The Sip #66 Beaten Track Scotch Ale
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
Not all the gold that comes out of Kalgoorlie-Boulder was found in the ground.
If you’re fortunate to visit the Goldfields hub you can strike it rich from a keg. Or if you can squeeze in a visit to a few speciality bottle shops in Perth drinkers can fill their pot with the precious treasure.
Nick Galton-Fenzi is in an interesting position in WA brewing – and we’re not just referencing his headquarters 600km east of Perth.
Kalgoorlie-Boulder was once the centre of the State’s brewing culture with a pub on almost every corner to satisfy the prospectors around the turn of the 1800s.
Now the big players have gone. Galton-Fenzi’s Beaten Track Brewery has become the only significant micro-brewer in town and he has established a fine stable of beers.
His Youngs Scotch Ale has become slightly more commonplace in good beer shops such as Mane Liquor in Belmont.
While the red dust pits of the Goldfields aren’t comparable to the misty highlands of Scotland, Galton-Fenzi has fastidiously stayed on style to produce a flavoursome drop.
As the nights get colder – and let The Sip assure readers it gets mighty chilly in Kalgoorlie-Boulder in the winter – this is a perfect late-night sipper.
It is like that favourite hot beverage late in the evening. As it trickles down the throat it is like an internal electric blanket giving a pleasant warmth to the whole body.
At 5.8 per cent it sits pleasantly in the comfortable drinking range. And it is very easy on the mouthfeel.
There is a slight rummy taste, some biscuit and a toasty element from the malts.
Beer lovers might have to go off the beaten track to find the Scotch Ale. But the journey is worth it.
The Sip Snip
Youngs Scotch Ale
Brewer: Beaten Track Brewery
Style: Wee Heavy/Scotch Ale
Alcohol content: 5.8%
Standard drinks: 2
Bitterness: 18IBU
Bottles: 640ml
Estimated calories: 174
The Sip Tip (rating): For impressing your mates.
Average prices: $13.99 a 640ml bottle.
