First look at Hobart & Launceston beer in the early 19th century

Inspired by Shut Up About Barclay Perkins and the joy I've had drinking the 1834 porter I brewed in February, I wanted to see what I could find about what was available to drink in Tasmania in the 1800s.

John Glover's 'Hobart Town as Viewed from my Garden, 1832'

Hobart Town Courier, 5 July, 1828

Hobart Town Courier, 8 November 1828

It turns out that in the first decades of the settlement of Hobart, when beer was available, they were drinking London porters and stouts, Burton ales and IPAs from breweries like Truman, Barclay Perkins, Allsopp, Bass, Charrington and Reid. No big deal, just some of the best breweries of the time.

It seems to be a pretty decent volume as well given that the total population of Hobart was under 20 000 at the time.

Hobart Town Courier, 29 June, 1832

I haven't had a chance to look into it much but just a quick look suggests that at least in 1854 Launceston had heaps of imported beer available as well. Some of the highlights are Allsopp's pale ale, Truman's XX stout, Whitbread's porter and Dantzic spruce beer.

Cornwall Chronicle, 10 June, 1854

It's a surprise to me that not only could they drink London porter or Burton ale but they could choose which brand they preferred. I guess I've been so conditioned to think about the hardships that the early colony faced, that the idea of being able to choose between Truman and Barclay Perkins seems like incredible luxury. There's heaps more info to slowly sift through and I'm sure there'll be some more fun stuff to come.

Van Diemen Brewing - Hedgerow Autumn Ale

It's so exciting to be able to buy a sour beer that's been brewed in Tasmania! Van Diemen's 2012 Hedgerow Autumn Ale has hit the shelves. The label says that it's aged for 12 weeks on rosehips, hawthorn and sloe berries, partially barrel aged.


Aroma: Berries, some sweetness, strawberry, and definitely a sour edge. It reminds me a bit of the aroma of strawberries mixed with balsamic vinegar.

Appearance: I really love the appearance of this one. It's burnt red in colour with a light haze. Attractive. It pours with a two finger head that settles to a dense 1cm of foam, leaving sheets rather than lacing down the glass.

Flavour: Given the label and the aroma I was looking for sourness but what I found was only a very light sourness. The flavour is dominated by prominent oak and smokey, burnt notes. There's some delicate berry notes underneath that tease but it seems like the malt has been largely subdued by the oak and tannins. It just feels like it's missing a big part of what's meant to be there. I want more berries! Hmmm... perhaps currants in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: The beer dries on the palate which with the oak/char leaves an astringent taste and feel in the mouth. It has medium carbonation. I thought the beer as a whole might get better as it warmed up but though the berries came out more with a little warmth, the beer felt even more thin.

I really need to get more, better beer glasses

Overall: What kills this beer is that as it beer dries on the palate it emphasises the tannins and makes it astringent. I want this beer to be amazing but it doesn't take me there.

My hunch is that it's ended up with a foot in two camps by not wanting to be too risky. The problem is that the char/oak that comes from the barrel ageing don't combine well with the dry finish. I think it needs to be either more sweet or more sour. The sweetness (just a little) would give it enough body and flavour to counter the oak, perhaps more sour might achieve a similar effect, at least it would give something else to focus on.

I'm a bit disappointed but hopeful that this will just be the first of many Tassie produced sour beers. Well done Van Dieman Brewing for daring to do it. I think I'll pick up another one and let it age for a while to see if it evens out over time.

The beginning

My 'Baby IPA', low alcohol & stuffed full of hops

Welcome to my blog about brewing and beer related shenanigans in Tasmania.

I've been brewing on and off for quite a few years using kits but began getting into it more over the last 18 months, first with extract, then going on to all grain and coming up with my own recipes.

Over this year I'm keen to experiment by brewing styles and using techniques I'm not familiar with. I'd like to try my hand at sour and funky beers, saisons and messing with some other unusual styles. This blog is primarily meant for me to distill the things I'm learning and keep a record of the beers I've brewed. There's so much I want to learn and try out.

I'd also like to check out some of the best Tasmanian microbreweries and learn more about how they do things.