OnTap Magazine

ontapmag.co.za | Summer 2024 | 61 NEWLANDS SPRING BREWING CO. AND ELYSIAN BREWERY WOODSTOCK BREWERY 10,000 MILES FRESH HOP ALE | 6.5% ABV GIANT WOODY DOUBLE IPA | 7.5% ABV 4.7 3.8 I've enjoyed watchingWarren Wiese on his journey as the brewer of Newlands Spring. He has been brewing some interesting brews lately which I've had the privilege of tasting. His latest collab with the American legends from Seattle is nothing short of delicious and ticks all the boxes of a classic American IPA. I love that hops were used in all the steps of the brewing process and that it features some local varieties. I was lucky to have this from the tap at the recent Intervarsity Brew competition, but the bottle is just as fabulous. Take my money. I was very fortunate to get my hands on an early release of the latest brew from Tinus Lottering, the head brewer at Woodstock Brewery. The beer is clean and well made with a very noticeable malt backbone of toffee and toast. I would have liked more hop aroma from a style that indicates volume in its name. Go big or go home, right? Besides that, this beer is highly drinkable, needing only slight improvements on its BU/GU ratio. Looking forward to the next batch. LAKE UMUZI BREWING COMPANY LIMELIGHT PALE ALE | 5.9% ABV 3.6 We welcome Lake Umuzi Brewing Company from Secunda to the magazine. They have been around for ten years, but this is the first time reviews of their beer have appeared. Their Limelight Pale Ale is close to a British Ordinary Bitter in style, with higher than medium caramel malt character on the aroma and flavour. It is medium amber in colour, slightly hazy and has a thin white head. The balance is to the malt, with an even to slightly sweet finish. Body and carbonation are medium. There is no hop flavour and the hop bitterness is a little lower than expected for the style. However, the caramel malt makes the beer very refreshing and drinkable. 3.8 SOUL BARREL BREWING COMPANY HARVEST ALE | 6.2% ABV 4 1 Nick Smith from Soul Barrel has cemented his name within the South African craft beer scene, firstly from his well-made and out-there beers, and secondly for being the only brewery in Africa to have won the African Beer Cup twice! With the amount of knowledge and skill that goes into any of his beers, you always know you are in for a treat when drinking a Soul Barrel beverage. The Harvest Ale is no different, an amber ale that uses late-harvest Franschoek syrah grapes, along with other locally sourced ingredients, to make for an amber that tastes like no other. A list of aromas come through, including berries – which are quite prominent – and raspberry and blackberry. There are also definitely red grape notes along with some floral notes. For the flavour: slightly sharp initially with some light nutty tastes, a blend of berries coming through as well, with some stonefruit such as peach, and a light citrus aftertaste being both orange and lemongrass, and finally some bread notes tying these all up nicely. This is a very well-received beer that went down superbly well. LAKE UMUZI BREWING COMPANY BLACK DOG STOUT | 6.4% ABV 3.9 If you like your stouts black and roasty then this one is for you. It pours like a stout should: jet black and opaque, with a thick long lasting tan head. The malt is intense on both the aroma and flavour, with dark roast and coffee notes. The balance is definitely malty, though there is enough bitterness from the roasted malts to balance it out. There is no hop flavour, and the finish is dry. The mouthfeel and carbonation are both medium. Despite the strong roasted character, the beer is surprisingly well-balanced and smooth to drink.