THE boys from Stone & Wood Brewing at Byron Bay have always impressed me with their small but delicious range of beers so when they said they had another to add to the range, I was immediately interested.
When they said it was a Stone Beer, I thought well thats not very original until I realized that it was called that becaue of the methods used in brewing it not because they werent very imaginative.
This strictly limited release draws on Middle Ages brewing techniques where wood fired stones were added to the brew to caramelize the malts and enhance the flavour.
This brew follows a similar path with the boys actually using heated stones to produced a very moorish ale.
It has a slightly cloudy, toffee colour and head with a sweet malt aroma, a hint of hops and you may even pick up on some caramel notes.
It is smooth, creamy and well-balanced across the palate, filling the mouth with flavour and body.
You might pick up the rich caramel malt notes at first and even a slightly hint of chocolate but its not a sickly sweetness thanks to the fact it leaves a clean slightly bitter aftertaste which leaves you ready for the next mouthful.
Being 7.9 percent, it is strong but not overbearing and while it is well suited to the colder month (because it warms you up nicely), I think it is special drop which could be enjoyed any time of year.
While it has excellent sessionability, its not a beer you could have a big session on (for obvious reasons).
For those who like a darker beer with plenty of flavour and character, the Byron boys have the wood on others in the craft beer market.
MY TIP
Get it nice and cold, not chilled, and then serve allowing it to breathe and little. Being a limited release, its not easy to find and expect to pay around $15 per 600ml bottle. You may be best to go to the website at www.stoneandwood.com.au to track it down or put your order in for next year.