Our resident beer writer has worked through everything from Swan Special Light to Barrel-Aged Imperial Porters.
Simon Collins tries out this week’s sip and gives his verdict on the Tinnie of the Week and whether it’s worth cracking one with a partner.
BEER NAME?
Tall wood NEIPA
WHAT IS IT FROM?
Manjimup, in beautiful southwest WA.
More specifically, a brewery attached to the historic Manjimup Hotel, where the Swan Brewery invested more than $1 million in 1970 to build a facility before abandoning the plan without making a drop of beer.
Half a century later, Tall Timbers Brewing Co. finally packed beer on-site across the street from the restaurant of the same name.
Two years ago, Ed Fallens and his business associates bought the lease of the Manjimup Hotel (built-in 1913) from the late John Peos, father of inaugural West Coast Eagles player Paul.
Their original purpose was to provide shelter for seasonal workers, usually backpackers, during the harvest. The hotel currently houses more than 100 fruit pickers from Vanuatu.
Camera IconTall Timbers head brewer Florian Von Guttenberg Credit: delivered/TheWest
Manjimup is a verdant region for fruit and vegetables and for world-famous truffles – the rich agricultural area produces more Perigold black truffles than all of France.
In another link to WA’s vibrant beer history, the head brewer is Florian von Guttenberg – a Canadian who studied the fine art of beer making at Weihenstephan University in Germany before emigrating to Australia in 2000 to join Swan’s brewing team added.
Von Guttenberg installed the brewpub at the Old Swan Brewery on Mounts Bay Road, and after Swan closed his WA operations in 2014, he briefly ran the small Hopped Up Brewery in Wangara.
He is now in charge of the 15bbl brewhouse in Tall Timbers, which can pump up to 900,000 liters of beer annually.
WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT IT?
Tall Timbers’ New England India Pale Ale is the brewery’s first limited edition beer.
The 6.3 percent mist fills a big gap in their current conservative lineup, which boasts a lager, session lager, pale ale, and tasty resinous IPA.
The NEIPA pours a cloudy orange and has tropical and citrus aromas. A spicy mouthfeel transitions into a passion fruit-driven brew made with Strata and Mosaic hops.
After slashing out their core range and ensuring that the thirst of Manjimup’s residents was quenched, Tall Timbers have created an impressive first “experimental” beer that bodes well for von Guttenberg’s next offering.
Since the brewery is at the heart of the Southwestern food scale, we hope fruit-driven sours and more hoppy beers will follow this impressive debut.
And is a truffle stout too much to ask?
SHOULD I SHARE IT?
While Tall Timbers’ NEIPA tips the scales at 6.3 percent (most mists are at or just under 6 percent), you have to watch yourself—after not operating a chainsaw a few times—it’s also so punchy and refreshing. That you hardly notice.
So that’s a no.
WHAT IS THE DAMAGE?
A little pricey, with single cans selling for around $9 and four packs for $27 due to the higher ABV and relatively lower capacity at Tall Timbers.
RATING?
Three and a half axes out of five.
