The Beer

Arguably the most important part of these new look we’ve just released are the beers themselves!

We’re always striving to make our beers of the best possible standard. Our most popular beer, Ragged Jack, is fundamentally the same refreshing and hop forward pale ale it always has been, albeit with a new uniform. It remains our go-to beer at the brewery and it seems you guys reach for it on a regular basis as well. Motor Mouth, our beloved IPA, also gets some new gear, but retains all of its assertive character and punchy hop character.

So, what’s new?

Early
3.0%  Session Table Beer
330ml Can, Bottle, Keg
Petite in stature but huge in personality Early Table Beer was designed with the primary goal of being the perfect beer to pour around the family table during lunch. Low in alcohol, this little monster can be drunk in larger quantities; light in body, but also has a bit of malt character to hold up to a home cooked meal, without overpowering Mum’s roast.

A subtle addition of French and NZ hops add nice floral notes in the background and a brilliant finish akin to the fruity white center of a strawberry picked just a few days too early. The light malt and hop flavors blend seamlessly with the effervescent Belgian yeast blend that sprinkles esters of lemon zest and freshly baled hay. Pull up a seat at the table with Early and try to find something it doesn't pair well with.

Late
4.5% Hoppy Table Beer
330ml Can, Bottle, Keg
Late is a hop-forward Table Beer with tropical hoppy aromas, rustic yeast esters and earthy flavor with the lemon-soaked hay character from its Saison yeast, but also adding a slick mouth feel that is balanced with fruity hop resins that should be ideal to pair with your culinary dish of choice, or simply enjoyed in isolation.

Late is our quest to rework a classic Saison to take on a slightly new-world flavor profile. Brewed with a respectable amount of raw spelt and rolled oats, we were able to achieve the style's trademark dryness but also accentuate the fruity notes from the Enigma and El Dorado hops we threw at it. Hop flavor is balanced and not threatening to the palate, stirring up a complex profile consisting of fresh picked pears, hay, and guava, with a delightful finish reminiscent of lemon verbena. Late Hoppy Table Beer is brewed with the focus of execution and not exuberance, a beer brewed with equal parts respect for its elders as admiration. We hope we did our favorite style of beer justice and you all enjoy it.

Rusty
6.0% Red IPA
330ml Bottle, Keg

(released December 2018)
A hallmark to our longest serving employee, a tip of the hat to the work he’s done across 10 years of service and an acknowledgment to his ongoing commitment - Rusty is our beloved brewery dog, a red Border Collie who’s been with us through every step out the Van Dieman life, and showing sign of slowing up nowadays.  Working with an oversized red ale with plenty of hardworking malts, we wanted the hops to insert themselves into the fray hat whilst still remaining dry, drinkable and all the while providing really nice cracker-jack and roasted dark fruit notes.

We’ve loaded Rusty up with a full compliment of Northern Hemisphere hops that will heard your palate through the yards and up the race with upfront notes of pine and grapefruit, only to give way to more tropical fruit and malt driven flavours. An earthy bitterness carries through the palate, with the glowing red color and toffee-like backbone, but not too sweet, shouldering the workload. A four-legged pal like Rusty doesn't come by all too often, an this is our salute to him, Enjoy!

Stay up to date with the latest new on when and where you can find these beers by following @Van_Dieman on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and join us for part three of the blog where we’ll dig deeper into the new designs and the process behind them.