By Amy Looker
Crown Ambassador Reserve Lager 2011 has been released for sale, after a delay pushed back its original release date in August.
The super-premium beer was originally slated for release in August but master brewer, John Cozens, made the call to give the brew additional bottle maturation time.
Its official release was pushed back to Monday 14 November, with the beer rolling out to retailers over the last week.
There are only 5000 individually numbered bottles available of Crown Ambassador Reserve Lager 2011, which will retail at $89.99.
Collectors will be quick to snap up the limited release brew, which Cozens said is a complex and distinctive lager that gets its unique flavour profile from the use of brand new French oak barrels.
“We have never used brand-new French oak barrels in the maturation process before and the result has blown us away – the lager has soaked up the ‘new wood’ notes associated with the first-time use of the barrels and this is evident in the layering of the tank brew with the barrel-aged brew,” explained Cozens.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled with the 2011 vintage, the flavour is intriguing, and like nothing we have produced.”