish and prominent herbaceous aromas.
OK, the adjectives get a bit out of hand at the end, but they’re only brewers! You get the gist. I don’t disagree with the sentiments. It is a really nice beer – pours into the glass a beautiful deep amber; clear, with streams of fine bubbles and a creamy head that perhaps disappears a little too fast… got a bit of a kick at 5.5% too!
Anyway if you see it – don’t hesitate – you’re definitely worth it! In fact, push the boat out and get two!!
Another drop from the Malt Shovel Brewery, this time the ‘Original Amber Ale’.
Very nice. Right up there with the best I’ve tasted. I’m delighted to see a pattern developing – I’ve already learned that the rich, cloudy ales are the ones I like the best, so this journey is already yielding results!