Beginners Guide to Beer

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.

Beer Drinking For Beginners

I’m often asked “what is your favourite beer?” A lot of people assume that because I’m broad and varied in my beer tastes that I must have one.  Lucky for me everyone has an opinion and approximately 47% of those opinions are wrong.  There’s not many rules,...

The Beer Project — Lakeman Brewing

You can thank local government regulation for the existence of Lakeman, a brewery located on a farm 20 minutes west of Taupo. Farmer James Cooper didn't expect to become a brewer. He had never home-brewed. But regulations basically imposing herd size limits to prevent...

Beers A Plenty in Bay of Plenty

The summer months bring tourists flocking to the beaches and seaside towns of the Bay of Plenty, but there’s an increasing number of reasons for craft beer lovers to make the pilgrimage at any time of year. I recently spent a couple of days exploring the contrast...

Ask an Expert — How to Enjoy A Fresh Hop Beer

Brewing has been part of my life for 25 years now and even in this small amount of time, the innovations and experimentation that have all come about in the name of beer never cease to amaze me. It also means it's almost 20 years since I first got the chance to get...

Instagratification: Dusty’s Favourites

Photographer, beer-lover and Instagram influencer Dusty, picks his highlights from the latest releases. Urbanaut La Grande Urbanaut brewing slay the summer game here with their 4.8% La Grande lager with lime. Classic Saaz & trad Czech malt set up one crushable...

The Generation Game — Mount Brewing At 30

For Briar Harley, born into the brewery life, there’s plenty of excitement in sharing the news that come June a third generation will born into the Mount Brewing family. Briar and husband Niall, who own Mount Brewing in partnership with her parents Glenn and Virginia...