I'm at The Matilda Bay Garage in Dandenong for the launch of their new beer, Big Helga, a dry Munich-style lager for Oktoberfest. 
Following the success of Fat Yak last year it will be interesting to see how it tastes and if it reverses the trend so far this summer from the national brewers for ultra-bland beers.
Here's the official release...tasting notes to follow as soon as I try it for myself...
Fall in love with Big Helga – just like we did all those years ago Meet Big Helga – once you’ve met her you will never forget her . . . that’s for sure.
Strong-bodied, well-rounded and full of character, a nod to the Munich Oktoberfest lagers, Big Helga is Matilda Bay’s newest brew in an on-going journey of discovery and exploration of the world’s greatest beer styles.
Making her debut in October (no surprises there) at some of the best bars across Australia, the story of Big Helga begins with a Matilda Bay brewer who took a break, went in search of inspiration and found it in Munich at Oktoberfest, where he fell in love with a lofty blonde beer maid named Helga. . . well that’s the story he told us on his return.
Helga, he said, through misty eyes and with a croaky voice, could carry 12 steins of beer while his mates struggled with two. Helga was large, certainly, but she had a heart of pure Munich gold. Helga, he reminisced, should come to Australia one day and meet his parents . . .
She never came. So he made a beer in her honour instead.
Big Helga is brewed with malted barley and noble hops. It is kettle-hopped and after being lovingly nurtured during fermentation, it is then dry-hopped producing a fruity and fresh aromatic lager.
Big Helga is now available nationally at bars and pubs – any place where the finest beers are sold. She is only on tap but one day, we hope, if the good drinkers of Australia love Helga like we do, she will be available in bottle as well . . . Helga in a bottle, almost too good to be true.
Big Helga is perfectly suited to BBQ gourmet sausages (German of course) but she also loves curries, tapas, the occasional Thai salad and has even been known to go off with some Mexican . . . she is nothing if not versatile.
Here’s to you Big Helga – welcome to Australia.