Stoke up the log-burning stove, put your favourite CD on the player, snuggle into the comfy armchair with beer glass at the ready and savour one of Australia’s regular winter treats: Coopers has just released its 10^th Extra Strong Vintage Ale.

  This is the one which changes ever so slightly with each annual batch and can be cellared upright for years to mature and develop in the 375ml bottles. These come in six-packs, handy for timing one contemplative drink every couple of months to monitor the beer’s maturation.

   Last year’s Coopers Vintage marked a deliberate step forward from the usual three hop cultivars to four.   Main change for 2010 is late application of Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand, replacing Fuggle influence on the nose. Sauvin hops have enjoyed popularity with Aussie craft brewers in recent years, fascinating the senses with a white wine touch.

  Great care is taken in the malt bill, mashing with Australian grown and malted barley saved specially from last year’s crop. Secondary fermentation in the bottle brings a slight cloudy appearance from Coopers’ hallmark ale yeast, part of the fun for fans. And defying the perceived national aversion to robust ales, there must be many fans because the Vintage success just keeps on growing.

   The 2010 release brings renewed interest in how this annual brew from South Australia evolves – enough to dig out a bottle of the 2009 Vintage for a parallel tasting of the matured ale with the fresh.  

THE BEERS

COOPERS EXTRA STRONG VINTAGE ALE 2009 (7.5 PER CENT) – 2010 tasting

A year’s mellowing in the bottle seems to have taken the aroma down a notch while boosting the flavour several notches. The original caramel character of the young beer has developed beautifully, taking on the enticing fruit cake spice notes of some bigger, darker aged ales. A supporting rich, slightly plummy factor evokes sticky toffee pudding, but minus the stickiness. Other changes: less head retention, and a tad darker cast to the warm, glowing colour. The role of the German Magnum and Perle and English Fuggle and Styrian Goldings hops has evolved to earthy subtlety in the aroma and firm yet unobtrusive bitterness balancing the malt sweetness. Cellaring brings its own reward.

COOPERS EXTRA STRONG VINTAGE ALE 2010 (7.5 PER CENT)

Naturally fresh and zesty, this stripling ale has a springy youthful confidence of great things to come. The colour is not as dark as you might expect from strong ale, appearing bright copper with orange tints in the glass and creamy, richly lacing foam. Fruity esters provided by Coopers’ ale yeast lead to nutty notes. As well, the Nelson Sauvin hops impart kiwi fruit and citrus aroma which carries on to the front palate, supported with wine-grape hints. There’s an underlying dry hoppiness which may, or may not, promise much for this time next year. In the meantime, enjoy a couple in anticipation.

QUICK ONES

Gage Roads of Palmyra is undergoing a corporate image refit, starting with Gage Premium Lager. That’s right, “Roads” has disappeared to make the name “shorter and easier to remember”. It’s the same 4.7 per cent lager, but the label has changed. Thankfully, the bottle remains brown instead of “premium” green, though it has grown taller and has a twist-top like old Aussie stubbies. Cartons are now glossy. New-look Gage Premium Lager goes on sale this month(SUBS: July) for about $17 per 6-pack, $50 a carton.

Billabong Porter is on tap as beer of the month at Moondyne Joe's, Fremantle. The Myaree-brewed Porter (4.9 per cent), an Australian trophy winner in 2008, has malty coffee-choc and toffee flavours, balanced by medium hop bitterness.

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ALE TALE

MYTHOS (4.7 PER CENT)

Greece’s biggest-selling beer is exported to 30 countries so there must be a reason. It might be that “Hellenic Lager” represents Greek Isles escapism to the drinker, according the promo. Mythos has been made in Thessalonika since 1997, developed with “a deep understanding of consumer preferences” through taste tests. The result is a global lager colour, standard white head, a hint of grain on the nose, sweetness on the tongue . . .  preferences of the green-bottle consumer. Six of the 330ml bottles come in an excellent re-useable carry pack for about $16.

 From Fresh, The West Australian, 15th July