One of the biggest events on the Adelaide culinary calendar, Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival is returning to the Adelaide Showgrounds this July for another massive weekend of live music, craft beer tastings, meat eating and cider guzzling.
8,000 people went along to last year’s event, but this year organisers are billing the 2016 edition as “bigger and better”; and with more than 50 beer and cider brands on offer at the festival’s main beer hall, punters will be spoilt for choice when it comes to sampling all the tasty brews on offer.
Despite the festival’s focus on meat and beer, this event isn’t all about indulging in world class food and drink, it’s also about showcasing Adelaide’s rich music culture. Featuring a specially curated lineup of local and national acts, this event is as much a musical one as it is a culinary one.
So in order to alleviate the choice paralysis you’re bound to experience upon entering the beer hall, we asked Adelaide super-producer, Oisima (Anth Wendt); Emily Retsas from Koral & The Goodbye Horses; Graham Cochran from The Montreals and Anthony Callisto from Cosmo Thundercat to review four of the craft selections on offer at Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival 2016.
Pikes – Pilsner Lager
First cab off the rank was an SA favourite, Pike’s Pilsner. Brewed in the Claire Valley, Pikes Pilsner is a traditional style Pilsner that’s medium to light amber in colour and absolutely perfect for a warm summer’s day.
Tasting Notes
Oisima: “Fruity, smooth and light” 6/10
Emily: “As golden as a sunrise after being kicked out of La Sing” 7/10
Anthony: “Golden, leathery freshness. I like it” 8/10
Graham: “starts sweet with a bitter overtone” 7/10
TOTAL SCORE: 28/40
Barossa Valley Brewing – ‘Canis Majoris’ Imperial IPA
Next up was the winner of the Most Outstanding Beer, Champion Exhibit and Champion IPA at the Royal Adelaide Beer Awards 2014: the Barossa Valley Brewing Company’s Imperial IPA. Regarded as one of the must try beers at the festival, this IPA proved a little too rich for our judges’ tastes.
Tasting Notes
Oisima: “Happy, dry, slightly malty, with a hint of stone fruit” 7/10
Emily: “As rich and full bodied as a Kardashian, boutique, possibly distilled from the tears of hipsters. Best in moderation.” 6/10
Anthony: “Sweet, like apricot jam. Would possibly go well with ice cream.” 7/10
Graham: “Apricot, very sweet. Full bodied and with a great after taste.” 7/10
TOTAL SCORE: 27/40
Smiling Samoyed – Dark Ale
Beer number three was Smiling Samoyed’s Dark Ale. This deliciously rich dark ale is brewed in Myponga and full of nutty, dark chocolate and coffee flavours. This gloriously, chocolatey dark ale is the jewel in Smiling Samoyed’s crown.
Tasting Notes
Oisima: “A mix of coffee, cacao and orange rind” 9/10
Emily: “As dark as my soul. With definite coffee overtones.” 9/10
Anthony: “A nice smooth taste, with a pick-me-up coffee tone.” 8/10
Graham: “Coffee, but not heavy on the nose. It starts light but then big flavours hit your tongue” 8/10
TOTAL SCORE: 34/40
Big Shed Brewing – ‘Nuts & Malts’ Hazelnut Brown Ale
The strangest beer of the four, Big Shed Brewing’s ‘Nuts & Malts’ rounded out proceedings. Specially made for the Nutella Palooza festival, ‘Nuts & Malts’ is a strange drop. A subtle hazelnut brown ale, this beer is an acquired taste, but one that’s definitely worth trying at the Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival 2016 as it’s pretty hard to get your hands on outside of special occasions.
Tasting Notes
Oisima: “Nutty and well-rounded. Sweet and uncarbonated” 7/10
Emily: “A bitter one night stand. The kind of beer that doesn’t find Seinfeld funny” 7/10
Anthony: “Full and tasty. Bitter and dark” 8/10
Graham: “Strong bitter taste from the start. Tasty all-round” 7/10
TOTAL SCORE: 29/40
The Results
Smiling Samoyed’s Dark Ale was the clear winner on this winter’s night. But while this spectacular dark ale is surely one of SA’s finest, it was hugely advantaged by the cooler weather. If the tasting had been staged in summer the results would’be been very different. But with more than 50 different types of beer and cider available at the festival’s main beer hall, you’re bound to find a drop – no matter whether you like darks, IPAs, lagers or cider – that’ll fire up your taste buds, stimulate your hunger and and set your feet a dancing.
Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival 2016 runs from Friday, June 8 – Sunday, July 10 at the Adelaide Showground’s historic Brick Dairy Pavilion. Entry is $25 for day sessions, $30 for night sessions or $60 for a weekend pass, with tickets on sale via the Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival website.
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WHEN
Friday, July 8 – Sunday, July 10
WHERE
Brick Dairy Pavilion: Adelaide Showgrounds
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