It’s with great anticipation that @counterculturebeer , the new project from @stoneandwood has arrived and hit my fridge. A new, very limited release every eight weeks (see the link for stockists below), far from their ‘Byron Bay in a bottle’ core range. And you can’t get any further from the status quo then the Killer Kween, a 7.6% Imperial Berliner Weisse. One of my favourite styles, the Champagne of the North has been turned into a Killer, with 1.2 tonnes of raspberries and lactobacillus plantarum, to make sure this Kween is deliciously sour and strong. It took my brain a little while not to judge it as a light, refreshing, smash it back Berliner because these elements certainly lurk beneath. Once I worked out there’s a couple of wolves hiding under the sheep’s clothes, gees it’s an enjoyable beer. I can’t wait to see what the next beer is in eight weeks!! Killer artwork too.

500ml can. Pours a delightful deep pink, with a small frothy white head that dissipates quickly. Huge raspberry and lacto aromas, balancing a tight rope between sour and sweet, along with elements of rose petal, lime juice and cherry. The acid of fruity raspberry and good quality natural yoghurt like lactobacillus create immediate sourness, mixed with plenty of booze (which never becomes hot, but swishes nicely in the mix). Moves into a sweetish cherry middle and back to a dry, tanniny and moderately sour finish. And at the end of it, despite being a 7.6% monster, it’s still refreshing, smashable and leaving me wish I hadn’t given the other can to Tim, because I could easily have cracked another one. 
A big thank you to Stone & Wood for sending this out to us. 🙏 
3.9/5. Trent. See stockists. www.stoneandwood.com.au/counter-culture/