Woolshed Brewery, SA

Kyle’s Favourite: AAAM Beer
Liz’ Favourite: Amazon Ale

This is close to Renmark and we felt that we hadn’t checked out a brewery in a while (or at least it felt that way, the desert was dry…) so we wandered in. The bar was set in a large metal warehouse but decked out in the rustic wooden beams but with a modern feel with beer bottles from all over the place on a feature wall. It could have been a 100 year old wool shed but health and safety may have stepped in on a few issues.

They have 8 drinks on tap, we tried the Summer Ale, Amazon Ale (Pale Ale), Judas the Dark (Dark Ale), AAAM Beer (Amber Ale), Cherax Destructor (IPA) and Hard Lemonade. Their tasting platters are well priced at $15 for any 4 drinks on tap, each 200ml. Plus all their drinks again well priced at $7-$7.50 for a pint! (not that we got any).

The Summer Ale was meant to be brewed in a kolsch style; it was a great summer beer but was verging on for a pilsner in flavour (without the gas). Amazon Ale was Liz’s pick and it was so different from all the other pale ales we have tried. It tasted a little bit like caramel digestives; it had a very mild bitterness and was just an interesting taste in the good sense. The Judas the Dark was a traditional dark ale but it also had a bit of sweetness (oh and it is brewed with roasted wattleseeds). The AAAM Beer was awesome, very different and has knocked the Wig and Pen off for the best Amber Ale so far. It had a lip-smacking freshness to it that you just don’t normally get from an amber (from the Galaxy hops) mixed in with a slight sweetness. The Cherax Destructor was a middle of the road IPA, not overly hoppy and pretty mild in comparison to others we tried. Finally, the Hard Lemonade was literally alcoholic lemonade- fizzy and pretty strong at 8.1%… It was a good thing that they put in ice cubes with the drink!

We know we may be biased but it was a great place and had a lovely feel about the place. The decent prices and overall atmosphere makes it a go back to if we are in the area- hopefully with more money next time as they sell local cheeses and other products to make cheese platter to eat while you drink!