Epic Lupulingus

Winner of the ‘British Ale’ Category at the 2021 Brewers Guild Awards, Emerson’s Bookbinder actually predates the Guild itself, which was set-up (with Richard Emerson as a driving force) 15 years.  Twenty-five years is a long time for anything, but 25 years in the world of craft beer might as well be forever.  Yet that’s how long Bookbinder has been on the market, and still winning awards to this day.  Softly fragrant on the nose, with chewy malt and keenly floral hop aroma, with dried apricot, earth and spice in support.  Despite the diminutive 3.4 per cent abv, the palate bursts with flavour.  Light toffee malt tinged with more dried fruit and floral lift, with medium body, firm bitterness and surprisingly long finish.  What Bookbinder really nails is the perfect balance and integration between malt, hop and yeast expression that is the hallmark of the best British ales. Here’s to another 25 years.

Epic Lupulingus Imperial IPA

‘What’s Epic up to these days?’ is something I’ve been wondering recently. While the fate of Epic post-liquidation and purchase by the Russell Group probably warrants deeper investigation, I can confirm that whatever else might be going on, they have re-brewed...

Brothers Beer Nirvana Triple Hazy IPA

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Fresh Alibi — Meet The New Brewer

Jody Thomas has a beer CV that could fill this website from back to front but her new job as the one and only brewer at Alibi on Waiheke Island is almost like starting over. Thomas has worked in breweries up and down New Zealand as well as in Sydney, Geelong and...

Shining Peak Expand Into Christchurch

New Plymouth's Shining Peak have opened a branch office in Christchurch — setting up a bar and restaurant in the refurbished Sumner Post Office. Shining Peak have been looking for a new venue for some time and briefly looked at opening a venue in Queenstown, but they...

Mr Good Bar — Twofold & St Leonards

The good news is that, despite the occasional bad news, there are great new brew bars are still bubbling up all over the place. In central Auckland, for instance, I came upon two in a single afternoon – a sunny Sunday afternoon on the edge of summer, hope in the air....

Two Experimental Hops In Advanced Trials

Two of NZ Hops Ltd’s experimental hops are in advanced trials this season and they couldn't have asked for a better start. Both NZH-106 and NZH-109 have been selected for advanced growing trials so we’ll see more of those hops in our beers later this year. Andrew...