OnTap Magazine

ontapmag.co.za | Autumn 2026 | 49 STARKE BREWS ESTATE BEERS CAPE BREWING COMPANY 5 YEARS BIRTHDAY BEER | 5.2% HAZY PALE ALE WEST COAST IPA | 6% 4.1 4.3 The beer pours with a soft, hazy glow and carries a surprisingly bright, tropical aroma. It's smooth, juicy, and wonderfully easy to enjoy. At just 5.2%, it is lighter than you would expect, which makes it delightfully festive: something you only notice after a few beers. There is a gentle hint of hops, but it's not overpowering, just lingering in the background to keep things interesting. The overall flavour is refreshing and full of character. Even the can feels cheerful and fun, adding ot the whole experience. Happy Birthday to Starke! Here is to many more wonderfully crafted, joy-filled brews!! A West Coast IPA is one of the classic, elegant craft beer styles and the Cape Brewing Company certainly delivers on this with this stunning hop-forward IPA. This is a beer that took silver in 2025’s South African National Beer Trophy: by no means an easy feat. The moment you pop the cap off, you are welcomed with strong scents of citrus fruit. On deeper inspection, while pouring this golden beer with foamy head, the aroma develops further, supported by subtle undertones of litchi and tropical fruit. The IPA has a solid, but light malt backbone, leaning into the hops with a crisp bitter finish, where the hops shine in both flavour and aroma. A pleasant fruitiness is present in every sip, and the malt balance makes this a moreish beer that most definitely deserves a space in your fridge. MAREDSOUS BELGIAN BLONDE | 6.5% 4.0 Perfect for cooler evenings, after lingering long hot days, the Belgian Blonde by Maredsous is tremendously crisp, sweet and fruity on the nose. It’s not a hoppy beer, instead the fruitiness is derived from the traditionally estery yeast used in the style. A biscuit-like sweet maltiness on the nose brings it into balance, while the white lacy head sits atop the beer until the very last sip. This crispness on a 6.5% beer is helped by the high carbonation, and if you are a sucker for an elegant glass like me, this beer gives you the perfect excuse to bring out the special glassware to enjoy watching the bubbles rise and sip away at this very well-crafted beer.