Matilda Bay Brewery, one of Australia's first craft breweries, is relaunching its iconic Brass Monkey Stout in a reimagined, high-end format.
First brewed by Matilda Bay's brewers at Fremantle's Sail & Anchor Hotel in 1986, the much-loved Brass Monkey Stout was one of only a few craft beer options in the 1980s, when the vast majority of beer was mass-produced lager.
The 2023 reincarnation is a high-end, high-ABV brew with strong links to the brewery's new home in the Yarra Valley. Having spent the last nine months resting in French Oak wine barrels, the 2023 Brass Monkey has a complex, well-developed flavour, according to HarrySexton, Head Brewer (and accomplished Winemaker) at Matilda Bay Brewery.
"In the Winter of 2022, we borrowed some French Oak barrels from our friends across the road at one of the Yarra Valley's best wineries. We filled the barrels to the brim with our Imperial Stout and caressed them over the last nine months.
"It's a new take on an old recipe that has been handed down from head brewer to head brewer over the last 35 years. The French Oak, still dripping in Cabernet and Merlot, gives this new Brass Monkey a burgundy tinge and subtle vanilla sweetness.
"The complex blend of dark malt combines to deliver rum and raisin chocolate, and toasted coffee notes followed by warm stewed fruit smoothness…the beer will also develop well with age," said Sexton.
Malts: Australian Pilsner Malt, Australian Cristal Malt, German Wheat Malt, Dark Cristal Malt, Extra Dark Cristal Malt, Roasted Barley
Oak: Old French Oak (sourced from Charente, South-West France)
Aroma: Stewed Plums, rum and raisin, tiramisu, plum pudding
ABV: 11 per cent
IBU: Med-High
Colour: Midnight Brown
The limited-edition Brass Monkey Stout is available at select liquor stores in Victoria and Western Australia and from Matilda Bay Brewery directly.
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