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.

Three Boys Sold

Three Boys, one of New Zealand's most important craft breweries and a two-time champion brewery, is in new hands after being sold. The brewery, founded by Ralph Bungard and his wife Brigid Casey, is now owned by the head brewer Damian Treacher and his business...

Bach Brewing Polygamy Pilsner

Summer heat has now well and truly arrived so it’s time to crack out the Pilsner. Bach Brewing's Polygamy (maybe one of the weirdest naming decisions ever) Pilsner is a re-brew of one of Bach Brewing’s early beers, a Bohemian style Pilsner called Czechmate (itself a...

Hop Federation Saved — Bought by DNA

Hop Federation has been saved. After the brewery was shuttered by previous owners Kono just a couple of months ago, Hop Federation will live on after Blenheim’s DNA Brewing stepped in and bought the brand. https://hoppiness.co.nz/hop-federation-closing-down It’s a...

Parrotdog Go Public

In one of the biggest signs that craft beer is now a mature business, punters can buy and sell shares in Parrotdog on the open market via a new trading platform called Catalist. There hasn't been a publicly listed brewery in New Zealand since Moa's inglorious NZX...

Festival check: Dunedin Craft Beer and Food Festival

A Wellington reader made the trip down south last Friday to attend the festival and filed this report. Arrival experience: The festival is held each year at Forsyth Barr Stadium in the centre of Dunedin. It was an easy 10 minute walk through the grounds of the...

Wigram Mustang Pale Ale

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...