BREWERY // It all began with Michael Jackson. The beer critic's 1980s documentary TV Series 'The Beer Hunter' saw Jackson travel the world seeking out wonderful beers and it had a lasting effect on a teenaged Matt Houghton watching in Australia. Years later, Matt set out to follow in the Beer Hunter's footsteps to hallowed beer locales including Brugge, Boulder, Bavaria and Britain. Upon returning home, his dismay at the appallingly limited local beers available led him to take his homebrewing to the next level by enrolling in university to study brewing. After several years of studying then contract brewing, Matt and his wife Andrea took over a Melbourne building, pieced together brewing equipment from around the world and set up Australia's first barrelroom & cellar door in 2012. Since then Boatrocker has delighted drinkers and competition judges alike with their wide range of innovative beers (and recently, spirits) whether they be wild fermented, barrel-aged, packed with hops or lagered.
BEER // There's a good reason that big stouts top the rankings of review sites such as RateBeer & Untappd. A well crafted, boozy, flavour-packed stout is truly a thing to behold. Oakey Dokey is a pretty traditional take on the style using British malt for layers of complexity with a moderate amount of British hops for a balanced bitterness. There are roasty notes of dark chocolate and espresso to be found from the maltbill. The full bodied, rich stout was then finished on American oak to take it up another level. The oak brings vanilla and a slightly spicy character to the mouth party for a very welcome, and classy, addition.
BREWERY // Boatrocker
BEER // Oakey Dokey
STYLE // Stout
ORIGIN // Melbourne
ABV // 7.5%
TEMPERATURE // A touch cooler than room temp
FOOD MATCH // Smoked Salmon. Cheeseburger. Tiramisu. Dark Chocolate Cookies
VESSEL // Chalice