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Carlton Draught

Carlton & United Breweries
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🌍 Australia · Australian Lager · One of 22 Australian Lagers in hopIQ

Carlton Draught has been brewed for the pub trade since 1864 and stays close to the traditional Australian draught lager. Malt carries the middle with bread crust and a sweet grain note, and the body is full rather than thin. A clean hop bitterness arrives late and leaves the finish slightly dry, with a light herbal and floral edge in the aroma. Golden in the glass, crisp on the mid-palate, moderate in carbonation.

ABV
4.6%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter22 IBU
Malt-forward bitterness
SRM
pale gold4
How it drinks· Its pace, balance and relationship to the style.
Pace
sessionsipper
Balance
malt-ledhop-led
Taste structure· The backbone of the beer, regardless of style.
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
hopIQ take

Crisp mouthfeel.

The texture leads here, with everything else held in gentle reserve.

Wider bands mean we're less certain about the exact position.
Character· What makes this beer itself — not just another Australian Lager.
Hop character
floral
herbal
Malt character
malty
bready
Fermentation & yeast
clean
Compare with another beer →

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Carlton Draught

◎ Appearance

Golden in the glass with bright, clear transparency. The head forms with moderate carbonation, settling into a fine collar with modest lacing that clings to the glass walls. The effervescence speaks to a well-conditioned draught beer.

goldenclearmoderate carbonationfine lacing

◌ Aroma

The nose opens with a light herbal and floral character, backed by bread crust and subtle grain sweetness from the Malz. Clean and restrained, with no aggressive hop punch—the aroma invites rather than asserts, staying true to the understated pub-beer tradition.

bread crustherbalfloralclean grain

◐ Taste

Malt anchors the palate with a soft, bready sweetness and a full-bodied texture that defies the lager's modest ABV. The mid-palate is crisp and refreshing, with a gentle grain swell before a clean hop bitterness arrives late, finishing slightly dry with a light herbal edge.

breadyfull-bodiedcrisp mid-palateclean bitterness

◑ Finish

The finish is dry and moderately long, with the bitterness lingering cleanly without harshness. A subtle herbal aftertaste persists, leaving the palate refreshed and inviting another sip.

dryherbal faderefreshing
78
hopIQ score
Aroma
75
Taste
80
Appearance
78
Finish
76
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Serve & Enjoy

How to get the most out of Carlton Draught

Serve at 4–7°C
Refrigerate, then rest 2 min

Serve at 4–7°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Stein
Recommended for this style

The sturdy German stein maintains temperature and keeps carbonation intact. Built for long, convivial drinking.

Store in a cool, dark place. Check the best-before date on the label for guidance.

Food Pairing

What to eat with Carlton Draught

About Australian Lager

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Australian Lager?

Australian Lager is a distinctive beer style with its own characteristic flavour, aroma and colour. Discover what makes it unique and find similar beers on hopIQ.

Finding a similar Australian Lager

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same full-bodied, crisp, bitter character as Carlton Draught will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Other Australian Lagers in hopIQ