Georgie Ella Springtime Ale
Last Rites Brewing Co

 

Last Rites is a new one for me - another Tasmanian brewer, no doubt with big things to prove and a quirky stylistic choice with yeast in their brews - yes, I’ve been here before with Tassie brewers such as Two Metre Tall, Van Dieman and Bruny Island, they like their Saison yeasts down in the apple isle. The thing that drew me most to Georgie Ella Springtime Ale, is firstly the non-existent style name, and secondly the use of Aussie hop Ella, which has so far (for me at least) resulted in some real tasty Australian IPAs. This particular can is a limited release with only 4,000 cans released - another Tassie quirk, they like to talk about how many cans/bottles they’ve made, it’s as if to say “this stuff is rare as hens teeth, better get it while you can!” - yeah I’m on to you Tassie brewers...

Poured from a 375ml can into a nonic pint.

A: Hazed golden body with a slightly off-white 1 inch head that slowly drops back leaving an impressive amount of lace on the glass sides - this is 7% ABV after all, heads become a luxury as the ABV goes north. Good head proteins here. 8/10.

S: Sweet caramel/biscuit malts upfront, followed by floral, tropical (papaya) and honeydew melon characters. Some extra sweetness in there from honeysuckle flowers. This is a really sweet aroma, I wonder if that malt will find a bitter foil? In the least I’m very intrigued - it’s not often a brew surprises my with an aroma. Also a first for a Tassie craft brew for me - no detected yeast character, woo! 8/10.

T: Fairly malt-driven brew, big caramel and biscuit notes, hops mingle around like extras in front of theatre backdrop: honeysuckle flowers, papaya, honeydew melon, and towards the finish with a medium grapefruit bitterness. Overall flavour is skewed towards malt, but that irrepressible Ella hop still manages to peek through the curtain. Alcohol is slightly present, not overbearing but it’s there. 7/10.

M: Bit of a middling mouthfeel with this one too (after the Capital Brewing Evil Eye Red IPA) - mid to light bodied with again a prickly, lively carbonation. 6/10.

D: Not bad, a touch confused as well though (not unlike Evil Eye) this brew sits some nebulous beer zone - it’s a bit muddled and not sure what it wants to be: IPA? Red IPA? Amber Ale? Who knows apart from Last Rites. It’s not a bad beer by any measure, it’s just a bit all over the shop, and after 2 beers like this I feel like something simpler, something more self-assured. *cracks open a can of Melvin Hubert* ahh, that’s what I’m talking about. 7/10.

Food match: Chicken salad with watercress and rocket.