nectaron

A rare dark entry into Parrotdog’s range of namesake seasonals.  Big porters like this (8 per cent ABV) typically fall somewhere on a spectrum with chocolate on one end and coffee on the other, and going by the aroma, this one lands squarely in the chocolate zone.  Dark chocolate block with roasty malt undertones and just a little black forest fruit.  That fruit really comes alive on the palate with black cherry and turkish delight mixed in with more of that smooth dark chocolate.  Considering this is a straight porter (i.e malt/hops/yeast) with no cocoa or fruit added, the striking intensity with which those very flavours come through is incredible.  An unabashedly sweet porter that absolutely nails the style.

Nectaron — A Familiar Song Played Differently

Nectaron hops are capturing the imagination of American brewers, particularly after the most recent harvest where it was the standout in sensory testing. NZ Hops Ltd, in their post-harvest report noted that Nectaron stood out this season alongside Superdelic and...

Two Bays Widens NZ Gluten-Free Market

Just about anywhere you go to eat these days understands a large chunk of the population is gluten-free. You see GF beside dishes listed on menu and on packaged food in the supermarket. But until now, with a couple of long-standing exceptions, you didn’t see...

Brewer Becomes Co-Owner at Searchlight

Ash Hutchinson, head brewer from Searchlight in Queenstown, is now a co-owner of the business — and one of his first big jobs will be showcasing Searchlight to the wider world at Beervana this year. Ash has worked at some of the best breweries in the country:...

150 years of Speight’s

Speight's Brewery in Dunedin — New Zealand's oldest brewery — is celebrating its 150th birthday. It's quite the yarn, because it's a brewery that has risen, fallen, partly revived, fallen, risen and risen further. In celebrating the landmark birthday, owner Lion noted...

Altitude’s Trophy-Winning Attitude

Queenstown's Altitude Brewing are celebrating (another) stunning awards performance at the Australian International Beer Awards, held in Melbourne last night. They increased their haul from last year’s AIBAs — taking home three trophies and a swag of medals (20 in...

Bach Brewing Sticky Buds III

I’m far from ready to declare a favourite from this year's fresh hop season, but I surely have some contenders, and the third edition of Bach Brewing Sticky Buds (by way of Steam Brewing) is most definitely on the list.  Fresh Nectaron is the pick here, supporting a...