Best Beers & Ciders in Australia

  1. Pink hue in colour. Stewed rhubarb, faint red berries, touch of hops/malt and a yeasty tang on the nose. Crisp and brisk, fresh acidity, with structure that makes you keep going back for more. There is so much detail here, texture too, an almost vinous expression of extreme complexity but deliciousness. Straight up visceral pleasure but married to drinkability and general appeal. What. A. Beer.

    01. Wildflower - St Phoebe 2019

    State: New South Wales Category: Beer
  2. Pleasant stone-fruit aroma, looks good too with a nice even haze and good foam retention. Well-rounded mouthfeel, definitely more on the bitter side of life. Lots of details yet lots of drinkability. Pitch-perfect play at hop-driven beer styles. Righteous stuff.

    02. The Suburban Brew - No. 2 Pale Ale

    State: South Australia Category: Beer
  3. Beautiful, deep red colour with a really great malt-driven aroma. Very rich, toffee and caramel flavour and despite being a very full-figured beer, the flavours aren't overly intense. There's a hint of spice or earthiness from the hops. An incredibly balanced and sexy looking beer. Would drink happily.

    03. Burnley Brewing - Coffee Brown Ale with These Days Coffee Roasting

    State: Victoria Category: Beer
  4. Cloudy, apple crumble aromas, vibrant green apple, notes of nashi pear and cinnamon. Has lively mouthfeel, pleasing soft-sourness coming through with a nice balance of relatively overt but pleasing sweetness. There's a nice tartness/acid balance and good interest here. A 'please all-comers' style with medium sweetness and easy drinking writ large.

    04. Young Henrys - Cloudy Cider

    State: New South Wales Category: Cider
  5. Very floral - like a bouquet of jasmine. The hop flavour, malt flavour, yeast and bitterness all really well integrated. Great mouthfeel and carbonation. The kind of beer you could drink all afternoon. Excellent.

    05. Uraidla Brewery - Uraidla Brewery Helles Lager

    State: South Australia Category: Beer
  6. Big and delicious coffee aromas with an underlying chocolate milk sweetness. These flavours align perfectly with those aromas, it's rich (very rich), smooth, with roasted coffee flavours and that takes me back to a childhood of milkshakes and strawberry Yogos. Brilliant.

    06. Rocky Ridge Brewing - DB

    State: Western Australia Category: Beer
  7. Tropical fruit aroma - heavy pineapple and light passionfruit. Refreshing, light and dances around the palate. Very moreish as the bitterness cuts through the fruitiness. A brilliant example of the style.

    07. Brick Lane Brewing - One Love Pale Ale

    State: Victoria Category: Beer
  8. Heaps of watermelon/rockmelon/green melon. Refreshing, crisp, tart, clean and bright; mouth-watering finish leaves you wanting more. Would drink the hell out of this. A striking, distinct and wonderful expression here.

    08. Yulli's Brews - Dolly Aldrin Honeydew Melon Berliner Weisse

    State: New South Wales Category: Beer
  9. Everything you'd want in a barrel-aged and blended sour and very delicately displayed. Very easy drinking. You'd start your afternoon with it, crack that baby and share it round. Righteous stuff.

    09. Wildflower - Good as Gold

    State: New South Wales Category: Beer
  10. Light gold in colour with a very slight haze. Great aroma of hop-driven tropical fruits. Well balanced bitterness that is long and persistent without overpowering the fruity hop flavours. Lots to like here.

    10. Uraidla Brewery - Uraidla Brewery Third Eye Pale Ale

    State: South Australia Category: Beer

Category Winners


Crispy Ales

  1. 01.

    Brick Lane Brewing - One Love Pale Ale

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    Tropical fruit aroma - heavy pineapple and light passionfruit. Refreshing, light and dances around the palate. Very moreish as the bitterness cuts through the fruitiness. A brilliant example of the style.

  2. 02.

    The Sparkke Change Beverage Company - Pale Ale

    State: South Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    Bursting with a tropical fruit aroma that's followed by piney and earthy characters on the nose. Straw in colour with a light haze. On the palate, it's a compact yet robust hit to the tastebuds with a clean finish and a pleasing bitterness that is well-balanced with the rest of the beer. This is an excellent example of the style and wildly sessionable.

  3. 03.

    Moo Brew - Mid Strength

    State: Tasmania

    TASTING NOTES:
    Lovely hue. Dank, piney aroma (in a good way). This beer would suit all palates, whether crafty or basic. Carbonation really lifts this beer. Simply very well done.

  4. 04.

    Wippa Snippa - Session Pale

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    Nice golden haze. Pleasant aromas of mango and spruce needle. Brightly carbonated and flavoured with a creeping bitterness. Hits the spot.

  5. 05.

    Burleigh Brewing Co. - Burleigh 28

    State: Queensland

    TASTING NOTES:
    A really interesting aroma that gives more every time you go back. Notes of eucalyptus, rosewater and a background toasted note. Medium body, great balanced bitterness and a dry crisp finish. Strong recommendation.


Crispy Lagers

  1. 01.

    Uraidla Brewery - Uraidla Brewery Helles Lager

    State: South Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    Very floral - like a bouquet of jasmine. The hop flavour, malt flavour, yeast and bitterness all really well integrated. Great mouthfeel and carbonation. The kind of beer you could drink all afternoon. Excellent.

  2. 02.

    Brick Lane Brewing - Base Lager

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    Well carbonated and refreshing. Some residual sweetness and a substantial body but mostly it's a lean, clean, lovely lager that does just what the label says. A very good example here.

  3. 03.

    Moo Brew - Moo Brew Pilsner

    State: Tasmania

    TASTING NOTES:
    Full bodied but still crisp and refreshing. Very true to a well-made Australian draught lager style. Balance between light hop notes, malt sweetness and yeast. The bitterness is quite big but that doesn't take away from its enjoyability.

  4. 04.

    Alby - Draught (can)

    State: Western Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    It's the exact type of lager you'd enjoy in the European sun. The nose showcases the malt profile, yeast characteristics and noble hops. It's clean and it's balanced with a wonderful bitter finish.

  5. 05.

    Detour Beer Co. - Black Spur Draught

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    Nice floral aroma. Might rely too heavily on early addition hops so other elements can't shine, but in the end you get a pleasingly (but quite) bitter beer of good refreshment factor and general zestiness.

  6. 06.

    Felons Brewing Co - Crisp Lager

    State: Queensland

    TASTING NOTES:
    A really enticing nose with a delicate lemon verbena note along with a tasty water cracker malt character. The taste carries the same lemon zestiness. Crisp and dry with a light back-end bitterness. A classic done well.

  7. 07.

    Alby - Crisp (bottle)

    State: Western Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    A great example of a crispy lager. Great clean yeast character and a delicate bready malt profile. All is in check and well-rounded. It's an elegant beer that is not heavy-handed but hits all the points you want from it.


Dark and/or Malt Driven

  1. 01.

    Burnley Brewing - Coffee Brown Ale with These Days Coffee Roasting

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    Beautiful, deep red colour with a really great malt-driven aroma. Very rich, toffee and caramel flavour and despite being a very full-figured beer, the flavours aren't overly intense. There's a hint of spice or earthiness from the hops. An incredibly balanced and sexy looking beer. Would drink happily.

  2. 02.

    Rocky Ridge Brewing - DB

    State: Western Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    Big and delicious coffee aromas with an underlying chocolate milk sweetness. These flavours align perfectly with those aromas, it's rich (very rich), smooth, with roasted coffee flavours and that takes me back to a childhood of milkshakes and strawberry Yogos. Brilliant.

  3. 03.

    Moo Brew - Dark Ale

    State: Tasmania

    TASTING NOTES:
    Dark brown with a slight red hue. Notes of dark fruit and Christmas cake spices along with dried fruits. A nice toasty malt character is lifted with a well balanced hop profile that helps lift the beer without stealing the limelight from the malt character, which is at the forefront of this beer. The hops bitterness also pairs well with the roasty malt character, this means a solid finish to the beer that has a light roasty lingering end. A lot going on, a lot to enjoy.

  4. 04.

    Sailors Grave Brewing - Law of the tongue - Oyster stout

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    Has viscosity and intensity; straight up delicious beer. Incredibly smoky aroma with a bacon bone element, too. It has a lovely balance, with acidity from the roast, a meatiness (in the best possible way) that's cut through by a malty sweetness at the end. Beautifully balanced.

  5. 05.

    Frenchies Bistro and Brewery - Laperouse (golden biere de garde)

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    Good head retention. Spiced fruit yeast-driven aroma that's pleasantly restrained. Despite its light appearance, it's full bodied, rich and reasonably sessionable for a beer that is very full of flavour. Nicely done.

  6. 06.

    Brick Lane Brewing - Red Hoppy Ale

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    Light amber colour deceives how complex this beer is. The aroma has a nice spicy hop note that pairs really well with sweet caramel malt characters. A great balance between malts and hops that brings a bright freshness to the beer that makes this super drinkable. A great malt-forward beer.


Fruit & Hybrid

  1. 01.

    Wildflower - St Phoebe 2019

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    Pink hue in colour. Stewed rhubarb, faint red berries, touch of hops/malt and a yeasty tang on the nose. Crisp and brisk, fresh acidity, with structure that makes you keep going back for more. There is so much detail here, texture too, an almost vinous expression of extreme complexity but deliciousness. Straight up visceral pleasure but married to drinkability and general appeal. What. A. Beer.

  2. 02.

    Wildflower - St Florence 2019: Semillon

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    A big nose of mixed fermentation and nice barrel/wood characters. Lovely zippy citrus body that gives a nice pleasant lift to the beer with a dry finish that makes you come back for more. A detailed beer of high charisma and interest, yet high drinkability in tow.

  3. 03.

    Matso's Brewery - Matso's Ginger Beer

    State: Western Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    Great and ultra-refreshing ginger beer. Good balance of sweetness without being over the top and a neat hit of gingery spice through it all. A nice building ginger heat making for an attractive finish.

  4. 04.

    Van Dieman Brewing - Claude

    State: Tasmania

    TASTING NOTES:
    Big notes of blue cheese and a grainy malt sweetness with a touch of spicy hop notes. Acidity gives a zip to the beer followed by a long bitterness. Plenty of yeasty funk and detail here, also palate-cleasing tang. Feels very 'of the grain and yeast' spectrum with balance despite the zing.


Hop Driven

  1. 01.

    The Suburban Brew - No. 2 Pale Ale

    State: South Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    Pleasant stone-fruit aroma, looks good too with a nice even haze and good foam retention. Well-rounded mouthfeel, definitely more on the bitter side of life. Lots of details yet lots of drinkability. Pitch-perfect play at hop-driven beer styles. Righteous stuff.

  2. 02.

    Uraidla Brewery - Uraidla Brewery Third Eye Pale Ale

    State: South Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    Light gold in colour with a very slight haze. Great aroma of hop-driven tropical fruits. Well balanced bitterness that is long and persistent without overpowering the fruity hop flavours. Lots to like here.

  3. 03.

    Felons Brewing Co - IPA

    State: Queensland

    TASTING NOTES:
    A strong, robust hop-driven style throwing out a boozy funk yet still curiously delicate - all this without blowing you head off. Soft and full-bodied with a nice citrus character, a touch of passionfruit and greenery, and, importantly, with a bitterness that is in check. Good-good.

  4. 04.

    The Grifter Brewing Co - Big Sur West Coast IPA

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    Great aroma of malt and hops. Pronounced bitterness lending to a full experience thanks to its full flavour. Big citrus flavour. Big! Great West Coast ale kind of vibe but doesn't miss drinkability and easy appeal. Step in, the water is fine.

  5. 05.

    One Drop Brewing Co - XPA

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    Piney, sprucey and resinous nose. Lifted mouthfeel. Visually appealing. A very good beer for hop heads who love their classic West Coast styles.

  6. 06.

    Bodriggy Brewing Company - Cosmic Microwave NEIPA

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    Big hazy beer with notes of tropical breakfast juice and Frosty Fruits ice blocks. Nice big, thick mouthfeel with a subtle spicy warmth on the back-end - very smashable with lots of flavour and aroma.

  7. 07.

    Tinnies - Tropical XPA

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    A fruity hoppy aroma and a conversely bright and lively mouthfeel. Smooth ride and a well-rounded finish. Overall, a good beer, nicely done, good wild-green edge, good fruitiness. Good. Good. Good.

  8. 08.

    Yulli's Brews - Amanda Mandarin IPA

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    Big passionfruit aroma with some green mango and orange-y citrus there too. Mid- to high-carbonation, which perfectly suits the fuller figured, juicy-citrusy style. The pronounced bitterness is backed by its malt profile. We're happy with this beer.

  9. 09.

    Buckaroo Brew Co - The Winemakers Cleansing Ale

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    Visually displays a nice haze. Because of its subtle aroma, the big floral, perfumey hop flavour pleasantly surprises. All the juiciness is backed up by a fitting bitterness in its finish. Pretty darn good.

  10. 10.

    Bodriggy Brewing Company - Highbinder Pale Ale

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    A big summer fruit salad nose with a little citrus squeezed on top. Full AF mouthfeel. Finishes with a sharp bitterness that cuts through the flavour. Would enjoy smashing with a big block of quality cheddar. Good beer, well done.


Sour, Farmhouse & Wild Ferment

  1. 01.

    Rocky Ridge Brewing - Blueberry Sour

    State: Western Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    Peachy, hazy hue. Meaty aroma (in a good way). Covers the palate really nicely. Heaps of depth, lots of sour tang and yeasty lift. Brilliant example of the style: balanced, long, flavoursome and fresh. Such joy.

  2. 02.

    Yulli's Brews - Dolly Aldrin Honeydew Melon Berliner Weisse

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    Heaps of watermelon/rockmelon/green melon. Refreshing, crisp, tart, clean and bright; mouth-watering finish leaves you wanting more. Would drink the hell out of this. A striking, distinct and wonderful expression here.

  3. 03.

    Wildflower - Good as Gold

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    Everything you'd want in a barrel-aged and blended sour and very delicately displayed. Very easy drinking. You'd start your afternoon with it, crack that baby and share it round. Righteous stuff.

  4. 04.

    Wildflower - Solera

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    Bright, fresh, multi-layered acidity, meaty, cloy-y. Spice, earth, savoury detail, wood spice, yeasty lift, so much going on. Strikingly good beer of complexity and deliciousness.

  5. 05.

    Wildflower - Gold

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    Top-notch, barrel-aged and blended sour - tang, bloody notes, ferrous detail. Very easy drinking though plenty of yeasty, light malt and hops complexity. You'd start your afternoon (or morning) with it. Oh yeah, that citrusy-yeasty refreshing tang to close. Top notch.

  6. 06.

    Wildflower - Amber

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    I smell malt! Yay! Colour is gorgeous. The rich sweetness and the acidity complement each other nicely. It presented slightly chalky in texture, some tannins perhaps, so you could go either way on that. So much charisma here and so much good drinking.


Other Fermented Alcoholic Drinks

  1. 01.

    The Sparkke Change Beverage Company - Hard Lemonade

    State: South Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    Scents of real lemonade or pub squash. What fun! Great balance of sugar and acidity, very true and appealing 'real lemon' character through this brew. What a cracking drink this is - so well crafted in the 'smart adult soft drink' vibe.

  2. 02.

    Sunlight Liquor - Gums & Roses Sparkling Mead / South Australian multi-flora honey (Wirrabara) with Strawberry Gum leaves and Rosella flowers

    State: South Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    Visually beautiful mead. Delicate honey flavour with elderflower, musk stick, Turkish delight and an overal elegant perfume character. It's light and subtle but still flavourful. It is so very pleasing to drink. It's mead for the masses with personality. Done so well.  

  3. 03.

    DIRTY BUCHA - BOTANICAL GIN + LEMON MYRTLE KOMBUCHA

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    Lemon sherbert with a nice, tight grip to the body without being too sweet. Good, strong, pleasing, bitter herb and lemon tea elements. Pleasant, dry finish too. Interesting and exotic. Like it!


New World Ciders

  1. 01.

    Young Henrys - Cloudy Cider

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    Cloudy, apple crumble aromas, vibrant green apple, notes of nashi pear and cinnamon. Has lively mouthfeel, pleasing soft-sourness coming through with a nice balance of relatively overt but pleasing sweetness. There's a nice tartness/acid balance and good interest here. A 'please all-comers' style with medium sweetness and easy drinking writ large.

  2. 02.

    Napoleone - Napoleone Apple Cider

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    Clear, bright and clean, offering fresh apple, cooking spices, bright aromas and flavours. Nice! Shows good balance of sweetness with nice, tart finish. A straight-forward cider but done oh so very, very well.

  3. 03.

    The Hills Cider Company - Pear

    State: South Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    Easy drinking personified but enough to catch attention in the detail too. Shows golden and toasty characters with sweet-spiced apple crumble notes, Pear Drops' lolly character and bright acidity, general vibrancy, mellow feel and flavoursome, charismatic proper fruit character.


Traditional/Wild Fermented Apple Ciders

  1. 01.

    Willie Smith's Cider Makers - 2018 Kingston Black

    State: Tasmania

    TASTING NOTES:
    Lifted apple aroma, great carbonation and acid structure, light but fine tannin profile, excellent length of flavour and inherent dry apple, light farmhouse-y characters. Complex yet with high drinkability. Very good traditional cider.

  2. 02.

    Buckaroo Brew Co - The Vignerons Quenching Cider

    State: New South Wales

    TASTING NOTES:
    Great balance, offering clean but ripe red apple characters, brisk fizz of carbonation, good tang to acidity, delicate tannin kiss. Highly drinkable but also one for the cider nerds.


Speciality Apple Ciders

  1. 01.

    The Hills Cider Company - Cloudy Apple

    State: South Australia

    TASTING NOTES:
    Good apple aroma. Very well balanced. Starts off sweet but then the tartness lovingly washes over your tongue. Very effervescent, which gives it a nice light flavour profile. Incredibly well balanced, lovely and enjoyable cider. Kudos!

  2. 02.

    Adams Evening Cider - Extra Special Midnight Tonic 2018

    State: Victoria

    TASTING NOTES:
    Wild funky aroma with red apple skin and pleasing brett. It's acidic and tart, borderline sour but it's held in check by the full fruit flavour. The brett character is really prominent and balances beautifully with the tartness of fruit. This is a brilliant and character-filled cider. More please.