Photographer, beer-lover and Instagram influencer Dusty, picks his highlights from the latest releases heading into summer.
8 Wired NZH-109 West Coast Pilsner
The breakout experimental hop NZH-109 — the next big thing IMO — has ended up in a pilsner (albeit a West Coast Pilsner). The think tank wanted this combo since I first tried NZH-109. 8 Wired in conjunction with NZ Hops Ltd as an part of the official Bract Programme have produced an absolute crusha of a West Coast Pils. Immediate lime, lemon, weedy notes of the rip, follows suit on the palate. It’s light, crisp yet punchy and there’s a light oily coating and a tap of bitterness before a lean malt backbone and some soft tropicals round out ya next feel-good hit of the summer.
Shining Peak billy gumboots
A small Taranaki town declares itself a republic, a goat president and a ballot paper controversy — it’s all here in Shining Peak’s Billy Gumboots bock bier. Using Munich, Pilsner and Caramunich malts and hopped with Hallertau Mittlefruh and Green Bullet the result is a beautiful mahogany pour with notes of chewy, bready sweet malt underlying cola nut and subtle red berry make for a delicious and memorable brew.
GARAGE PROJECT BLACK MASS
From the stygian depths comes the king of beers in my opinion, a rare market return in the form of Black Mass a 6.66% Black IPA from Welly heavy-hitters Garage Project. An obsidian pour makes way for pops of zesty grapefruit, orange with licks of danky pine, mellow dark chocolate undertones on a resiny mouthfeel and tingly carb tie together a moresish example of the style. Drink and repeat!
Salt District Pilsner
Some brews just denote summer — case in point here with Whangamata’s Salt District Brewing and their NZ Pilsner featuring Nelson Sauvin, Nectaron an Wai-iti in the hop department. It’s soft, oily, grapey, gooseberry notes initially with back-up subtle pineapple an underripe peach. An effervescent carb and limey drying finish round out a beaut lil NZ Pilsner.
Alibi Mosaic Pale Ale
If there’s a hop that holds its own as a single hop it’s Mosaic. Island dwellers Alibi Brewing have smashed the concept here with their 5.5% Mosaic Pale Ale. It’s a blueberry explosion from the get go with additional mango-orange hits. A prickly bitterness and sticky, candy mouthfeel round out an exceptional example of single hop brewing. Great to see it in a non-hazy form as well — icing on the cake.
Brave Brewing Tigermilk
Big congrats to Brave Brewing on hitting their 10th anniversary. What better way to commemorate the occasion with a one-off anniversary release of the legendary Tigermilk IPA. This 6.6% brewty is hopped with Centennial, Citra and Mosaic throwing out all those POG vibes, hoppy zesty oily resin meets pineapple passionfruit orange grapefruit beautiful drop that.
Workshop Hazed Ryder
The bros at Raglan’s Workshop Brewing don’t do hazies — until now! They have succumbed to demand by the masses and replied with Hazed Ryder, a 6.3% haze lord hopped with Nelson Sauvin, Mosaic, Citra, Cryo and Citra T90. Notes of fleshy peach and pineapple upfront backed up by secondary lime and fleeting coconut. Zesty bitterness and a juiced-up mouthfeel breathe life into a hazed ’n’ dazed style. Loved it. Get it while lasts.
Beers Yuzu Lager
Built for pitmasters, built for spring/summer, built for wild weather days on West Coast beaches, Beers Beers Beers Yuzu Lager is pretty much ya go-to drop for anything. Hopped with Lemondrop and packing a hefty slap of yuzu this 4.77% brew is refreshing, tart, crispy, lemony with a zesty clean bitterness before a drying finish. A crispy crusha that would be an awesome summer sixer.
