OnTap Magazine

Brewed as a tribute to umqombothi, this collab between the Overberg brewery and legendary local winemaker Bruce Jack uses 50% sorghum in the grain bill. Although brewed in the style of a New England pale ale, I think it’s perhaps best to call this a new South African pale ale. It’s light gold in colour and is actually pretty clear for a hazy brew made with sorghum. It gives up aromas of spanspek and that tell-tale whiff of sorghum that I find it so hard to put into words. It’s a somehow powdery aroma that always reminds me of the custard powder I’d tip into the jug when “helping” my mum with Sunday lunch as a child. That flavour persists on the palate, somewhat obliterating the hops and making me wonder if sorghum is perhaps best used in styles that rely on other flavour profiles rather than hops. The characteristic tartness that beers heavy on sorghum emit provides complexity and a refreshing, fairly dry finish. At the end, phenolics come to the party and while the profile isn’t really in line with a New England pale ale, it is still an enjoyable beer. Indeed, it’s a laudable attempt at a brand new style – the all South African ale (this one utilised yeast isolated from our natural environment). And it’s a style that I truly hope to see more of in 2022. – LC Folk & Goode BRUCE JACK SALUTE TO THE SUN 6%ABV 3.4 Darling is the latest local brewery to release a non-alcoholic beer. Just Naked, part of the brewery’s ‘no frills’ range that also includes Just Beer and Just Light, is a non-alcoholic lager designed with summer in mind. It looks the part for sure, pouring a bright and clear burnished gold with a low but lingering white head. As you pour, a sweet, worty aroma first hits (wort is the malty, hoppy result of the brewing process before yeast has joined the party to transform it into beer). There’s also a touch of spice on the nose and a hint of lemon – not a bad introduction to the brew at all. As non-alcoholic beers go, it’s actually fairly flavourful – worty maltiness, a fairly well balanced bitterness, a little hop complexity. There is a slightly metallic note that detracts a little from the enjoyment, but then when it comes to non- alcoholic beers, I feel it’s not so much about extreme enjoyment as about pacing yourself, or having something to sip on that’s not booze but that also isn’t soda – and Darling’s Just Naked does a decent job of that. – LC Darling Brew JUST NAKED <0.5%ABV 3.3 Brennerstrasse 17-19 · 96052 Bamberg - Germany · www.weyermannmalt.com WEYERMANN ® SPECIALTYMALTS OUR DISTRIBUTORS IN AFRICA: bevPLUS (PTY) ltd. and Dematech (PTY) ltd. 13 Michigan Street · Airport Industria · 7490 · Cape Town · South Africa www.bevplus.com Phone bevPLUS: + 27 - (021) - 820 9500 · e-mail: info@bevplus.com Phone Dematech: + 27 - (021) - 385 0483 · e-mail: info@dematechsa.com