Deep Creek
Winner of the International Lager category at the 2021 Brewers Guild Awards.  Boneface IPL is, ostensibly, lager that’s hopped like an IPA.  It’s been one of my favorite beers for a long time, but seems to forever be stuck as a fringe style.  Outlaw has clean and bright aromas of lime, pineapple and rockmelon, with an extremely neutral and fresh malt base.  Smooth malt and citrus-focused hop character leads on the palate, with faint tropicals and minty herbaceousness following.  Moderate but precise bitterness closes out the brisk and refreshing finish, leaving the palate cleansed and wanting nothing more than another sip.  Hopefully its recent success at the awards encourages a few more brewers to tackle this style.  We’ll see.

Deep Creek Founder Starts Over in Tauranga

by | December 3, 2024 | Cover Story | 0 Comments

Scott Taylor, one of the founders of Deep Creek and the face of the brand, is starting a new brewpub in Tauriko, just outside Tauranga. Taylor had a 1% stake in Deep Creek, which was liquidated last year in the biggest beer shock of the post-Covid economic crunch. In...
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Organic Hops Poised For A Bright Future

by | November 13, 2024 | Cover Story | 0 Comments

As the European Union sets ambitious targets for organic production, two New Zealand hop farms are hoping to hop on for the ride. The EU wants 25 percent of food production to be organic by 2030, up from around 10 percent, as part of its climate strategy. Europe is...
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Boneface Shake Down New Vibe With Hip Rebrand

by | November 1, 2024 | Cover Story | 0 Comments

When perusing the beer aisles to stock up for your weekend beer purchase this weekend, you may see a familiar face whilst you’re at it. Yup — Boneface. You’d be forgiven for doing a double take. It's been a while since it’s been on shelves, and its dark, future...
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Test Lab Pale Alien IPA

by | October 31, 2024 | Recommended | 0 Comments

Test Lab Brewery (Christchurch) have been on the rise this year, and given that they’re a brewery I could walk to, I’ve been gravely remiss in taking this long to feature one of their beers.  And as my first check-in with their range, it was always going to be...
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Four Square’s Behemoth ‘Brollab’

by | October 31, 2024 | News | 0 Comments

Four Square is celebrating 100 years of trading by showcasing four products this summer under the banner “Brollab” — and one of them is beer. Alongside a special Birthday Cookie from Cookie Time, the return of the Orange Rush Fruju and a Four Square-branded Wattie’s...
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Beer Legend John Harrington Dies

by | October 30, 2024 | News | 0 Comments

One of the true legends of the New Zealand beer scene, John Harrington, has died. Harrington started Harrington’s in 1991, and the Christchurch brewery grew to be one of the biggest independent breweries in the country in the early part of the 21st century. Originally...
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