Winner of the IPA category at the 2021 Brewers Guild Awards.  Behemoth founder Andrew Childs wanted to return to a more expressive old-school malt base with this beer, while still showing off the brewery’s flair for modern hop varieties.  Interestingly, those varieties are sourced from not just the US but Australia and NZ too, making it a more international IPA than most.  Full bodied with a big malty chew at first, a breadth of drying hop flavours begins to emerge.  Strongly dominant American pine, with some drier Aussie grassiness and New Zealand tropicals follow.  The bitterness builds into the finish, ending up firmly in charge.  A classic old school IPA for classic old school IPA drinkers.

Wigram Mustang Pale Ale

by | November 12, 2025 | Recommended | 0 Comments

Christchurch’s Wigram Brewery recently hosted an event to pay tribute to the late Paul Cooper, one of the founding fathers of New Zealand craft brewing.  It was a quiet afternoon, but the amount of living history (and a few living fossils) in that bar could have...
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Two Thumb SMASH IPA Series #1

by | November 12, 2025 | Recommended | 0 Comments

From Christchurch City’s Two Thumb Brewing Company, S.M.A.S.H (single malt and single hop) is the first release in a new series of IPAs featuring a single malt paired with a similarly singular hop. Version one (5.5%) is an all-Canterbury duo, combining Gladfield...
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Farewell To A Brewing Legend — Paul ‘Coops’ Cooper

by | October 30, 2025 | Cover Story | 0 Comments

Before the internet, before Google, YouTube and AI, and before craft beer became a global movement, there was Richard "Paul" Cooper — or as everyone in the brewing world knew him, “Coops”. A scientist, engineer, brewer, and all-round innovator, Coops was among the...
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Brothers Beer Mad Science #2 IPA

by | October 29, 2025 | Recommended | 0 Comments

Mt Eden’s Brothers Beer invites us to taste the future with Mad Science #2 — a new trial hopped IPA. Amongst the first generation of commercially-released beers to use the latest clutch of trial hops (NZH-111, NZH-112 and NZH-115 variously) from the NZ Hops Ltd's...
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Competition Watchdog Blocks Kegstar’s Acquisition of Konvoy

by | October 24, 2025 | News, Cover Story | 0 Comments

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has blocked MicroStar’s proposed acquisition of keg lending rival Konvoy. MicroStar, which operates as Kegstar in Australia and New Zealand, and Konvoy are the only suppliers of keg leasing services in this...
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Boneface Brewing Deadlift Double IPA

by | October 22, 2025 | Recommended | 0 Comments

I’ve said it before, but if you want to precision test a brewery then ask for a double IPA. Everything has to work harder; the ferment, the grain selection, the hops and (in particular) the conditioning.  As the ABV speedo climbs above seven, only the most precisely...
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