fruitallica

This is a re-brew of the original collaboration done with Stone Brewing in 2017, once again containing golden kiwifruit, yuzu and habanero chilli.  I missed out on the original release, so I’ll get to experience this juiced-up ride (8 per cent ABV) for the first time here.  On the nose the yuzu pops off as always out in front, with lychee and mango dominated hops and some soft kiwifruit sweetness further back.  The flavour is such a rapid and juicy ride that picking out the individual flavours as they race past is difficult, but the sharpness of the yuzu stays more or less at the forefront, with massively ripe hop fruitiness punctuating the mid palate.  At first you might even miss the chilli, but a few sips in, a building warmth will remind you they’re in there.  This is a hard one to classify.  It’s got the juice of a hazy, but the clarity and bite of a west coast IPA, and that’s even before the fruit comes into the equation.  Safe to say though that if you like an IPA with simply ‘more’ then you’ll love this one.

Bach Brewing Sticky Buds III

I’m far from ready to declare a favourite from this year's fresh hop season, but I surely have some contenders, and the third edition of Bach Brewing Sticky Buds (by way of Steam Brewing) is most definitely on the list.  Fresh Nectaron is the pick here, supporting a...

8 Wired Fresh Hopwired

It’s here… the full force of the fresh hop storm is upon us, and I find myself again in the (not so arduous) position of having vastly too many releases to choose from. So for this week’s feature, I’ll pick one that I’ve been most looking forward to reuniting with. ...

Hallertau Fresh Hop Belgian Ale

When it comes to fresh hops, it’s a bold move for a brewer to step outside the IPA and Pilsner paddocks, but Hallertau Fresh Hop Belgian Ale is unique (and bold) for even more reasons. A fleetingly rare example of a North Island hopped beer, using hand picked cones...

Thief Brewing Brood Mother

One of the first Canterbury fresh hops on the scene this year, Brood Mother Hazy IPA is brewed just over the hill at Thief in Banks Peninsula. While most freshies tend to stick to one or two hop varietals (for logistics as much as anything else), Brood Mother casts a...

Sprig + Fern Harvest Pilsner

Sprig + Fern’s ultra-classic Harvest Pilsner is always amongst the very first heralds of the impending hopocalypse, and frequently remains one of the best till the end of fresh hop seasons. This season’s release (it’s 16th outing!) presents a gentle citrus and cut...

Haagen Lager

As consumers, we all have two lines that constrain our habits.  Above, there’s the price ceiling, when the cost of beer gets above a certain point we’ll turn away.  That price ceiling has been talked about to death over the last five years (at least). ...