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 seeing a bit of an ascendancy at the moment, and entry numbers are on the rise; so picking up any award with one is an achievement to take note of.
While Primate is certainly in the NZ Pilsner spectrum (hopped with Pacific Jade, Motueka, Riwaka), it’s a lot more classically presented than some of the more radically fruit driven examples that have come to typify the style. A fresh grain aroma holds step with the subtle mixed citrus and gentle grassy herbaceousness. Light bodied and exceptionally drinkable, with a very mild bitterness that affords the aromatic flavours plenty of room in the finish.
