As the cooler months move in I really start craving those rich malty flavours that only dark beers can bring. Don’t get me wrong, I can drink a great example of (m)any style(s) of beer on any given day in any given month but there’s just something special about a roasty stout, a caramelly (not Diacetyl!) hoppy dark ale or or even a smoky Märzen on a cold night.
Hopped Out Red was the second beer we released commercially, even before our name changed to KAIJU! Hopped Out Red was our take on an American style strong red ale, or more precisely a San Diego style red. It went on to win a trophy at the AIBAs for Best Amber/ Dark Ale. I love how Hopped Out Red is a bit more chewy than a red IPA, a bit hoppier than an amber ale and just a bit more... awesome than, well, many styles of beer.
Cthulhu on the Moon was originally released waaaay back in 2014, immediately after; Where Strides the Behemoth. Two distinctly different black IPAs released one after the other..? It was 2014, why the heck not? The thing I love most about hoppy dark ales is the way roasted malt makes the tropical and citrus fruit aromas of the hops explode in the glass and Cthulhu does just that. Generally we go to our designer, Mikey, with a name and style for our beers and he will make a label. Cthulhu on the Moon was the first of our two beers that were actually inspired by the art Mikey sent us! It is now our most decorated beer with many gold medals under its belt.
Whilst we haven’t really been known for stouts (having only released small batches of our oatmeal stout, Velvet Kevorkian, and our barrel aged imperial stout Beyond the Black River) we have one of Australia's greatest stout brewers on our team, Matt Inchley… or Inch or Squanch or whatever I feel like calling him on the day. His experience at Starward and many of the pioneering Victorian craft breweries has given him the tools to create and hone a mighty fine imperial stout (he may have even left a few in his wake!) Even now I sit staring at these ex-Starward Nova barrels, salivating for the day he decants and blends this Stygian solution.
This winter is going to be rad.
Nat
