Photographer, beer-lover and Instagram influencer Dusty, picks his highlights from late-2023.
Shining Peak Skunk Juice Double Hazy IPA
The legendary Skunk Juice from Shining Peak but in a juiced up 8% imperial version. Mosaic, Citra, Amarillo provide a smash fest of tropical colliding with citrus, notes of papaya/pineapple meet lemony/orange on a crisp juicy mouthfeel with a bite of bitterness before a drying finish — crusha!
Mount Brewing Crumble Confection
A beautiful drop this from Mount Brewing Co — a 5% feijoa crumble sour ale. Sweet, tart, creamy feijoa intertwines with almond, honey and sweet vanilla atop a biscuity base. Delicious! Dessert is served.
Alibi Brewing Wooden Overcoat Rye IPA
One of the best IPAs I’ve had for some time from Waiheke’s Alibi Brewing. Wooden Overcoatis a bright rye IPA hopped with Nelson Sauvin, Cryo Mosaic, Rakau and sub-zero hop kief. The result is notes of gooseberry, orange and blueberry with hits of spice from the rye addition. Clean, crisp, beautiful.
Badass Beverages Tall Tales Maibock
Tall Tales is a 7.3% Maibock — big honeyed malts meet fruity hop forward goodness with additional floral notes. Super clean and crisp. I rate this one!
Heyday Beer Co Sinbad
Grape meets danky, herby gooseberry, meets biscuits in this NZ-hopped pilsner from Heyday Beer Co. Sinbad is hopped with Southern Cross and Nelson Sauvin and is refreshing as — summer in a tin!
8 Wired Make Way For Ducklings Hazy
An all Kiwi affair in this NZIPA haze boi — Nelson Sauvin, Moutere, Nectaron and Superdelic feature in the hop department. it’s a juicy molotov of pineapple, lemon, lime and passionfruit with hints of floral on a drying finish, sooo good!
Sunshine Black Magic Black Pale Ale
Summer and sport in a tin here! Black Magic from Sunshine Brewing is a 4% black pale ale and it’s the goods. Chocolate malts meet citrus, predominantly orange, with a light yet smooth mouthfeel. Big on flavour low on ABV — cold gold!
Rhyme X Reason Sik Pits IPA
A colab with the legends at Pit Viper, Sik Pits is a 6.9% westy frothing on Citra. Plenty of grapefruit, lemon, melon off the rip which follows suit on the palate and finishes out with a slap of floral bitterness.
