OnTap Magazine

RICHMOND HILL BREWING COMPANY DARLING BREW NO SIGNAL HOPPY PALE ALE | 4.5% ABV THE GODFATHER IPA |6.5% ABV 3.7 3.9 What can be said about Richmond Hill that hasn't been said already. A fantastic award-winning brewery located in Port Elizabeth that continues to bring out new beers that are there to pleasure the palate. The "No Signal" is a part of the palate-pleasuring beers that has just been released, giving off aromas of fruity hop character in the form of nectarines, white peach, some light grapefruit, and freshly cut grass. The flavour is very similar but adds in some pine taste to it as well. A light sessionable drink with some really tasty hop notes. The beer smells great when you first open it. Notes of citrus, pine and stone fruit can be detected right away. A hint of caramel from the malts lingers in the background but the hops are the stars of the show. The pour is beautiful with a large frothy off-white head which is nice and dense and gives a decent beer "snor". After admiring the colour it’s time to taste! The beer is subtlety bitter, which is not overpowering, even though it’s an IPA. It is crisp and fruity, with some caramel notes. A very sessionable and accessible beer for beer drinkers who would like to dip their toe in the world of IPA without being arm wrestled. HAZELDEAN BREWING COMPANY PICOWSO (LAMBIC STYLE - BLENDED) | 5% ABV 3.5 As the quirky name and label suggest, this beer is a merger of several barrel aged fruit and traditional lambics. An even blend of 1 year pear-, 2 years plum- and 4-year-old traditional lambics. The creative label was designed using artificial intelligence to encapsulate the essence of Lambicus Africanis lambic style beer (wild fermented beers barrel aged in Africa) and Hazeldean’s cow heritage (since 1944). It is dark copper, fairly clear and highly carbonated with a white to slight tan head, which dissipates quickly. Lots of pear in the aroma and only subdued hints of “Brett” that becomes slightly more apparent as the beer warms. This is a bold sour with upfront, clean acidity that makes the back of your throat tingle, but doesn’t linger. There is some malt sweetness mingled with pear and plum-like fruity notes in the finish. Take your time, savour it with small sips. 3.8 SABIE BREWING COMPANY LONG TOM LAGER DUNKEL | 5% ABV With Vincent Le Roux now brewing for Sabie, good things were always going to happen. This beer impresses from the first pour. A medium copper colour with a light ruby red tint and a white head adorned my glass. Aromas of caramel, toffee, and bread crust lined the nose and when it started to warm a bit, a light roasted liquorice and slight bubblegum burst to the fore. The aroma was fantastic throughout. The same notes came through on the palate, but the liquorice was replaced with molasses, and there was no roast flavour pulling through. A great beer that will suit every occasion and can be enjoyed by all. ontapmag.co.za | Autumn 2024 | 53