White Rabbit Brewery, Healesville.

[zebba]

I had some of the white rabbit ale at the melb food and wine festival.

(Be aware, my pallete was a little spoilt at the time, so don't use this as a basis for visiting or not!)

For a dark ale, it was a very refreshing drop. Not malty or sweet, the flavour came mostly from some nice hopping. The aroma was great - I could have got lost in that smell if it wasn't for the fact I was a man on a mission (too many wineries/brew stalls, not enough time...).

I expected something a bit heavier tasting. It wasn't. I can't say I wasn't a little disappointed as I was looking forward to a big malty brew, something that had been hard to find throughout the day. I think this could tie in to Thirsty Boys comments earlier though - it was a small taster, and it was very cold, so I imagine as Thirsty pointed out that as it warmed those malts would come through better. But it was a worthy brew nonetheless - not the best I've ever had, but certainly drinkable. If it was on tap at a bar, it would be in the running.

Sorry I can't give more exact details - it was a while ago, and it was a big day.

And the guy at the stall was real friendly and chatted to me and my mate for quite a while.

 

[HoppingMad]

Found the same Zebba, very light tasting beer despite its dark appearance. Quite sessionable and would have chugged heaps but had to drive (slaps hand to forehead).

Big cascade hop taste as is common in the Little Creatures beers, so everything that goes with that - piney, citrusy aromas, particularly when you get it fresh. Liked it, but had that familiar LC taste so wasn't breaking amazing new ground - if you're already a Little Creatures convert you'll enjoy it. If you don't like their floral hoppy thing in your beer then you won't. That said it is a nicely balanced beer and you do get some malt sweetness coming through I found - but I let mine warm up a little before finishing it.

Have tried this at both Little Creatures Dining Hall (Fitzroy) now and at the Brewery in Healesville and can say that the Healesville Brewery stuff is best - nice and fresh probably because there's quicker turnover on the kegs. At LC Dining Hall the hops were quite dull in it. But hey all tastes are different.

Hopper.

 

[manticle]

Just seen a poster advertising this at my local bottle shop. I was already walking out the door but might be giving it a crack tomorrow.

 

[benny_bjc]

Just seen a poster advertising this at my local bottle shop. I was already walking out the door but might be giving it a crack tomorrow.

Where is your local bottlo!!!? I'm so eager to get a hold of a 6-pack....!

 

[Gerard_M]

They have had the White Rabbit on tap at The Riverview in Balmain. I dropped in there today, but they had just run out!
Cheers
Gerard

 

[haysie]

They have had the White Rabbit on tap at The Riverview in Balmain. I dropped in there today, but they had just run out!
Cheers
Gerard

Darn Wabbit!!

 

[manticle]

Where is your local bottlo!!!? I'm so eager to get a hold of a 6-pack....!

I've lauded it many times. It's basically just a corner grocery shop/liquor shop but it has a great beer range at very reasonable prices.

Melville Road Cellars, Cnr Hope St and Melville Rd, Brunswick West, Victoria. If you're remotely local it's pretty good. I'll miss it if I move.

 

[jayse]

Had some off tap at the wheatsheaf saturday and really enjoyed it, I remember having great tasting notes in my head at the time but forgoten now.
I invision drinking plenty more theres just enough complexity to make you sit and think yourself stupid while you drink it, nice interesting beer.

 

[Count Vorlauf]

Big cascade hop taste as is common in the Little Creatures beers, so everything that goes with that - piney, citrusy aromas, particularly when you get it fresh. Liked it, but had that familiar LC taste so wasn't breaking amazing new ground - if you're already a Little Creatures convert you'll enjoy it. If you don't like their floral hoppy thing in your beer then you won't. That said it is a nicely balanced beer and you do get some malt sweetness coming through I found - but I let mine warm up a little before finishing it.

How sure are you about the Cascade hops? I ask because the country-wide shortage of Galaxy (in commercial quantities) is generally attributed to LC having snapped them all up.

 

[Fourstar]

the missus reckons it's just another rabbit. but it's standing on all four extended legs???
a goat or a dog perhaps? 'grey goat'

I belive it looks like 2 dogs.... well, u know.

 

[dig]

Just on the WR v. LC thing:

A lot of effort was put into making WR as dissimilar to LCPA as possible and as a result, the beer sports different malts, different hops, different yeast strain, different water and a whole raft of different processes and techniques. That commitment to being different is beginning to bear fruit. The batch of WR that the lads packed on monday has a wonderful balance, classy malt flavours, lovely subtle hopping and an ester profile unlike any other local beer. And this was always going to be the hard part; they have achieved a really nice synergy between malt, hops and esters to produce a beer greater that the sum of its parts. Really good and should continue to get better.

Fourstar is right; two bunnies going at it in the hollow tree.

 

[sinkas]

is this avaiul at lc's in freo yet?

 

[Fourstar]

Just on the WR v. LC thing:
A lot of effort was put into making WR as dissimilar to LCPA as possible and as a result, the beer sports different malts, different hops, different yeast strain, different water and a whole raft of different processes and techniques. That commitment to being different is beginning to bear fruit. The batch of WR that the lads packed on monday has a wonderful balance, classy malt flavours, lovely subtle hopping and an ester profile unlike any other local beer. And this was always going to be the hard part; they have achieved a really nice synergy between malt, hops and esters to produce a beer greater that the sum of its parts. Really good and should continue to get better.
Fourstar is right; two bunnies going at it in the hollow tree.

Sounds like the local character is starting to come out dig! The taster i had at the good food and wine show had a slight belgian phenolic quality to it. Not to menaiton it seemed slightly over carbed. i cant ait to try it in the bottles onces you're processes are down pat.

heheh 2 bunnies... is it going to be like that old beverage '2dogs'

 

[brettprevans]

im still amazed that people thought it was dogs. it the white rabbit brewery ffs!

Maple and I are still as yet to make the motorbike ride up to healsville and see you blokes yet. soon. soon i hope.

 

[HoppingMad]

How sure are you about the Cascade hops? I ask because the country-wide shortage of Galaxy (in commercial quantities) is generally attributed to LC having snapped them all up.

Nope I'm not sure Count. I'm just another armchair expert on this forum speculating , but that's what my tastebuds told me when I first tried it, then when I tried it at a different venue.

Both times I'm tasting pine and citrus at the front. Tasted like Cascade hops to me. The first was an earlier batch, when the brewery was newly opened so I'm sure the guys have been tinkering as Dig suggests. The second rabbit I had at LC dining hall tasted nothing like the Brewery one and had very little hop aroma at all but could still detect it. Plenty of threads about Little Creature's hops confirm that LC use US Cascade or NZ Cascade when they can't get that, so the hop seems to be a constant in their beer.

ie:
- Pale Ale - Cascade, EKG & Chinook (Blackboard photo confirmed you'll find around here by searching)
- Photos of Hopback on here from LC brewery filled with Cascade flowers, and side of box photo confirming US Cascade shipment.

Galaxy has been snapped up by plenty of breweries - don't know about what LC would use Galaxy in, but Crown Ambassador (CUB), First Harvest (Cascade), Mountain Goat, and plenty of other places dabbling with it, so wouldn't go as far as to say LC has dibs on it.

Happy to be wrong on this, but galaxy imparts a bit of passionfruit and was not getting much of that vibe in the early White Rabbit beer I tried.

Hopper.

 

[Millet Man]

Galaxy has been snapped up by plenty of breweries - don't know about what LC would use Galaxy in, but Crown Ambassador (CUB), First Harvest (Cascade), Mountain Goat, and plenty of other places dabbling with it, so wouldn't go as far as to say LC has dibs on it.

Galaxy is a reasonable sub for chinook if you can't get it and blends well with cascade. Been using galaxy since it came out last year and I prefer it over chinook any day.

Cheers, Andrew.

 

[drsmurto]

Had some off tap at the wheatsheaf saturday and really enjoyed it, I remember having great tasting notes in my head at the time but forgoten now.
I invision drinking plenty more theres just enough complexity to make you sit and think yourself stupid while you drink it, nice interesting beer.

Just what i've been waiting to hear! Need to drag my arse down there again soon and sample this beer.

I assume its still served a touch on the cold side?

 

[dig]

Also just to clarify, I no longer work there.

 

[HoppingMad]

Galaxy is a reasonable sub for chinook if you can't get it and blends well with cascade.

This is good news Andrew, just brewed a pale ale myself with this combination (galaxy and cascade). Looking forward to trying it as haven't put them together before in one of my brews.

Hopper.

 

[ausdb]

Galaxy is a reasonable sub for chinook if you can't get it and blends well with cascade. Been using galaxy since it came out last year and I prefer it over chinook any day.

Andrew it would seem that the LC people over in WA have the same opinion as you, Alex did a pretty cool talk on all things hops at our BJCP judging course class the other week.