I've been looking for a good quality Australian Wheat Beer for some time, so I went out of my way to try Red Hill Brewery's version.
The claim to fame for Red Hill is they grow their own Hops, on vines that reaching souring heights on their property. It does sound very interesting to see the vines. The sight of vineyards across Australia has become a bit of a cliche, with every man and his dog wanting to make their own wine. So it is nice to hear that brewers and beer lovers are making their own impression on the landscape. Anyone ever down on the Mornington Peninsula should look to check them out.
The Wheat Beer itself was very satisfying. It maintained all the hallmarks of a the variety, with the distictive aromas and appearance of a wheat beer. In fact the aromas were powerfully strong, so when the flavour didn't quite match the nose it is a little disappointing. It probably lacked the more luxuriant quality of its European counterparts, but that is no bad thing. What is most distinctive though is the strong tart aftertaste, bitterness really. At first it was a little overpowering and had me looking at the ABV to make sure it was 5%. But after a couple it flowed nicely.
It is the best Aussie Wheat I've had so far. I think this was one of the first styles the brewery has produced so they've had time to refine. It shows and they should be proud.
