Loch Brewery & Distillery

I visited the charming Gippsland village of Loch last weekend. Loch is tiny, apart from the main street there isn't a lot to Loch....try say that when drunk...a lot to Loch.
What Loch does have is a brewery/ distillery. I'm always on the lookout for new beers & spirits.
I sampled the beers that this very new brewery has on offer. I couldn't sample the Gin they distilled just before Christmas because that sold quicker than I can drink....damn fast in other words. I also couldn't sample the whiskey they are making because that is currently being aged. Apparently vodka is also being distilled here...yet again I was left sad faced and unable to sample any.
The owners and brewers...whose names escaped me. Have decided to concentrate on their alcohol. So if you are wanting a meal with their fine wares you will need to buy it elsewhere and bring it to the brewery. Purists...we are here to brew and distill. They are sharing the wealth...there is some good food in either Loch itself or nearby Korumburra.
 
There are three beers on offer and their photo is above. A beautiful family snap if ever there was one.
The Amber Ale is crisp, bitter and clean. Surprisingly my four year old son was happy having a sip of Dads beer, so it isn't face puckeringly bitter. On a stinking hot summers day this would be perfect for easing the discomfort. I would drink it with fish or something quite fatty...pizza or a cold cuts platter...even antipasto.
The Best Bitter is less bitter than the Amber Ale. It is extremely drinkable. I wouldn't need either an excuse or a summers day to drink this. I would drink this with something simple....I'm having mental images of a very large glass of this beer and....I know hot dogs!!!! Yep, hot dogs with mustard, sourkraut...and weiswurst as the sausage. At the very least something Germanic in name, if not in origin.
The Dark Ale has coffee and chocolate over tones. For me this would work well as a dessert beer...chocolate mousse or 75% chocolate or even Black Forest Cake or with a game meat or fresh oysters. The combination of the chocolate, coffee and the saltiness and richness of the oysters would be utterly divine.
The beers aren't cheap...but then name a boutique brewery that is...they are about $8.50 a 500 ml bottle. They are a reason to stop in Loch on the weekend. The other place where you can buy them is the tourist information centre in Korumburra....none of the bottleshops or supermarkets in nearby towns stock the beers.
So I will give a sound cheer of encouragement. 4.5 glasses out of 5.