MOO BREW SINGLE HOP
Love Actually is an unavoidable Christmas flick. But it's not like that for everyone. So don't forget to take a moment to share this frosty with a mate this festive season…because that’s love, actually.
Origin – Berriedale, Tasmania
ABV- 4.8%
Size- 440mL can
Style- Pale Ale
I’m not sure if this gambler was on a train bound for nowhere, but I dare say someone gave the founder and owner of Moo Brew some advice somewhere along the way, as David Walsh has done a little better than break even. In fact, looking at his journey, it seems Walsh has found more than just an ace that he could keep!
As outlined on the brewery's website, the tale goes that the self-professed gambler from Tasmania travelled overseas, got drunk, found a weird beer bottle he liked, decided to build a brewery with which to fill it, returned to Tassie, and built said brewery - end quote! That was 2005. Not one to do things by half, Walsh then decided to build the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) to house his brewery – filling it with the largest privately funded collection of artworks in the southern hemisphere. Given both the popularity of MONA and the volume of beer Moo Brew sold over the past decade and a half, it’s a gamble that’s paid off. Not that anyone should be surprised – the combination of incredible crafts ales by head brewer Dave Macgill, uniquely designed bottles and labels featuring exclusive artwork by Australian artist John Kelly, it always going to be a winning hand. These days there's only a few Moo Brews, including the limited releases such as the Moo Brew & Archie Rose Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout that still come in the bottle, with the core range of seven beers now in cans.
Though it’s only this Single Hop, which was introduced as a one-off to celebrate the introduction of the canning line, and the opportunity it afforded them to efficiently ship more craft to the mainland, that finds a home in the extra-large 440mL can. Named after the label artwork by John Kelly, it is affectionately known as Big Foot. Notwithstanding the tall can is a far cry from the distinctive bottles of goodness that were used exclusively since inception, the impressive drinking quality was, and is still to this day, just the same. Brewed using only one type of hop and one type of malt, both grown locally in Tasmania, the Single Hop is complex enough to impress the crafty’s and sufficiently sessional for the everyday drinker. Following a clean, clear pour, the heavy use of Enigma hops late in the brewing process, it delivers a subtle yet distinctive floral characteristic on the nose. Put it to your lips, and it's lively on the palate, with the pale malt providing an upfront sweetness, followed by a fruity dry hop bitterness that beautifully lingers and lingers and lingers…
Whether you're looking for a beer to share with Kenny Rogers or just your mate Kenny, don't fold on this one!