Brothers beer modern love IPA

Citra and Pacific Jade hops drive this rocking full strength (7.4 per cent) IPA from Brothers Beer.  That US/NZ hop pairing bestows aromas of fresh lemon and lime citrus alongside more familiar tropical passionfruit and green grape.  The superbly bright palate is wildly lemon citrus dominant, with some herbaceous greens that emerge in the firmly bitter finish.  An exceptionally bright and nimble IPA despite its heavier ABV, and one of the best showcases of focused citrus purity I’ve encountered this year.

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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Thief Brewing Frog Wallop IPA

by | October 22, 2025 | Recommended | 0 Comments

Thief Brewing continues to prove that there’s IPA in them thar hills of Banks Peninsula, adding this West Coast style to the range.  West Coast by way of New Zealand anyway, being driven by Nelson Sauvin, Rakau and NZ grown Chinook.   The...
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Double Vision x Baan Bangkok Thunder Struck Triple IPA

by | October 22, 2025 | Recommended | 0 Comments

The method by which I pick a beer to feature here every week is extremely loose, but usually there’s an equation that balances between ‘interesting’ ‘relevant’ and ‘good’.  Sometimes, one of those spokes dominates to such an extent that the others cease to...
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Behemoth Chur-Toberfest 2025

by | October 22, 2025 | Recommended | 0 Comments

Every year more of our local craft brewers don the lederhosen and kick out a kiwi version of a Munich Festbier.  Historically, the results have been mixed… NZ malt and even more so our hops just don’t mesh well with the peerlessly smooth, crisp and understated...
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New Zealand’s Most Awarded Beers

by | October 14, 2025 | Cover Story | 0 Comments

It was Stay Gold that started this … the Brave Brewing XPA that won a trophy in the International Pale Ale class at this year’s New Zealand Beer Awards. I was looking back through the records and realised it was the fifth gold medal that beer had won, and I started to...
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Slow Walk Through Paradise — Visiting Every Brewery in NZ

by | October 10, 2025 | Cover Story | 0 Comments

There’s something about beer that’s always been part of my story. From the early days of sneaking sips of Lion Brown at my dad’s feet and walking around the house with my ‘beer mou’, to the $2 jugs of Joseph Kuhtze Lager at the Southern Cross Tavern during University...
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