The Dalgety Brewing Company bills itself as the true snowy brewer. Located about half way between Berridale and Dalgety, the microbrewer also claims to be the first commercial producer in the snow mountains region. But I suspect they’d be in a photo finish with Lion Nathan’s Jindabyne-based Kosciusko Brewing for that honour.

I’ve not visited the cellar door (it’s part of the Snowy Vineyard Estate) but the bottled version, distributed in Canberra by Z4, is already available at the Ginger Room at old parliament house and Canberra Cellars, Braddon.

The beers are made on site in 100 litre batches by David Lowe. And if they don’t have the classy polish of Lion’s Kosciuszko Pale Ale, there’s an appealing, idiosyncratic, homespun, wholemeal goodness about them (a natural cloudy yeast haze and a slight resinous edge to the hops that builds as you sip).

There’s the foundation for real quality and character across the range, best evidenced in the very fresh, zesty Golden Ale. It’s not inherently a better style than Dalgety’s Blonde Ale, Pale Ale or Red Ale – just fresher, livelier and showing finer, clearer hops aroma, flavour and bitterness. This could be related to the difficulties of small batch bottling – a tricky feat for the even the cleverest brewer.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2009