Lines drawn in battle for the Pacific
Brewers around the country look to the Australian International Beer Awards for advice.
And last week’s presentation night might have also provided a strong legal argument for a looming conflict between two beer makers.
Stone and Wood and their Pacific Ale have become renowned in the national beer market. It was a new, distinctive Australian taste when it arrived on the lanscape.
But is Pacific Ale a style or just an Australian Pale Ale? Or is it something else altogether?
That is the question being pushed by Thunder Road, which has thrown up their own brew called Pacific Ale. Like Pale Ale, Stout, Porter or Berliner Weiss, Thunder Road argue that Pacific Ale is its own category.
While the men in suits and silks discuss the situation the AIBA prizes might have given a hint towards the industry’s view on the matter.
Stone and Wood believe their Pacific Ale is, indeed, an English Summer Ale because it picked up silver in that section last Thursday.
Incidentally, there is no Pacific Ale guideline used by the AIBA judges, who followed US Brewers Association stipulations.
Thunder Road might even be a little confused about what their Pacific Ale is because it picked up silver in the Australian Style Pale Ale and bronze in the Belgian/French Style Ale for the “Double Fermentation Series” element of the beer.
It must also be highlighted that Thunder Road won champion medium brewery at the AIBA gala.
In its marketing for their beer, Thunder Road state, “Pacific Ale is a relatively new beer style which has increased in popularity since 2001.”
Curiously, New Zealand gurus Garage Project refer to their Hapi Daze as a Pacific Pale Ale.
Fashion might be a trend but style is tough to copy.
The Sip understands the breweries have tried to settle this issue proverbially over a few beers but the impasse remains. But Stone and Wood’s Jamie Cook is standing firm.
“Pacific Ale is Stone & Wood’s brand and we are taking the appropriate steps to protect it,” he said.
“The beer we sell under the brand Pacific Ale doesn’t fit into any of the established styles of beer.
However, the AIBA definitions could be telling if the predicament worsens.
For the record the USBA defines an Australian-Style Pale Ale as – “light amber to light brown. Chill or hop haze may be evident. Hop aroma is often reminiscent of tropical fruit such as mango, passion fruit and other tropical fruit character. Intensity can be low to medium-high. Malt character has a perceived low to medium caramel-candy sweetness. Hop flavor is aligned with aroma; tropical fruit such as mango, passion fruit and other tropical fruit character.
An English-Style Summer Ale is pale to light amber. Chill haze is allowable at cold temperatures. Fruity-ester aromas are acceptable at low to moderate levels. No diacetyl or DMS aromas should be apparent. Hop aroma is low to medium-low. English, American or noble-type hop aroma should not be assertive and always well balanced with malt aroma. Residual malt sweetness is low to medium. Torrefied and/or malted wheat are often used in quantities of 25% or less. Malt flavor may be biscuit-like. Hop flavor is low to medium-low.
