Photographer and beer-lover Dusty brings you his Instagram-worthy picks for September 2023. Heavy on the IPAs — including a Black IPA and a Red IPA for good measure, plus a chili porter.
Bach Brewing Stone Age Nomad
Bach Brewing do hazies right! Here’s another example of this — Stone Age Nomad is a 6.7% glow bomb of a brew, hopped with Nectaron/Motueka/Citra and Mosaic. There’s plenty of pineapple/lemon/herbal notes on a fresh green mouthfeel. A spritzy carb and juicy finish tie together a bangin brew!
Alibi Welcome to Waiheke
Another absolute crusher from Waiheke locals Alibi Brewing Co, Greetings From Waiheke — a 5.8% West Coast Pilsner — is a contender for pilsner of the year. Hopped with Motueka/Simcoe/Nelson Sauvin and Mosaic Cryo there’s plenty of berry/bubblegum/gooseberry/pine and lemon notes. Has the punchy resiny bitterness of a westy and crispness of a pilsner, and a drying finish pulls you back in for more.
Townshend Rode Ireland
Townsend Brewery have dropped the bottles and gone full tin, and here’s a new drop to ring it in. Rode Ireland is a 5.5% American-hopped Red IPA. Pours with a beautiful reddy/brown hue and a soft foamy head. Notes of caramel/toffee/spice on the nose, follows suit on the palate with additional pineapple/apricot/orange hits. Mouthfeel is soft and creamy with hints of spice from the rye before a drying finish. Beautifully layered beer and one of the best reds goin’ round.
Beers By Bacon Bros Black Noir
Love a Black IPA! Christchurch’s Beers By Bacon Bros have brewed up a beaut here. Black Noir has it all citrus/pine/toffee/floral notes off the tear, follows through on the palate with additional roasty/toasty dark chocolate feels, mouthfeel is crisp/danky with a citric bitterness, finishes with a burnt toffee/caramel dryness — a beer for all seasons.
Laughing Bones Adios
Adios from Laughing Bones is a 6.5% West Coast IPA with a plethora of hops, starting with neo mex ‘baddies’ Zappa and Talus with back-up from El Dorado/Azacca/Chinook and Simcoe. The result is a crispy westy with notes of pineapple/mango/grapefruit and pine. A wash of spiced pithy bitterness and a drying finish produce a lil crusher of a neo-westy.
Emerson’s Mexi Coco
Outstanding drop this! A regular in the beer fridge over the cooler months, Emerson’s 9.5% Mexi Coco chocolate chilli porter is beautifully layered with notes of cacao/chilli/vanilla/cinnamon. The mouthfeel is velvety smooth liquid chocolate with sweet/tart/heat components and fleeting berry notes. This drinks way below its abv, making it dangerously quaffable. Highly recommend this.
McLeod’s The Mountains Are Calling
The Mountains Are Calling is a 6.5% NZ IPA from McLeod’s. Showcases everything good about legendary NZ hop Riwaka. It’s danky/grassy/grapefruit/green capsicum notes to the fore, the infamous diesel notes are abundant on a spikey carbonated citric bitterness and juicy finish…banga!
Canyon X Pirate The Lost Keg
The Lost Keg — an ode to a sunken froth — is a 6.2% hazy NZ IPA colab ft Queenstown’s Canyon Brewing and Adelaide’s Pirate Life. Beautiful colour on this! it’s light, crispy with upfront notes of mango/grapefruit/lemon and pine. A spritzy carb and floral finish round out a crackin brew!
