THE BOYS at the Malt Shovel brewery are renowned for producing an excellent range of big, flavoursome ales under the James Squire banner.

When the crew headed by veteran brewer Chuck Hahn decide to try their hand at a lager, it’s time to sit up and take notice. With its subtle hoppiness and slightly grassy aroma, the limited-release 4.4 per cent golden Sundown lager pulls off a great balance between the crispness you would expect from an Australian lager and the more complex flavours of the James Squire range.

The result is no accident according to Hahn.

‘‘I guess for a summer release, we wanted to make something that had that extra refreshment,’’ he says.

Hahn says the secret behind Sundown’s taste is

the combination of pale and carapils malts along

with a blend of local and English hops, delivering a

subtle, hoppy aroma rather than the

more bitter flavour of traditional

Australian lagers.

The idea was to produce an easydrinking,

thirst-quenching beer and

encourage lager-loving Australians

to experiment and try some more

flavoursome beer brews.

The decision to make a lager

wasn’t taken lightly.

‘‘I was very cautious about it,

because all of our hop-heads

said they really like the extra

character they get in our beers,’’

Hahn says. ‘‘But there’s a lot of

different drinkers out there, so

we figured this would be a good

one to get them into the family.’’

The name Sundown pays

homage to the instincts of our

early settlers, who knew exactly

what to do when the mercury

made it too uncomfortable to

work on a hot summer afternoon.

‘‘Stop, relax and have a

refreshing lager,’’ Hahn says.