The 2013 edition of Cascade Brewery's First Harvest Ale, which celebrates the best of the annual Tasmanian hop harvest, has been released.
Brewed using freshly picked hops and the first barley of the season, this year's release is the twelfth vintage of the Cascade First Harvest Ale, the first craft beer in Australia to use freshly picked hops in its brew.
Overseen by head brewer Mike Unsworth, Cascade's First Harvest Ale was ahead of its time when it was initially brewed in 2002 using three different 'experimental hops' that had never been used in commercial brewing before, each offering different flavour, aroma and bitterness qualities.
This year, the freshly-picked hops are named after the mountains surrounding the Derwent Valley; Wellington – the hop used for bitterness, Belmont – a flavour hop and Field – an aroma hop, and the brewing team is extremely delighted with the results.
Click 'play' to watch the 'limited edition' film showing the First Harvest brewing process
"The 2013 First Harvest Ale will again live up to expectations. It has an aroma of prominent fruity notes with smoky overtones, while the palate exhibits flavours of peach, with a spicy finish ensuring a complex but balanced beer," Unsworth said.
To mark the release of the 2013 First Harvest, Cascade has created a short 'limited edition' film of the handcrafted brewing process, which can be viewed only 5000 times before it disappears.
Just 5000 cases of 2013 Cascade First Harvest Ale are available nationally at select liquor retailers. It can also be found in draught on tap in a handful of venues in Tasmania, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. The RRP is $19.95 per 375ml four-pack.