With three distinctive English style brews on tap, the Brewhouse was definitely a place Karl and I wanted to check out. In fact the last time I was here it was a James Squire brewery and I can tell you now a lot has changed. When we walked in we were surprised by how busy it was, the bar was literally packed and I was curious to see if the house brews lived up to my expectation.
With two bars and a great supporting cast of craft and "staple" beers this was going to be fun. In addition to the three house brews the Brewhouse is also tapping the Illawarra Rust Amber Ale, Porter and Pumpkin Ale and the Two Birds Golden Ale. Other options included Little Creatures Pale Ale, White Rabbit (both white and dark ale), a plethora of the Bluetongue brewery beers (which we shall revisit at a later date), Grolsch and Peroni. This was going to be quite a session.
Time to cut to the chase, pints are $9.50 and happy hour is Monday to Thursday from 5-6 and non-house pints are $5. Due to the amount of beers available we decided to review the house beers, the Two Birds Golden Ale and the Illawarra brews.
Wood Duck Cream Ale
Karl: Dan, this is the beer I talk about the most, suggest to everyone, and bring everyone to the King St Brewhouse for. For me this is their signature beer, a cheeky little number that you will not regret trying - most people struggle to get past this beer, it's that good. I love the fact this is tapped off nitrogen, adding to the flavour. This beer is a very sessional beer, so over to you Dan before I bore everyone with my diatribe.
Dan: Just watching this being poured made me want to cry. This golden, luscious and creamy ale takes a while to settle but it is well worth it. One of the finest beers I've had in a long time and a real eye opener for lovers of fine ales. Where the hell did this come from?
Olde English Duck
Dan: This was going to be a tough act to follow. The Olde English Duck is a classic English Bitter which despite it's dark colour, goes down remarkably smoothly and is a fantastic session beer. If it was served at room temperature this would be ideal but hey, you can't always get what you want. What was your take on this one Karl?
Karl:Well Dan I have to say I'm loving the fact that the Cream Ale and the Olde English Duck are both tapped off nitrogen - there is nothing like having to wait for your beer to settle before you have to drink it... almost as good as a hand pump.This is a great example of an English Ale and you're right Dan if it was a bit warmer it would be even better... I'd like to see this on a hand pump but in saying that this is a great beer, not at all heavy, even with it's malty flavours.What did you say Dan...? It's my shout?
Dan: Damn straight it is.
Fat Jack Stout
Karl: I was amazed by this stout. Most stouts are generally like having a meal while drinking, but this one was so light I could quite easily drink a lot of it... and guess what..? it's on nitrogen as well. Dan, I am seriously loving the nitrogen beers and to be honest I think this is even better than a Guinness. This is by far the best stout I have drunk this year and to quote Dan "If in doubt, have a stout". Were you as impressed as I was?
Dan: I agree Karl, this stout was impressive and the Fat Jack is nowhere near as heavy as a Guiness. Another English classic in my book - smooth, creamy, and in my opinion - fantastic. Stouts are really underrated here and this is the kind of brew I would heartily recommend to anyone and is drinkable all year round, a very, very good beer.
Illawarra Rust Amber Ale
Dan: I have been extremely pleased with every beer from the Illawarra Brewing Co. and the Rust Amber Ale is no exception. A robust Irish Red Ale with a strong malty flavour which also has a spicy kick to it, I would have no problem in knocking back multiples of these, what say you Karl?
Karl: Dan you're right, ever since trying the Wit at the Union all the beers we've tried from Illawarra have been fantastic. This an amazing example of an Irish Red and it reminds me of a similar Red from the Bridge Road Brewing Co. and I have to say this is as good. The Rust Amber Ale is all about the malts and for me that is a winner.
Illawarra Porter
Dan: Another gem in the Illawarra crown, their Porter is a strong bodied brew with hefty malty undertones. I have to say though if I had a few of these I would be off my stool, but this is an excellent Porter which is definitely worth a try.
Karl: What can I say..... Illawarra are still yet to fail. This is a brilliant Porter. I could really drink a lot of these, but I think you're right Dan I would be falling off my stool. With the caramel and malt aftertaste this Porter is not in the least heavy, making this an easy beer to drink all year round. Your choice Dan, what's next?
Illawarra Pumpkin Ale
Dan: The current Illawarra Seasonal beer is the Pumpkin Ale and I had a sneaky sample of this a couple of months ago at the beer festival. I've only had a few pumpkin beers over the years but this one is a standout and it is the cinnamon which sets this apart from the rest. I know that pumpkin ales are inherently an American phenomenon but it is good to see an Australian craft brewery trying their hand here.
Karl: That's right Dan we did have one of these at the Australian Beer Festival. You know what...? I thought it was great then and I still think it's great now. The Illawarra Pumpkin Ale is one of the best seasonal beers I've had this year and the cinnamon aftertaste really sets this beer off and makes this a very drinkable beer.
Two Birds Golden Ale
Karl: Dan the more we do this, the more I like it when we get to meet the brewers. After attending the Sydney launch of Two Birds Golden Ale at Harts Pub I have been a huge fan of this Golden Ale. The light and refreshing, with a slight hoppy, aftertaste makes this one of the best beers for summer. How do you rate this one Dan?
Dan: This is a perfect summer pint Karl and I would definitely recommend having at least one of these at the brewhouse before you start on the house brews. I enjoyed several of these at the launch and I would like to see this on more taps around Sydney, an extremely enjoyable Golden Ale which can be drunk in copious amounts at any time of the year.
Our afternoon (read: day) at the Brewhouse reminded me of England. The beers alone transported me back to a beautiful spring day in a small country pub, simultaneously enjoying the serenity of nature and a pint of bitter in a leafy beer-garden. So, we are talking about Darling Harbour in near peak tourist season but you get the picture right? All of the beers Karl and I had here were fantastic and we couldn't think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Good drinking
King St Brewhouse
22 The PromenadeKing St Wharf
https://twitter.com/ourshout2011
