The Sip #48 - La Sirene Praline
Long-time beer drinker and The Sip editor Ross Lewis puts some of Australia's top drops to the test.
Catch up with other beers on The Sip Archive
Is it a dessert? Could it be a milkshake? Or has someone put a chocolate bar and a splash of milk in a blender?
The Sip can confirm that La Sirene’s unique concoction – after all the Melbourne crew like to do things differently – is a beer.
And Praline is a super sweet tasting affair.
Costa Nikias has become renowned in the good Australian beer industry for his passion for beverages that aren’t commonplace in the market.
La Sirene’s Saison gave drinkers a chance to enjoy a Belgian farmhouse-style nectar with a local flavour.
The Fleur Folie, a Saison Miel which has a honey flower twist, expanded on the theme.
So when La Sirene was required to produce something unique for this year’s Great Australian Beer Spectapular it wasn’t difficult for Nikias to put his creative mind into overdrive.
He liked the idea of a Praline. So, too, did the punters at GABS. The brew was judged the patron’s favourite at the 2014 festival in May.
In keeping with previous winners of the GABS’ popular vote the success prompted La Sirene to commercially release the delight. And instead of the 85ml tasters, Praline has been distributed in 750ml bottles.
The large packaging encourages sharing and it has a strong place as an after-dinner experience.
Praline is sweet but it is the chocolate and hazelnut characteristics that burst through on smell and taste.
Drinkers could almost be excused at times for believing they are consuming a melted Milky Way with the nuts from a Snickers thrown in.
However, it is too flippant to see Praline as a glorified milkshake. It stands as a sensational beer. The beverage has a strong dark Belgian brew foundation and there is a vanilla fix late on the sip.
Praline takes a little bit of work to find. Mane Liquor in Perth had a good stock recently. But it is well worth the effort.
You won’t have ever tasted anything like it.
The Sip Snip
Praline
Brewer: La Sirene, Melbourne
Style: Sweet stout/Belgian chocolate ale
Alcohol content: 6%
Standard drinks: 3.6
Bitterness: N/A
Bottles: 750ml bottle
Estimated calories: 180 over 330ml
The Sip Tip (rating): Gold medal material
Average prices: $25 a bottle at Mane Liquor in Belmont.
