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The Potting Shed, Alexandria & Cascade First Harvest 2014

Cascade Brewery has launched Cascade First Harvest 2014 vintage in Sydney at a media lunch held at the Grounds’ Potting Shed in Alexandria.

Photography © by Gourmantic – Copyright: All rights reserved.

Cascade head brewer, Mike Unsworth and Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) beer ambassador, Jamie Fox launched the thirteenth vintage which is a limited edition of 5000 cases.

The event started with an introduction to Cascade brewery, how to taste beer and the four heroes of beer being water, malt, yeast and hops before a shared lunch was served. The menu at the Potting Shed has a focus on quality farm fresh produce and each course was paired with a brew.

Cascade Pale Ale is made from Pride of Ringwood hops which give the beer a hoppy nose and malt notes. The beer was paired with Bread from the Grounds bakery made with Cascade yeast, and a Grazing Board of Tasmanian oysters, cheese and olives.

Cascade Bright Ale is made from 100% malt and a blend of three hops, Pride of Ringwood which give it a little bitterness and Galaxy and Cascade hops that impart floral aroma. An easy drinking beer, it’s crisp and refreshing and goes well with the Baked Tasmanian Salmon with lemon, garlic, and salsa verde.

The star of the tasting, Cascade First Harvest Ale 2014 was picked and brewed on 12th March 2014. The brew is made from three experimental hop varieties grown in Tasmania, Macquarie which gives it bitterness, Argyle for flavour and Brooker for aroma. Cascade First Harvest is a traditional top fermented ale with a rich amber colour, and flavour of toffee, stone fruit and a peppery finish. This is a delicious full-bodied beer to savour alone or with food such as the Cape Grim Beef with new season potatoes, garlic and rosemary, and the Roast Corn-Fed Chicken stuffed with quinoa, peppers, almonds and currants.

A vertical tasting of vintages from 2011 to 2014 highlights the effects of ageing on the beer. While the 2014 vintage had pronounced toffee and caramel notes, the 2013 was more fruity with spearmint notes. The 2012 had notes of blackcurrants with a little sweetness and caramel notes while 2011 still retained hop notes but had mellowed in flavour.

To finish, Cascade Stout’s toffee and caramel notes paired well with a Cheese Platter of Pyengana Traditional Clothbound Cheddar, Tasmanian Heritage Brie, Tasmanian Heritage Classic Blue along with Assorted Anvers Truffles made with the stout beer. The brew is made from roasted barley which gives it chocolate notes with toffee along with a hint of lingering bitterness.

Cascade First Harvest 2014 launch was held in Sydney on Tuesday 3 June 2014.

The Potting Shed
The Grounds of Alexandria
41-43 Bourke Rd Alexandria, NSW

About the author

Corinne Mossati

Corinne Mossati is a drinks writer, author of GROW YOUR OWN COCKTAIL GARDEN, SHRUBS & BOTANICAL SODAS and founder/editor of Gourmantic, Cocktails & Bars and The Gourmantic Garden. She has been writing extensively about spirits, cocktails, bars and cocktail gardening in more recent years. She is a spirits and cocktail competition judge, Icons of Whisky Australia nominee, contributor to Diageo Bar Academy, cocktail developer and is named in Australian Bartender Magazine's Top 100 Most Influential List. Her cocktail garden was featured on ABC TV’s Gardening Australia and has won several awards. She is a contributor to Real World Gardener radio program and is featured in several publications including Pip Magazine, Organic Gardener, Australian Bartender and Breathe (UK). Read the full bio here.

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