OnTap Magazine

BREWHOGS BREWING COMPANY 2 DUCK BLONDE ALE | 5% ABV BREW REVIEWS PANELISTS: Megan Gemmell, Brian Leopold, Troye May, Chris Roth, Michelle Seale, Olga de Smidt, Dion Van Huyssteen, and Chantell Van Niekerk. 3.6 Knowing full well that Brewhogs won gold at the African Beer Cup, I decided to review this beer under the style category under which it's been labelled rather than the category it won the gold in. The brewmaster, Michael Biljon, has really made a delicious and sessionable drink here. So tasty, in fact, that I gave a non-craft drinker one and he instantly wanted more. For the aroma there was a light bread dough with caramel and a grainy sweetness to it. Flavour wise, I picked up brown sugar and light caramel with some notes of bread. The finish is sweeter than it should be for the style, but it is a malty sweetness that is very moreish. Minimal bitterness and very easy to drink, it's a good beer with which to introduce any commercial beer drinker to the craft side of life. EDITOR’S NOTE: We at On Tap have made some changes to our Brew Reviews section. We have established a panel, currently consisting of eight individuals, who will be our go-to beer reviewers, and who all have demonstrated experience reviewing or judging beers. Panel members will not necessarily review a beer for every issue, but all names will be listed regardless. Also, if any brewery would like a beer of theirs to be reviewed, they will need to contact On Tap editors directly (editor@ontapmagazine.com) . AGARS BREWING COMPANY AMERICAN PALE ALE | 5.2% ABV 4.1 Mike and Donovan Agar have been in the craft beer industry for a substantial amount of time now, and have always delivered on quality and consistency. A Johannesburg based brewery brewing out of Kya Sands, they have helped ensure Johannesburg remains on the map within the industry. This APA is a testament to their brewing prowess as it hits all the right notes for both the aroma and flavour of this beer style. Biscuity bread malt notes lead, with nice orange citrus for the olfactory side of things. There is also some light white pepper on the aroma. The same follows for the palate but the citrus comes through more prominently. This, along with their whole range really, is a worthwhile beverage for any occasion and goes down a treat. 60 | Spring 2024 | ontapmag.co.za