Lager packs in the malt

Ale specialist Coopers recently extended its push into the lager market with the introduction of Thomas Cooper's Selection Australian Reserve.

The new lager joins two others in the company's product list - Premium Lager and 62 Pilsner.

Australian Reserve, however, promises to differentiate itself from mainstream Australian lagers - and in doing so appears more consistent with Coopers' quirky image, built on its cloudy, bottle-conditioned ales.

The new brew weighs in at a higher-than-normal 5.5 per cent alcohol and is brewed entirely from malted barley - without the addition of sugar or other fermentable adjuncts.

Tim Cooper says the beer's strong malt flavour, with its residual sweetness and high alcohol content, call for significant, balancing hops bitterness. The beer is also unpasteurised, in keeping with the company's bottle-conditioned ales.

The proof of the lager, however, will be in the tasting. Hopefully, I'll have a bottle in time for next week's reviews.

Lord Nelson Brewery Three Sheets Ale, 330ml, $4 ★★★★½

In January, Three Sheets met garfish fillets at Narooma's waterside Quarterdeck restaurant. It proved to be a happy meeting. Three Sheets, with its pronounced fruity, tangy, citrus-hoppy aroma and smooth, rich, refreshing palate, contrasted nicely with the delicate fillets.

Bootleg Brewery Wils Pils, 330ml, $3.75 ★★★

Margaret River's Bootleg Brewery makes excellent ales, but doesn't quite match the standard with its lager, Wils Pils. It's a pleasant enough brew - clean and fresh and well-balanced - but I looked in vain for a little more punch, especially in the hops department.