8 Wired Dynamite Black IPA
Recipe for dynamite: mix pine, citrus, floral, juicy tropicals, earthy chocolate malts then detonate for max sensory enjoyment. Dynamite is a 6% ABV black IPA from the legends at 8 Wired. Hop forward goodness meets roasty malts, finishing with burnt caramel notes …banga!
Eddyline Barrel-aged Stout
This barrel-aged stout is up there in my opinion with the stout finds of the year. A colab with Nelson’s Pomeroy’s coffee and aged in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels it’s all kinds of espresso, peanut butter, dark chocolate and picks up sweet vanilla and bourbon as it warms. Lovely silky, sweet mouthfeel with a roasty finish. Highly recommend.
Ground Up Sqouze IPA
I squozed every last inch of life out of the Waimea/Nectaron hop combo in this 7% ABV IPA from the awesome Wanaka team at Ground Up brewing, expect huge grapefruit/pineapple/tangerine on the nose and palate with a soft juicy mouthfeel matched up with tingly carbonation/spikey bitterness and a resiny finish. Killah drop.
Heyday Archaic Crew IPA
Beerasaurus max! Archaic Crew is a 6.9% ABV West Coast IPA from Wellington outfit Heyday. Fully dosed up on all the USA C-hops it punches out loads of zesty citrus, pine and marmalade, the mouthfeel is super clean and crisp with a spikey bitterness sitting on a juicy earthy malt backbone, great example of a westy!
Isthmus Figaro Fig and Chocolate Stout
Figaro is a 9% ABV fig and chocolate stout from the great people at Isthmus. This release had me frothing at the bit. On the nose and palate big dark chocolate, roasty malts and espresso hits, mouthfeel is silky rich, decadent, with sweetness from the caramelised fig as it warms the finish is chocolatey and drying. Delicious.
Parrtodog Peter Hazy IPA
Peter is the latest hazy boi from Wellington’s Parrotdog. Rolling in at 8.5%, Peter hides his ABV well under big notes of grapefruit/tangerine/mango the mouthfeel is soft and creamy with a tingly carbonation and mild bitterness. Dangerously smashable!
Rhyme x Reason Happy Pils
Happy Pils is a 5% ABV Saaz-hopped pilsner from the rad units at Rhyme X Reason in Wanaka. It’s a crispy boi spiked up on zesty lemon, floral and herby notes crunching on a light pilsner malt. Crushable.
Urbanaut Living Beer
Urbanaut’s second offering in their Living Beer series is perfectly timed for spring weather, this a hazy kettle sour featuring manuka honey, jasmine and turmeric. On the nose there’s subtle honey, floral, yeasty notes and it gears up on the palate with prominent jasmine sweetness from the honey offset by citrus. Mouthfeel is crisp and more tart than sour and it finishes dry. Hammock beer!
