Even though this is a year round offering from Murray’s Brewing company in Bob’s Farm, NSW, it seems to bob up more often in the warmer months of the year.
That’s probably not true. It’s probably just in my subconscious edging it to the forefront when the sun makes me parched at the drop of a hat. The very hat I was wearing to protect myself from the rays of the aforementioned sun.
Anyway. Hats and suns aside, let’s get to the beer.
Murray’s Punch & Judy’s Ale is an English Bitter that has a nutty, sweet malt flavour but is also laced with some citrus pine flavour and aroma to round it out.
The striking character about the Punch & Judy’s Ale is the fact that at 3.9% ABV it’s a mid strength beer.
The rear label reads;
“Murray’s Punch & Judy’s Ale is delicious proof that lower alcohol does not mean less flavour. Our full flavoured session ale is rich in nutty, caramel flavours – with an aroma that really packs a punch. A great beer to share with friends.”
In a beer culture where light and midstrength beers have a terrible name (mostly for a very good reason…) and Murray’s, along with a number of Australian microbreweries, have created a low alcohol beer that doesn’t compromise any of the flavour and character of full strength beers, and this is a wonderful example.
The aroma offers up some floral and citrusy hits, but as soon as you sip you get a full, chewy, sweet caramel, malty flavour that you can associate with many traditional English Bitter beers, but all this with low alcohol content.
I’m certain that this will be one of the first in a considerable line of low alcohol beers that aren’t incredibly boring from Australian brewers as beer styles seems to come in trends, and I think low ABV will be one trend that will do the rounds very soon.
If you’re a designated driver and you see this one when you’re out, you can probably afford to have one.
That was a test, by the way. Have a lemonade and get your friends home safely.
