Carwyn Cellars Canvent 2023

|Hannah Baars
Carwyn Cellars Canvent 2023

Once again Canvent is back and pushing some of Australia’s best breweries to their limits, in a showcase of what the most exciting brewers in the country are producing in 2023!

Canvent 2023 Box

Once again Canvent® will be pushing some of Australia’s best breweries to their limits, in a showcase of what the most exciting brewers in the country are producing in 2023. Expect the same Canvent® setup you've come to know and love, meaning 24 beers created for and canned EXCLUSIVELY for Canvent® from Australia’s best independent breweries. All split across two fridge friendly 12 packs, because we know how the "Fridge Tetris" struggle be.

This year we encourage each brewery to focus on what they do best but dial it up to ELEVEN! Expect to see monster IPAs, heavily fruited sours, big stouts, flawlessly executed traditional styles and, of course, a few wild creations to keep you on your toes. And surprises. There’s a few things in this year’s box that NOBODY will see coming 👀

Canvent 2023 Line-Up

Finally that time of the year! We are super excited to hear your thoughts on these unique and exclusive brews made by some of the best independent breweries in Australia!

Pull up those CANVENT™ socks up and let’s get this party started! (Yes, each Canvent included a free pair of party socks to get us even more into the Aussie Xmas spirit!)

#1 • FOX FRIDAY (TAS) - SURPRISE

🍺 Imperial Pastry Stout⁠ • 🥴 10.5% ABV⁠

Lashes of toasted coconut, golden rough and Vietnamese coffee. It’s honestly very cake-like, quite thick and luscious. A massive beer that sets the bar high right off the bat!

#2 • MOUNTAIN CULTURE (NSW) - PAVLOVA PALAVER

🍺 Triple West Coast IPA⁠ • 🥴 10.9% ABV⁠

With a classic resinous backbone that really brings that classic IPA vibe, and big fruity notes of Apricot, Peaches, Mango & Orange. A real West Coast fruit bomb that resembles a Summer Popsicle with a light minty and herbal twist.

#3 • SOBREMESA (VIC) - AL DENTE

🍺 Blended Mixed ferm Saison w/ Currants & Cranberries⁠ • 🥴 5.8% ABV⁠

Gorgeous red colour from the fruit, and light and tart on the palate. The funk is present, with lovely earthy notes surrounding the big fruity flavours of this beer, that resemble Cherry warheads and a zippy Cosmopolitan. Although it partially resembles red lollies, it’s delicate and complex.

#4 • SEEKER (NSW) - BLUE BLAZE

🍺 Thiol-Haze Double IPA⁠ • 🥴 8.0% ABV⁠

Massive hop aroma! The addition of Mega Motueka really shines in this beer. Stone fruits galore Notes of Nectarine, White peach & Apricot nectar, with a few herbal notes like geraniums & resin. Quite pillowy and well balanced, we’re sure the hop-fiends will be happy.

#5 • BOATROCKER (VIC) - STEINBOCK

🍺 Stone Beer⁠ • 🥴 8.5% ABV⁠

Wonderful toasted notes in aroma, with light floral & red berry esters. There’s toffee, dates and figs, with a tasty sponge cake crust character and a touch of gingerbread. Clean and enjoyable, with a surprisingly well-hidden booze. An absolute banger of a beer brewed with giant heated rocks!!!

#6 • TWO BAYS (VIC) - BROADER HORIZON

🍺 Gluten Free Hazy IPA • 🥴 6.3% ABV⁠

Looks beautiful and cloudy in the glass, the aroma resembles papaya & passionfruit, with a light banana ester. The flavour is tropical and citrusy, with a light breadiness and a bitter hoppy finish, with a herbal and resinous aftertaste. A full-bodied beer with massive hop character. Honestly we would’ve never guessed this beer was a GF beer!

#7 • ONE DROP (NSW) - WORMHOLE

🍺 Sour Worms Sour Ale • 🥴 6.9% ABV⁠

This is a huge beer! Thick, sweet, sour, but delicious! Big sherbet vibes, with massive lime and raspberry flavour with hints of grapefruit peel and blackberry jam. Honestly it even has some Raspberry margarita vibes (sans tequila), it really feels like a summery candy wonderland!

#8 • SPOTTY DOG (TAS) - DOPPELSCHWARZ

🍺 Doppelschwarz • 🥴 8.0% ABV⁠

Did someone just make a coffee pot? This beer really digs into its roasty character, with notes of coffee cake & bread crust. Hints of dark caramel, dates and dark chocolate, with a slightly mineral and resinous finish. Careful with the 8%, it’s hardly noticeable.

#9 • GOOD LAND (VIC) - AMUSEMENT PARK

🍺 Fairy Floss IPA • 🥴 6.0% ABV⁠

Put on those 3D glasses and welcome to Candy Land! Feels like we just opened a bag of mixed lollies! Flavours like orange starburst, vanilla marshmallow, Turkish delight, apricots, milk bottle lollies, grapefruit, honeydew and just enough bitterness to remind us that this is indeed… a beer.

#10 • HOPOCRISY (VIC) - OLI

🍺 Obesely Large IPA • 🥴 9.0% ABV⁠

Big herbal character in nose, with notes of dried mangoes and honeyblossom. Light notes of bergamot and ANZAC biscuit, with grapefruit rind and marmalade on toast. Huge beer!

#11 • YOUR MATES (QLD) - HAZY PALE ALE

🍺 Hazy Pale Ale • 🥴 5.5% ABV⁠

A real easy drinker, we find the fruity character really coming through! Notes of pineapple and ripe yellow peach, with a nice herbal and piney backbone. Soft but flavourful, a really well executed Hazy Pale.

#12 • MOFFAT BEACH (QLD) - STORMBURST

🍺 Pacific IPA • 🥴 7.0% ABV⁠

This Pacific IPA has been Dip Hopped to accentuate hop esters and it shows. With a nice malty backbone to support it, this beers gives us massive notes of stonefruit, resembling peach cobbler. A nice marmalade-y sweetness with light pine and bitter orange. Lemon notes, apricot and canned peaches. Tasty and flavour packed.

Half way!

#13 • DEEDS (VIC) - STICKY TOFF

🍺 Sticky Toffee Pastry Stout • 🥴 6.0% ABV⁠

Gig lashes of toffee as we are pouring this beer in the glass. Aromas resembling Caramel Tim-Tams, Sticky Date, Pain au Chocolat with subtle notes of blackberry in the background. The pastry continues with notes of Dulce de Leche, Milky Chocolate and Sponge Cake. It’s surprisingly easy drinking for what it smells like, and not as sweet on the palate as you’d expect.

#14 • HEMINGWAYS (QLD) - TROPICOOL

🍺 Cold IPA • 🥴 5.4% ABV⁠

Tropical paradise in a can! Notes of pineapple, passionfruit with underlying citrus and raspberries. Reminds us a little of a freshly opened bag of Allens snakes as well. Super refreshing, with a dry finish and mild lingering bitterness.

#15 • BRIDGE ROAD (VIC) - DOUBLE BIG RED FAT MAN

🍺 Festive Red Double IPA • 🥴 8.1% ABV⁠

Both a Malt and Hop Bomb! Both elements blend beautifully, giving us flavours that go from Toast & Biscuit, to Grapefruit & Resin. There’s a light tropical background fruit character, with also cooked cherries, apricot jam and pine.

#16 • LOW LANE (NSW) - DOUBLE SECRET

🍺 Doppelsticke Altbier⁠ • 🥴 8.5% ABV⁠

Heaps of toast and dark fruit character, with light notes of red apple and dried fruit with an underlying herbalness. There’s a great balance between acidity, bitterness and sweetness that gives it great drinkability, and it feels like something that’s somewhat in between a Dopplebock and a Belgian Dubbel.

#17 • LITTLE BANG (SA) - SCHWANG INVERTER

🍺 Raspberry Citrus Super Sour⁠ • 🥴 5.5% ABV⁠

Fruity & refreshing goodness! We get notes of raspberry cordial, sherbet, sour skittles & raspberry sorbet. And at the same time it feels like you’re sucking on a lemon! The tartness is real my friends.

#18 • LOVE SHACK (VIC) - SPARKLING ALE

🍺 Sparkling Ale⁠ • 🥴 5.8% ABV⁠

A delicious bready and caramelly malt character hits first, with beautiful esters resembling red apple and fresh quince and a floral hop character backing it up. Quite spritzy which just adds to the refreshing character. The malt, hops and yeast character work beautifully with each other, singing in unison. We couldn’t be happier, thank you Love Shack!

#19 • SURE (VIC) - CHILDREN OF THE SUN

🍺 Cali Pale⁠ • 🥴 5.2% ABV⁠

A refreshing but flavour-packed beer. This Pale Ale reminds us of the old school American pales we used to drink. With a good bitter backbone and plenty of hop flavour. Notes of Grapefruit peel & Resin, with an underlying tropical character resembling Papaya and Mango. Like being transported to LA in the early 2000s, anyone feel like playing some Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2?

#20 • PIKES (SA) - MERRY CHERRY

🍺 Bourbon Barrel-Aged Cherry Sour⁠ • 🥴 9.2% ABV⁠

Speakeasy vibes in the nose, that reminds us of Bourbon, Old Fashioned and Oak. The Cherry character goes from Cherry lollies and Red Ripperz to long-aged Sherry. Nice and fruity, with a good kick of boozy strawberries in the background. A great nightcap beer!

#21 • MOON DOG (VIC) - CANTAILS

🍺 Chocolate & Caramel Stout ⁠⁠ • 🥴 8.0% ABV⁠

Moon Dog were particularly invested in making this beer and a lot of R&D went into it. We’re so happy to see that it translates so well! Big notes of caramel, toffee & butterscotch. There’s aromas resembling strawberries and cream, with big Chocolate character and flavours resembling Neapolitan Ice Cream.

#22 • RECKLESS (NSW) - CHERRY COLA

🍺 Sour IPA⁠ ⁠⁠ • 🥴 6.0% ABV⁠

The Cola really comes through! Either Cola jelly lollies, Cola Chupa Chups, or just the beverage! It has a nice sour Lime character with notes of Orange Rind and underlying dankness. There’s aromas of Makrut lime leaves and cinnamon flavour with a light cherry character. Finishes dry with lingering bitterness.

#23 • KICKS (NSW) - BIRD OF PREY

🍺 West Coast Double IPA⁠⁠⁠ • 🥴 8.5% ABV⁠

Dankity damn! This beer has all those West Coast vibes we love, with notes of fruit resembling Blood Orange, Dried peaches, Mango, and light Quince. The hops character brings some woody and herbal notes as well with a resinous bitterness. A great beer indeed with great balance.

#24 • HAWKERS (VIC) - BOURBON BARREL AGED BLACK BARLEYWINE 2023

🍺 Bourbon Barrel Aged Black Barleywine⁠⁠⁠ • 🥴 11.2% ABV⁠

The oak and bourbon aromas come through the best way possible, with notes of vanilla and light caramel. Big Barleywine character with the classic dark dried fruit you’d expect like prunes and raisins, but all held together with a nice toasty chocolate backbone. Light notes of sherry from the barrel oxidation add complexity for this ever-changing beer. The booze is well hidden, but the flavour is BIG.

#25 (MAGNUM) • TWO METRE TALL - SOUR CHERRY AND WILD SLOE ALE⁠

🍺 Sour Cherry and Wild Sloe Ale⁠⁠⁠⁠ • 🥴 6.0% ABV⁠

One of our oldest friends in the beer industry. We’ve stocked their beer in our shop from even before the Carwyn bar existed! We are so happy to finally welcome Tasmanian-based brewers Two Metre Tall to Canvent.

Two Metre Tall is one of the OG Wild Ale producers in the country, lead by Ashley and Jane Huntington. They have been sourcing local ingredients and making their Derwent Valley farm a main component in the beers and ciders that they produce since the very beginning back in 2008. A test of patience and love of the land, with no fear in exploring the limits of their craft.⁠ We’ve always wanted to have them on Canvent™, but a bottled release would be the only way we could ever convince them, so here we are! A Sour Cherry Wild Ale with Sloes picked up in their own property!

⁠A complex beverage, earthy with pronounced funk. The fruit character resembles cherry & raspberry jam. It’s really tart, with a lemon-like acidity. The well-balanced sweetness brings notes of sour cherry lollies & fruit mince pie, all while the spicey phenols tingle our noses.