From Lora Brewing Expression of Interest is a mixed culture beer made with bush lemons, dehydrated lilly pilly and conditioned in bottle with caramelized honey. 4.9% ABV 260 x 750ml bottles produced The beers which compose Expression of Interest were first brewed in November 2020, January 2021, and February of 2021. The brew in November of 2020 consisted of organic Motueka hops, organic pale Schooner barley, organic raw and malted wheat and was primary fermented in an upright 500 litre puncheon with the head off before being transferred to smaller format oak barrels for extended aging and maturation. January 2021's brew consisted of organic Motueka hops, organic pale Schooner barley, organic raw wheat and was both fermented and allowed to mature in a single 500 litre puncheon. February 2021's brew featured a more hop focused recipe and as such used a heavy hand of organic Motueka. The grain bill consisted of organic pale Schooner barley and organic malted wheat. Similar to the Jan '21 brew this was also fermented and matured in a single 500 litre puncheon. In late September of 2021 the three components above were blended together inside another oak barrel in a ratio of 18%, 37%, and 45% respectively. Dehydrated lilly pilly fruit, gathered from around Sydney, was steeped in the resulting blend for 35 days before being taken to a packaging tank in late October 2021. Bush lemon zest and juice was added and allowed to integrate with the beer for a few days before packaging. To condition and carbonate this beer, Malfroy's Gold Wild honey was heated and caramelized until the desired texture, aroma and flavor came forward. Finally, in early November the beer was taken to bottle exclusively using this honey as its source for carbonation. Tasting Notes - A line between bright citrus and broad, deep and dare I say rustic country/preserved lemon is struck here. The nose is lifting with notes of lemon and pear, while a continual dark spice and dried deciduous leaf element weave and build. The palate traces the nose presenting more citrus and dried rhubarb before a nutty, rich honey note is struck and carries the finish. Production Notes - The brewing process for our beers involves taking a more hands off approach than typically used. There were no process or brewing aids applied outside of a carbon filter to remove chlorine from the water. No acid or acidulated malt for pH adjustment, brewing salts, enzymes, yeast nutrients, fining agents, antifoams, filtration, or extracts were added or used in making this beer. Additionally, we have utilized a hot sparge to intentionally pull tannins from the grains so they may translate some structure and texture into the resulting beers. Storage - Beer isn't typically a fan of sunlight and as such we recommend you store our beers in a cool and dark environment. Not only will this help protect the beer inside, but it will also preserve the labels (see below). When/how to drink - This beer has been well aged and we feel is ready to drink now! However, we would expect it to age nicely for up to 3 years if you'd like to see how it transforms over time. We recommend allowing the bottle to chill upright for 24 hours before opening and allowing yourself time to sit with the beer as the flavors and aromas will evolve over an hour or two as it opens and warms. This all being said, enjoy the beer whenever and however you like, with friends and family or by yourself. It's more important to us for you to enjoy the beer in a situation that suits you than to get caught up on the finicky details! :) Labels - We’ve painted our labels with natural pigments gathered from landscapes around New South Wales. As such each bottle is unique and these natural hues may change slightly over time, much like the evolution of the beer inside. 🍻 Lora
