Thus Let Us Drink Beer – Tallboy and Moose Brewery
Quite an extravagant name, you might quip when you pick up a can that emitted from the Tallboy and Moose Brewery. Then again, after a bit of research and learning more about both the physical features, i.e. height, and cultural background, i.e. underneath the sign of the maple leaf, the moniker does not exactly constitute a stretch and a quite obvious choice.
With a passion for being the common denominator amongst the two, specifically when it came to Australian craft brews, they both entered the world of commercial beer distribution before trying their hand in the alchemy of brewing hops.
What started as a hobby eventually morphed to full scale operations in 2016, which had its focus firmly set on the creation of exquisite craft brews.
If you enter an Australian bottle shop, especially ones that have a bit of variety, the craft beer section resembles a colourful candy store, however, even amidst the most curious cans, chances are that you will find yourself intrigued by the design of the Tallboy and Moose cans.
Take for example the Lightning Axe 2020 expression. Yup, again a telling name, i.e. a beer infused with a Norwegian yeast strain, which after its initial incarnation was tweaked further and ended up as a refined Hazy IPA variant, which despite its Nordic DNA in terms of flavours is rooted in tropical territory. Think citrus, orange and what seems like a lactose heavy hybrid of mangos and pineapples, pervaded by just the right amount of spicy notes and an elongated finish, where bitterness puts its mark on the exit.
While the Lightning Axe Kveiik is an accomplishment is altering the DNA of what is commonly labelled as a Hazy IPA, their double IPA variant knocks the ball out of the park in terms of getting the best out of the cream of the American crop of resinous hops, i.e. Centennial, Cryo CTZ and Simcoe. What leaves me lusting for more is what culminates in a particularly dry finish after a crescendo that zig zags between fruity and pithy nuances.
Word around the campfire had that Tallboy and Moose are not only in the process of creating more experimental variants, but already have released ones that I definitely need to check out, such as one that is said to be a liquid homage and beer equivalent to cookie dough.
