Brave Brewing Tigermilk

What I really like about Brave Brewing Co (and their beer) is that they keep things simple.  Their range features seven styles which easily cover the beer spectrum offering an option for all avid beer drinkers. Tigermilk IPA follows that mantra: its simple, packed full of flavour and the best part is … it’s bitter! The first sign that you are onto something great is when you pour from the bottle and greeted with a bright, light caramel coloured liquid that’s super-clean and yes … not hazy! Brave use a mixture of old and new school American hops which I believe is the secret to their success.  The new school hops add wonderful citrus and stone fruit flavours which are blended beautifully with some older US hop varieties giving the beer a nice balanced bitterness (something that’s missing in many of the beers you see on the shelves today).  The mouthfeel is light but slightly creamy which just adds more positivity to the drinking experience. Tigermilk is true to style and ticks all the boxes when it comes to a clean, simple IPA.  Earthy notes, low malts, med-strong aromas and plenty of well-balanced bitterness. I give this beer a solid 9/10 sitting firmly at the top of Crafty’s top 5 for 2021.  It’s re-ignited my love for old school IPAs, so stay tuned as I navigate my way through a few more cans in the coming months and share my experiences with you.

Garage Project Harvest Home

Just when you think you’re out, fresh hop season pulls you back in… Garage Project Harvest Home, an encore of the harvest, comes from their awards powerhouse, Wild Workshop.  Brewed with raw (unmalted) wheat and pilsner malt, and flavoured with coriander seed and yen...

Southpaw New Brighton Lager

With the fresh hop race finally dying down, it’s time to pair things all the way back and take a beat with a local lager.  A simple, no nonsense pairing of 100% NZ pilsner malt and Liberty hops (an old school, laid back varietal with distinct Hallertau character),...

The Hoptimist — Brew Union

Palmerston North has long been a junction town — one of New Zealand’s biggest ‘service’ centres since the Main Trunk railway was punched through the Manawatū in 1886. It even pulled in my Grandad from County Kilkenny, Ireland, who landed in nearby Ashurst and assumed...

Nectaron — A Familiar Song Played Differently

Nectaron hops are capturing the imagination of American brewers, particularly after the most recent harvest where it was the standout in sensory testing. NZ Hops Ltd, in their post-harvest report noted that Nectaron stood out this season alongside Superdelic and...

Two Bays Widens NZ Gluten-Free Market

Just about anywhere you go to eat these days understands a large chunk of the population is gluten-free. You see GF beside dishes listed on menu and on packaged food in the supermarket. But until now, with a couple of long-standing exceptions, you didn’t see...

Brewer Becomes Co-Owner at Searchlight

Ash Hutchinson, head brewer from Searchlight in Queenstown, is now a co-owner of the business — and one of his first big jobs will be showcasing Searchlight to the wider world at Beervana this year. Ash has worked at some of the best breweries in the country:...