The Smith’s NZIPA challenge concluded for another year last weekend, and some of the entries are already hitting the shelves in package. While not one of the notable winners (go South Island Brewing!), this entry from Wellington’s Garage Project was the first of the bunch to find its way into my hands. A relatively old school mix of NZ Cascade, Waimea, Nelson Sauvin and Southern Cross hops are liberally applied to a gorgeously gold and crystal-clear malt base, packing a hefty 6.8%abv.
Snappy lime citrus, tropicals and passionfruit lead the aroma, soothed by a pine and grapefruit further in. The big malt body translates more as a weight and presence, rather than richness or sweetness on the palate, which keeps the hop character firmly in charge. Said hop flavours are impeccably fresh and clean, surely benefiting from the close proximity to the hop harvest. Finally the bitterness, while bold, is acutely balanced, framing rather than dominating the fruit notes.
Top Cutter is an NZIPA that’s both old-school and exceptional in equal measure, such that if I were judging it might have gotten a few extra points… although that said, I haven’t tried the winners yet. Maybe I’m in for some real NZIPA revelations over the next few weeks. Check back in here to find out.