Autumn is a great time for beer…
Actually, any time of year is great for beer, but what I love about the cooler weather is an excuse to pour something a little darker than the pale ales and lagers that have occupied the prime real estate in the fridge over the summer. It’s time to warm you up, not cool you down and brown ales are a great first step into the exciting and seductive world of dark beers.
A style originating from England, the brown ale is typically full of rich, complex malt flavours served just a tad cooler than room temperature.
Looking at the impressive Cavalier Brown label you could be forgiven for thinking this beer is also an English classic, however Cavalier is based in Melbourne’s outer west and take great pride in their dark beers.
As I poured a Cavalier Brown into my glass, I asked Heath Shirtcliffe (Cavalier’s Sales Manager) what set their brown ale apart from others popping up on the Australian beer scene. “We deliberately made it as a full flavoured session beer, not a sipper. It gives you bursts of chocolate, coffee and caramel but finishes as a crisp, dry and clean beer without any lingering bitterness like most brown ales do, making it a perfectly balanced beer”, he responded.
I must admit in my eagerness to taste exactly what Heath was talking about, I didn’t wait long enough for the beer to warm up and quickly engulfed a deuce of generous sips. Malty, yes. Coffee? Nope. But then the most wonderful thing happened. As it warmed up, it unveiled aromas of (yes you guessed it) coffee, bitter chocolate and a toffee / caramel aroma. I also noted some faint citrus, no doubt thanks to the use of classic American hops.
Cavalier Brown is a regular tap favourite around good beer venues in Melbourne and regional Victoria. It also comes in 500ml bottles, which will leave you with the unenviable task of choosing between sharing this with a friend or indulging your own thirst for highly drinkable, sweet toasty browns.
Cavalier Brown Stats
Score: 8.5/10
ABV: 5% (500ml Bottle) 2.0 standard drinks
Style: Brown ale
Serving Temperature: 12 – 14 degrees
Food Pairing: Roquefort Blue Cheese
Origin: Derrimut, Melbourne
Price (RRP): 500ml $10.00 / 12 x 500ml $89.99
Buy it here: www.cavalierbeer.com.au/stockists