Derwent Aromatic Spelt Ale
The Two Metre Tall Company Pty Ltd

Cloudy golden amber pour with a huge white head and thick lacing. Spelt, spices, phenols, lemon and apple esters, finishing sour leaves. Taste is odd: medicinal lemon, spelt, herbs, menthol, and sour apple. Has a watery moment in the center of it all. Feel is grainy yet decently sour, bright yet heavier bodied for style. Really weird but not horrible

500ml bottle. Poured out a cloudy, golden color with a huge, white head of foam. It smelled phenolic with wheat and spices. Fairly tart with sweet wheat, spices and caramel.

 

Brewed August 22nd 2015, bottled October 17th 2015.

It pours a hazy(unfiltered) orange gold massive head of foam, good lacing and lots of bubble action.

The smell is of citrus lemon, wheat, earthy aromas, cloves, some acetic sourness. Overall vibrant smell.

Lemon citrus taste up front, acetic sourness, wheat that comes across to me as earthy, other fruity tartness. Being 3 years old, I don't pick up much of what the Galaxy hops bring to the table.

Medium bodied with lively carbonation.

Excellent aged but makes me wonder what a fresh one tastes like.

Edit: I'm still sipping and just now realized that there's a healthy infusion of Brett in the finish.

First, hats off to Shelton Brothers for taking the risk to bring Illinois yet another obscure brewer who exudes passion.
Second, hats off to farmers in the Derwent valley who, with the great sincerity typical of Aussies, love their lives and land.
Third, a salute to Two Metre Tall. They know their ingredients (and grow most of them) and this recipe feels authentic.

I just returned from a month Down Under. While I drank entirely too many beers fearful that I'd never see these brewers again, I did manage to be surprised by the sophistication of about 1 in 5 samplings. Derwent would have surprised me nicely. (I did enjoy reading through the reviews below to remind me of some of my BA buddies Down Under... and to be able to borrow a few of their ideas once again.)

First, Derwent Looks like I'm going to enjoy this; full fluffy foam that recedes and finally says "drink me." (I obliged.)
Second, it gives me just enough tart Smell to tell the truth of what is to come, but not so much I hesitate.
Third, I really don't know how spelt Tastes different than wheat or how they evolved; but the malt seems to encourage the yeast and modest spicing everything does its job in balance. I'm a known phobe of tart beers, but this one I like. It even sits well enough in my mouth that I can enjoy food. Particularly the spritz and citrus cleanses the palate for more food.

An innovative brew. I admire how farmers on this isolated island studied the craft so well that they could combine at least two styles (saison and brett/wilds) so handily. I wish them well.
Thanks, Mates !

 

 

 

Pours a cloudy, gold color. 5/4 inch head of a white color. Great retention and decent lacing. Smells of strong yeast, slight citrus, hint of bacterial funk, wheat, slight hop, and alcohol. Fits the style of an American Pale Wheat Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with a high carbonation level. There is also a slight tartness. Tastes of slight citrus, yeast, wheat, hint of hop, slight alcohol, bacterial funk, hint of herbs, and slight grass. Overall, good appearance, aroma better than body, good blend, and feel.

 

My wife picked up this beer from the local brew shop...the bottle is interesting...stating that it was brewed on August 22, 2015. The brew exploded when the un-capped...a real gusher. After settling, however, it revealed itself to be a wild, hazy, thickly-headed experience. Barnyard, funk, tartness...a bit of apple, sour cherries, and grain. Interesting and engaging. Not overly sour, not too tart, and not really sweet...this one is approachable. Medium in body and some continuing effervescence. Certainly worthwhile.

A nice find.
First of stlye tells me Aus brewers can now make wild ales to compete with Rest of World. Saison, Lambic, and Brett all come togther in a zesty, lively, refreshing package. Sour apples and funk. Well carbonated to style.

Can understand the category but it does not tell the full story.

 

 

Spelt - wheat's cool hipsterish ancestor which has been cultivated since 5000 BCE makes a prominent appearance in one of the coolest new Aussie craft brewers (Two Metre Tall) Derwent Aromatic Spelt Ale. If you haven't guessed by now I love spelt and when I see anything with spelt it is an INSTABUY - why? Spelt tends to add more sweetness due to having a lower diastatic power than Barley. What does diastatic power mean? In layman's terms it is the amount of sugar (from the grain) that will convert to alcohol in the finished product, because spelt has a lower diastatic power it means there will be more sugar left over after the brewing is said and done [this latest episode of "Beer, huh?" has been brought to you by Doktorhops].

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a nonic pint.

A: Cloudy pale straw body with an excitable inch tall white head. Too much carbonation? We'll soon find out [or you can just skip ahead to the mouthfeel section, if you're a bastard that is].

S: These guys certainly brew interesting beers - at first whiff it is a full Saison nose; green apples, barnyard and heady sourdough yeast. Then it opens up to a hint of sweet spelt (a cross between honey and golden syrup) followed by light floral and citric hops.

T: I couldn't have been any more off-guard if I had been caught with my pants around my ankles in the middle of a large university lecture hall in front of a gawking crowd (on a cold day). This Ale blind-sides you with a sour Saison profile, yes the aroma had some Saison but I thought it would be sweet Saison. It isn't face-suckingly brutal like the Lindemans Kriek Cuvée René but it is getting there. Sour green apples and not much else going on, a bit of a disappointment after having their tasty Huon Dark Ale.

M: Mid to light bodied with a medium carbonation.

D: This one turned out to be a bit one dimensional and a bad representation of spelt in general, which I attribute to the over-the-top yeasting this brew has received (in fact it tastes like they've gone Lambic on its ass). Spelt should bring a decent amount of added sweetness to the brewing process, however this is also dependant primarily on the yeast used and 2MT say on their website that they use: "... our very own indigenous souring organisms" yep, there's the rub.

Food match: As per the Lindemans Kriek Cuvée René sharp cheeses and bold game meats are the best bet.