Cascade Appoints New Head Brewer

Monday, February 14th, 2011

Cascade Brewery Co has appointed as its new Head Brewer following on from Max Burslem’s transition to the newly created role of Transformation Manager.

With more than 20 years brewing experience in English breweries in Berkshire and Manchester, Mike started his career in a small brewery working on the development of craft style beers.

On his appointment at Cascade, Mike said he is delighted to take on the task of Head Brewer and is already feeling at home in Tasmania.

“Cascade is an incredible brewery and site, with a strong tradition and heritage in brewing. Cascade’s founder Peter Degraves chose this site for brewing in 1824 for the quality of its water and the brewery continues to benefit from his foresight.”

“Cascade is unique amongst Australian breweries in that it continues to malt barley for brewing in its own maltings and it continues to focus on traditional brewing methods.  This combination results in high quality beers which are valued and enjoyed by beer lovers.  I’m amazed by the innovative ideas and new products developed by the Cascade team.  Our relationships and support for Tasmanian farmers and growers ensure the highest quality ingredients are used for our beers.”

Mike said he was looking forward to working with Cascade’s former Head Brewer Max Burslem and the Cascade team over the coming months to ensure Cascade continues its rich tradition of brewing beers enjoyed by beer fans around Australia.

Cascade Brewery Co is Australia’s oldest brewery and is renowned for using Tasmania’s high quality barley and hops together with the pure mountain waters of Mount Wellington to brew its range of acclaimed beers.

Tags: ,

Boatrocker Alpha Queen 5.0% Alcohol

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

I am not the biggest fan of hoppy IPA’s etc but I still like a beer with assertive hop flavours that jump out at you. The Boat Rocker Alpha Queen seems to fit this category perfectly, brewed in Melbourne, they add loads of Cascade hops late in the kettle and then dry hop loads more afterwards, giving intense flavour without the intense bitterness.

Decanting into a glass the Alpha Queen is clear amber colour with an off white head that stands around 1cm tall. The smell is bountiful with intense pine, toffee and grapefruit aromas predominating.

On the palate the hops start mild tricking the drinker into thinking that is all there is, but around the halfway mark they kick in with a no holds barred attack before subsiding to a assertive yet mildly bitter after taste. Grass, spice and citrus ( mostly grapefruit ) are the main flavours noticed from the hops, with caramel and biscuit malt acting as a base to keep the bitterness in check.

Verdict: Very refreshing, unbeatable on a hot summer day,leaves the drinker hanging for a second. Would be awesome to enjoy with a nice big steak or similar.

Rating: 8.0 / 10

Link: Boat Rocker Brewing Company

Tags: , , ,