Hope Brewery

Microbrewery in Pokolbin, New South Wales, Australia 🇦🇺

Established in 2014

Contact
2213 Broke Road, Pokolbin, 2320, Australia
Description
Hope Brewery opened in 2014, and kicked off their range with a whole lot of hoppy ales, distinctively recognisable by their black cans and amp design - a homage to Hope's love of music. Since then they've been satisfying a desire for new beers and new styles including NEIPAs, sours, trophy-winning stouts and even Australia's strongest IPA.

     Show


6.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 7

From a 345ml bottle on 2/1/2023 (shared by Ed with thanks). Pours a clear deep golden with no head. Has a rich fruity, boozy nose, with some citrus peel and caramel notes. Tastes reasonably sweet up front - plummy, with citrus fruit and a hint of caramel and honey. Finishes a touch sour and quite wine like, with a good dash of hot booze. The palate is a touch thin, which is really odd given the size, and there is no carbonation (the bottle expressly states no carbonation). Not a total miss but ultimately doesn't deliver the enjoyment I'd Hoped for (champagne comedy, I know).

Tried from Bottle on 02 Jan 2024 at 07:05


7.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Aromas of mango, passionfruit and pine, with the addition of some malt biscuit when tasted. Probably misjudged by having such a meaty brew after a big meal when I needed a light cleanser but it's clearly a polished beer. I would give this another go before finalising my rating.

Tried on 22 Dec 2023 at 11:20


6.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Schooner on tap at Hope, Honeysuckle. Cloudy amber beer with a solid white head. Nose is lemon and malt, good lacing. Zingy and drinkable, medium body. There's lots of lemon especially in the finish. Nice beer in the sun overlooking Newcastle harbour.

Tried from Draft on 21 Nov 2023 at 03:30


5.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 4.5

Can. Amber with a cm of so of white head. Aroma of pears, hay, grain, some earthy notes. Thin. Earthy and a bit weedy with no hint of richness. Moderate bitterness. Not for me.

Tried from Can on 30 Jul 2023 at 13:45


7.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

From a 375ml can on 27/5/2023. Pours the deepest brown with a small light tan head. Smells sharp, roasty, chocolatey and boozy. Tastes strongly of chocolate and vanilla, with an intense sharp, lightly boozy, roasted coffee and vinous bitterness at the back, that is both tongue coating and lingering. It definitely had a pastry element to it but that's definitely tempered by the bitter finish. Syrupy and slightly creamy mouthfeel with average carbonation. A really strange but interesting brew, albeit that it doesn't totally succeed.

Tried from Can on 27 May 2023 at 13:05


7.5
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

From a 375ml can on 17/5/2023. Pours a clearish golden with small head. Could easily be confused looks wise with a macros pale lager, which it certainly isn't! Has a really strong and distinct lime aroma. Follows the pattern with this range of Hope sours with a strong sweetish start, featuring the pineapple, followed by a powerful, puckering lime tartness. Full bodied with lightly prickly carbonation. Probably shaded by the standard Sunny Boy but still really good.

Tried from Can on 17 May 2023 at 09:10


7.5
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

From a 375ml can on 15/4/2023. Pours a clearish deep golden with a medium uneven head. Has a pleasant light coffee nose. The coffee is much stronger on the sip, with bare hints of chocolate and coffee in there as well. Finishes with a medium bitterness. Medium bodied with average carbonation. Tasty and cohesive. Nice one.

Tried from Can on 15 Apr 2023 at 05:06


8.2
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

(Can) Pours black with lovely tan head. Rich aroma of roast grains and booze with oak and dark fruits. Full bodied, smooth with fine prickly carbonation. Great taste, rich and warming and very well balanced. There’s some restrained dark toffee sweetness at the start and through the middle palate. This is balanced with a steadily growing burnt toffee, black coffee bitterness. The booze is apparent and balanced. Very enjoyable- just keep picking it up for another taste.

Tried from Can on 04 Feb 2023 at 11:42


5.4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5

From a 375ml can on 12/1/2023. Pours a clear light golden with virtually no head. Had an odd muted stale fruit aroma. Has a mild mango taste but not sweet at all, and finishes fairly bitter. Light bodied with average carbonation. I'm a big Hope fan but this is a no for me.

Tried from Can on 12 Jan 2023 at 05:59


7.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5

From a 375ml can on 19/10/2022. Pours a clearish light golden with a small to medium head. The nose is unsurprisingly light passionfruit. And it's all passionfruit on the sip, with a nicely balanced tartness at the back. Medium bodied with average carbonation. Exhibits lovely balance and very refreshing. Hope has really nailed its sour series. They're probably the only brewer I know which does sours that are neither pastry or smoothie sours, but yet which I regularly enjoy. And particular props for this one, which unlike most in the series is a modest and fairly crushable 5%.

Tried from Can on 19 Oct 2022 at 12:32