Chris Shanahan: Lobethal beer

A couple of Alistair Turnbull’s bottled beers enjoyed here in Canberra, prompted a visit to his Lobethal Bierhaus. We’d been in the Barossa, so motored up through Angaston and south along the Mounty Lofty ranges.

Henschke, at Keyneton, doesn’t open Sundays, so we continued south through Springton, Eden Valley and across the invisible border to the Adelaide Hills and its string of lovely villages, including Lobethal.

It’s winter but a balmy 19 degrees, tempting the Bierhaus crowd, largely families with kids, into the beer garden, though the hall inside fills up with lunch time revelers, too.

It’s hard to imagine a friendlier, more relaxed place, offering good local food and soft drinks as well as the exceptionally good beers Turnbull brews on site. It’s a must visit, and an easy drive from Adelaide, or via the scenic route, going to or from the Barossa.

Lobethal Hefeweizen 330ml $4.99
Lobethal Bierhaus makes its wheat beer in the southern Bavarian style, characterised by a highly aromatic fruity character. A yeast haze hangs in the lovely golden liquid, topped by a dense white foam. The generous, creamy textured palate refreshes with its fruity flavour and tangy dry finish.

Lobethal Bierhaus Red Truck Porter 330ml $4.99
Porter sits at the dark end of the ale spectrum, generally a tad lighter coloured than stout, though that distinction doesn’t always hold. The aroma suggests roasted grain, coffee and chocolate – flavours delivered generously on the palate. A subtle hops flavour adds freshness and a mild bitterness that offsets the generous malt flavours.