OnTap Magazine

ontapmag.co.za | Summer 2020 | 13 EWS NEW BREWS Before the demise of the brewery in 2019, Metal Lane had won a loyal following. So fans of the brand will be pleased to know that ex-Metal Lane brewer Murray Middleton has launched a new venture. Jump Brewing is a contract brand based out of Devil’s Peak, where Murray worked for a while before moving to Europe earlier this year. “I was seriously sad when Metal Lane – a brand I built and loved so much – closed,” says Murray. “Then I managed to time leaving Devil’s Peak and not having a job perfectly with lockdown. I started feeling more removed from the craft industry that I loved so much, so I looked at ways of staying involved.” And what Murray came up with was Jump Brewing, a gypsy brand focused on limited edition, once off beers. “I had always been inspired by the footage you see in the States of breweries with queues around the block for a seasonal release,” saysMurray. “I also saw during lockdown how breweries were adapting to online sales. Over an incredibly short period of time, customers who would never otherwise have done online orders adapted.” Jump’s first release was a New England IPA (see review on page 62), with the next beer planned as a Cryo-hopped lager. “My dream would be to give the people who buy the beer a list of possibly four beers to choose from for the next batch, and then whichever wins that poll, gets put into the schedule,” Murray continues. Drinkers can expect a new beer every one to two months, conceptualised by Murray in Amsterdam and brought to life by brewers in Cape Town. “I’m pretty sure there will be a handful of people within the industry who won’t like what I’m doing and see it as a cop-out, but I’m enjoying it and hope the drinkers will do too,” says Murray. The beers are available online at jumpbrewing. com or from Biggest Little Beer Shop in Cape Town. Buchanan’s Kole en Deeg Roosterkoek Ale (4% ABV) A collab between Tulbagh based Buchanan’s Brewery and local restaurant Kole en Deeg, this could well be the world’s first beer that uses roosterkoek in the grain bill. Described by Buchanan’s owner Rod as “light bodied and sessionable”, the beer will become a permanent fixture at Kole en Deeg in 2021. Soul Barrel x Kennel Brewery Black Oil (13.5% ABV) This complex and chewy imperial stout was aged in bourbon and rum barrels for over a year and emerged with flavours of sticky bourbon, dark chocolate, liquorice, coffee and molasses . Soul Barrel Ale of Origin (7.5% ABV) One of Soul Barrel’s most ambitious projects, produced with 100% South African ingredients. It features malt from Caledon, organic wheat from Swellendam, hops from George, honey from the farm next door to the brewery and wild yeast foraged and isolated in Franschhoek. Aged for 18 months in oak, the wild ale offers flavours of ripe pear, honey and forest floor funk. Saggy Stone Black Brut IPA (5.2% ABV) The most recent addition to Saggy Stone’s Small Batch Series stays within the brewery’s recent brut range. As black IPAs tend to, it messes with the mind, offering drinkers a deep brown beer with none of the associated roasty flavours. Expect a crisp, thirst quenching pint with a punchy hop aroma. Afro Caribbean Cake (7% ABV) Fancy something for dessert but not much of a fan of actual cake? ACBC’s latest stout was designed to mimic the flavours of black forest gateau. The cherry notes are fairly subtle, allowing the dark malts to shine. A big, velvety mouth feel helps you believe you’re actually digging into a slab of cake. Aegir Project Little Rouge (6% ABV) The latest special release from Aegir is dubbed a golden sour. Four years ago, Rory Lancellas brewed a golden ale and then left it to its own devices in an oak barrel. The result is a sublime and delicate beer with notes of stone fruit, violets and a pleasant underlying funk. Bosso Premium Lager (5% ABV) Slightly sweet and definitely malt-forward, this is the first beer from new contract brand, Bosso Brewing Co. You’ll find the beer at select venues around Johannesburg and online at bosso.co.za.