Lakeman Primate Pilsner

Winner of the ‘Barrel & Wood Aged’ category at the 2021 Brewers Guild Awards.  Aged for 14 months in NZ whisky barrels, quite possibly the world’s rarest wood, Kereru Amberine is a Belgian-style quad with an oak-aged twist rarely seen in European examples.  Burnt sugar, vanilla and toasted coconut on the nose, with butterscotch and even mysterious stewed rhubarb hiding further in.  Sumptuously full-bodied while remaining deft on the palate; initial buttery richness rapidly mobilises into more burnt sugar, then refreshing cola and drying oak tannin into the finish.  Magnificently full-flavoured, yet carrying that lightness of step that only long months of barrel maturation can provide.  Hard cheese and sharing (it’s 12 per cent ABV) is mandatory.

Lakeman Primate Pilsner

Awards season rolls on, with the New World Top 25 joining the scrum of medals just last week. On that incredibly hotly tested list (and not for the first time either!) was Lakeman Primate Pilsner from Taupo.  The pilsner style (particularly of the NZ persuasion) is...

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