But “Family Secrets Amber Ale” will only be available on tap in selected hotels across Australia when it is released in mid-October.
Family Secrets Amber Ale is the second limited edition seasonal beer Coopers has released this year, following the release of Brew A IPA (India Pale Ale) in April.
Coopers Sales and Marketing Director, Mr Cam Pearce, said releasing limited edition seasonal beers was a way of Coopers underlining its credentials as Australia’s original craft brewery while also providing the on-premise market with a unique product to help drive customer traffic. “For the past 154 years, Coopers has specialised in brewing unique secondary fermented ales,” he said.
“Amber Ale, along with Pale Ale and IPA, is one of the major beer styles produced today by craft brewers around the world. With interest in Amber Ale growing in Australia, the Cooper family decided to share its unique expression of this in-demand beer.”
Mr Pearce said the “family secret” to the new beer lay in the carefully cultivated strain of Coopers’ yeast that had been kept under lock and key for generations.
Coopers Managing Director and Chief Brewer, Dr Tim Cooper, said Family Secrets Amber Ale was distinguished by a rich, malt character arising from the selection of caramalt, crystal and roasted malts used in the grist. This produced a beer with a rich ruby hue and a crisp refreshing taste.
Centennial and Galaxy hops augment the fragrant and floral aromas of esters arising from the ale fermentation. At 5.2% alcohol and 35 International Bitterness units, Family Secrets Amber Ale comfortably fits within the Amber Ale specifications. Only 1500 kegs have been brewed.
Mr Pearce said Brew A IPA had attracted strong interest when it was released in April and stocks had quickly run out. “We expect a similar response to Family Secrets Amber Ale,” he said.
Family Secrets Amber Ale: Tasting Notes
Coopers Brewery has released its second limited edition seasonal beer, named Family Secrets Amber Ale.
Family Secrets Amber Ale is distinguished by a rich malt character arising from the selection of caramalt, crystal and roasted malts used in the grist. Two types of caramalt, combined with the other malts, have been chosen to give this ale a distinctive translucent ruby red colour, crowned with a fine white creamy head.
From the brewhouse, Coopers’ brewing team have crafted an interpretation of this beer style which offers a full-bodied, sweet taste with subtle flavours of honey and caramel.
Family Secrets Amber Ale has a moderate level of bitterness of 35 IBU to balance the malty sweetness, with Centennial and Galaxy hops used to augment the fragrant and floral aromas of esters arising from the ale fermentation. These hops provide spicy and nutty characters, along with an infusion of aromatic notes of stone-fruit, mint and blueberry.
The ‘family secret’ to this brew is in the fermentation and lagering process. Coopers selected a unique ale strain from their yeast collection to produce a beer with a distinctive ale flavour, combined with the crisp and refreshing taste of a lager beer. This ale yeast has been kept frozen at minus 80C for many years, waiting for its chance to deliver an exceptional brew.
An extended fermentation and lagering process was carried out to facilitate flavour maturation prior to filtration, with the final beer having an alcohol content of 5.2% by volume. This ale does not have the familiar Coopers cloudy appearance, but instead stands out as a visually appealing, ruby-coloured bright beer with excellent head retention.
The sweet, malty, caramel aroma and flavour of this beer is a good match with chicken and seafood dishes, such as Teriyaki and sweet and sour respectively.
Family Secrets Amber Ale follows on from Brew ‘A’ IPA, and is a further addition to the Thomas Cooper’s Selection range of premium crafted beers.
Once again, Coopers will only release this special brew in kegs which will be made available to selected outlets from October 2016.
Stamford Plaza (La Boca), Sean’s Kitchen, Rob Roy Hotel
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