Photographer, beer-lover and Instagram influencer Dusty, picks his highlights from the latest releases.
Brave Helping Hands IPA
One of my anticipated fresh hop releases, the 2026 edition of Helping Hands from Hawke’s Bay locals Brave Brewing features late harvest Nelson Sauvin & Riwaka. A luminous straw pour leads here into greeny gooseberry and passionfruit with fleeting peach. Mouthfeel is plump, oily, juicy with and underlying prickly carb before departing with a sticky vinous finish … crusha!
Duncan’s Kemical Romance NZIPA
Kemical Romance a 6.5% Fresh hop NZIPA from Kapiti Coast locals Duncans Brewing utilizing Eggers Hops also a romantic ode to Kem the legendary hop grower.
Straight up I’ll tell you this is my number one fresh hop. Using the Eggers Special Riwaka cultivar it’s greeny, danky, oily with an abundance of sweet tart passionfruit, zesty grapefruit and lime with undertones of melon & spice. Crisp asf with an effervescent carb before departing with a mouth puckering dryness, a love letter to my taste buds.
Aliment Dark Green
The dark side meets the green side with Aliment Brewing and their Fresh Hop Black IPA. This was always going to be an absolute crusher for me — it’s my favourite style of beer. Hopped with Freestyle Hops’ Nelson Sauvin it delivers resiny oily dark chocolate upfront offset by gooey gooseberry, pops of zesty lemon and juicy orange on a luscious sleek mouthfeel. From its inky pour to the last luxy sip this is pure indulgence.
Boneface ruthless IPA
Ruthless is a 7% Riwaka-fuelled freshie straight outta Boneface Brewing Co. Abundant notes of orange, lemon, grapefruit lead into a skunky, resiny notes around the edges, its clean snappy and sits perfectly on a lean malt bill.
McLeod’s Fresh Hop Cold IPA
How’s the clarity? Waipu legends McLeod’s turn it up with their thiol-driven Harvest Fresh Hop Cold IPA hopped with new kid on the block Rhapzody, formerly CIP-014. This is a kaleidoscopic trip across the red and dark berry spectrum yet also encompasses those oily green fresh hop nuanced characteristics. Add the Cold IPA aspect, delivering a crisp snappy mouthfeel, and you have one delicious intriguing brew.
Sawmill Fresh Hop Riwaka
Pint of the elite stuff thanks! Sawmill are delivering that in spades with their 6% Riwaka Fresh Hop Hazy IPA. Vibrant orangey hue leads you into intense grapefruit, sweet-tart passionfruit and all those dank notes you require. A prickly bitterness alongside a drying finish puts this extremely delectable example of fresh hop in a class of its own.
Mount Brewing Waimea Bay Foggy IPA
Awesome to see Waimea hops getting some time to shine via Mount Brewing’s Fresh Hop Foggy IPA. Waimea delivers main character energy here with citrus forward punches of orange and mandarin upfront with secondary supporting notes of tangelo and honeydew, mouthfeel is soft juicy, creamy, with a piney oily edge to it. Beautiful drop.
Alibi Drop It Like It’s Hops Pilsner
Damn! That’s Motueka done right courtesy of Waiheke Island dwellers Alibi Brewing. Drop it like its Hops V2 hits all the big green, dank notes, loaded with lemony lime mojito vibes showcasing Motueka in all its glory.
