Isthmus Brewing in Auckland have taken top spot at the annual New World Beer & Cider Awards with their 3D IPA.
The awards, in their 10th year, feature some major changes with the Top 30 reduced to a Top 25, making it an ultra-competitive event. And this year, there’s a new category known as Weird & Wonderful — a way to capture the creativity and imagination of modern brewing.
Almost 700 entries were whittled down to just 25 and from those, 3D IPA was an overwhelming choice of the judges when it came to champion beer.
Isthmus was founded by Hamish Ward and Caroline Muller-Ward as a side project when Hamish was head brewer at the now defunct Deep Creek brewery. When Deep Creek went into liquidation two years ago Hamish lost his job and the future of Isthmus was also on the line. But they survived that setback and this is a great redemption story.
3D is a beautiful beer with fantastic all-round flavour as the name suggests. The judges loved the powerful and classic American hop character on the nose, featuring grapefruit and pine. That’s wrapped up in an expressive malt base that supports and enhances the ongoing hop expression.
The “Weird & Wonderful” category is designed to bring forward flavours and ideas not seen every day on the supermarket shelves.
Take Lush, by New Plymouth’s Three Sisters. It’s a cross between a beer and smoothie — and it’s so thick you could stick a straw in it. Made with pineapple, guava, feijoa and vanilla it’s a mind-bending experience.
Then there’s Garage Project’s Spicy Pickle Beer, the spicier upgrade to last year’s awards sensation, Pickle Beer. Pickle lovers will devour this. Another with spice is McLeod’s Chili Pilsner, the heat coming from Northland chili growers Kaitaia Fire. This is a classic beer that deserves its moment in the sun.
The great flavours don’t stop there. Parrotdog’s Coconut Hazy IPA and Panhead’s Bounty Hunter both use coconut but in totally contrasting fashions, with the latter tasting like an adult version of a certain chocolate-coated coconut candy bar.
Every year, a relatively unknown comes to the fore and they don’t get any smaller and under-the-radar than Northland’s Heaven’s Brewery, a tiny brewery set-up by Ben Heaven in the Marua Valley near Hikurangi. Their dark lager, Judas Sheep, is a stunning debut. The competition also welcomes Mad Whale Brewing, an export-focused Kiwi business who are now showcasing their beer at home with a brilliant Helles Lager. And at the other end of the lager spectrum, is Singapore’s superb Tiger.
Proving high flavour doesn’t need alcohol Bach All Day Hazy Non-Alcoholic IPA and Peckham’s Apple Zero are bursting at the seams with goodness despite their non-alc credentials.
Peckham’s are also repped by their Classic Apple, a beautiful traditional cider.
The low carb department is dominated by Auckland’s Urbanaut with their Copacabana IPA and Beat Street Hazy Pale Ale coming in first and second in that category.
The hazies — Altitude Remarks, Good George Haze of Glory and Martinborough Hoppy Haze — are mind-blowing and all have an X factor that lifted them above the pack.
And if there’s a year to fall back in love with pale ales, this is it, with McLeod’s Blue Sky and Hallertau #2 both absolute beauties.
Special mention goes to Taupo’s Lakeman Brewing for a third consecutive year at the top table with their Primate Pilsner. They are joined by a newcomer in West Auckland’s Black Sands Pilsner.
Also back for another year is Sprig + Fern’s unrivalled doppelbock The G.O.A.T. It’s a legendary beer in New Zealand, as is Garage Project’s cult first-ever brew Pernicious Weed, one of three great IPAs alongside Isthmus 3D and Parrotdog Thunderbird Bright IPA, another returnee from last year.
The Top-25 also features a first — an alcoholic lemonade, with Good George Old School Alcoholic Lemonade a fun and refreshing drop.