Quaffers: Reviews of Wig and Pen Velvet Cream stout, Weihenstephaner Kristall Weissbier

Talks between Canberra brewer Christoph​ Zierholz​ and National Press Club manager Paul Butler led last year to the club's first matching of food with local beers. The club's wine dinners, of course, stretch back decades. Indeed I recall an early 1980s event for the liberal interpretation of "wine tasting" adopted by the diners, mainly journalists.

Last year's beer event featured brews from Canberra's Zierholz​, Wig and Pen, and BentSpoke​, as well as Lion, represented by veteran beer man Chuck Hahn. Zierholz​ and Butler ran another degustation event in May – this time devoted solely to our local brewers. Zierholz​ hopes for more joint promotion of Canberra's fledgling but highly regarded brewing industry. Like our local wine makers, Canberra's brewers compete with each other, but can benefit greatly from promotion of the industry as a whole.

Wig and Pen Velvet Cream Stout
★★★★½
half-pint $7

New Wig and Pen brewer Frazer Brown says he's making the house stout "a little less sweet with more roasty, toasty flavours". Certainly the brew on tap's consistent with memories of older batches. It's as opaque as bureaucratic language – but thankfully easier to understand. Wholesome chocolate and roast-grain flavours meld seamlessly with the warmth of 6 per cent alcohol and creamy, smooth texture.

Weihenstephaner Kristall Weissbier​ 500ml
★★★★★
$6.10

It'd been some time between encounters with Weihenstephan​ brewery's Bavarian​ beauty, but it still showed the beauty of a classic Bavarian​ style. It's their filtered version and therefore crystal clear. It pours with a luxurious white head and has the style's definitive, delicate banana-like aroma. The palate's light and lively, combining subtle, smooth malt with wheat beer's zesty, fresh finish.