Photographer, beer-lover and Instagram influencer Dusty, picks his highlights from the latest releases from this winter.
Isthmus 3d IPA
One of the best an under the radar IPAs in NZ gets some well-deserved shine and credit taking out supreme champion brew for 2025 New World Beer & Cider Awards. Isthmus Brewing 3D is everything an outstanding IPA should be hops + hops + hops showcasing zesty citrus marmalade leading into a punchy bitterness all encapsulated by a resiny piney mouthfeel, a chewy toffee malt backbone completes an exemplary example of the style.
Black Sands Pilsner
Pilsner done right courtesy of Black Sands Brewing — the 09 crew nail the brief with their 5% pilsner. Hop forward notes of lemon-lime with a hint of mineral salinity meld seamlessly into a pared back peppery cracker malt bill, this has summer sixer written all over it.
Boneface Blood & Bone Oaked Stout
A trip to the darkside via Upper hut locals Boneface Brewing. Blood & Bone oaked stout pours an ominous black before leading you down the path of sweet smoky malt into braiding bitter sweet dark chocolate, additional oaky woody notes provide depth on a soft silken mouthfeel before a drying departure, moreish asf brew this! Available at the dark end of the street.
Hallertau POrter Noir
Happy Birthday Hallertau, celebrating 20 years in the game, and to commemorate this there’s a few rebrews of their fave drops. One of those is XX Porter Noir, a 6.6% barrel-aged porter aged on ex-Kumeu wine barrels. Pours a muddy cola with a head that dissipates rapidly, on the palate there’s cola, sumptuous dark chocolate, leading into vibrant red berry. Mouthfeel is silky with a soft effervescent carb before departing with a drying woody finish, beautifully complex an layered brew.
Alibi Little Palm
Little Palm is a 6.9% NZIPA from Waiheke Island dwellers Alibi Brewing Co. Cracking drop this, highlighting two biggies of the kiwi hop scene Riwaka and Nelson, the result being hop-driven notes of sweet tart passionfruit, pungent grapefruit with a flickering of white grape. An oily, danky mouthfeel and stripped back malt bill delivers a vibrant example of NZIPA.
Thief Huhu Hazy Vol 1
Huhu Hazy Vol 1 from Christchurch outfit Thief Brewing is real beaut of a hazy featuring the kaleidoscopic king of hops Mosaic. Initial hits of orange, blueberry, pineapple and honey meld into a marmalade vibe as the fridge chill dissipates, mouthfeel is thick juicy with a prickly carb an a tacky finish, highly quaffable.
Lakeman Let’s Get Coned
Let’s Get Coned from Taupo icons is a 6.7% IPA utilising whole Nelson Sauvin cones resulting in BIG oily notes of grape and guava, mouthfeel is soft, sleek with additional juiced-up peach, a mellow bitterness an biscuity malt bill tie together a crackin’ IPA.
Beers Drama Lager
From the Scare Beers series comes Drama Lager, a 5.7% India Pale Lager from 03 locals Beers. This is built for spring/summer from the vibrant pour to the crisp zesty mouthfeel to the spritzy carb an drying finish pulling you back in for more — hammock-mode activated.
