Known for producing craftier, but still affordable six-packs, McCashin’s Brewery is now taking a similar approach to individual cans in the Legacy series.  Aside from the enticing price tag for this 5.9 per cent IPA, there was something that got my attention immediately: 500ml cans!  It proves there’s no logistical reason why I should be deprived of 60ml when craft beer goes from glass bottle to aluminium can.  But as ever, value alone can’t prop up a bad beer, so does this one have the chops? The nose on this certainly checks all the West Coast boxes, with grapefruit, apricot, rockmelon and gentle pine.  Pithy grapefruit is very dominant on the tongue, with a light but still reasonably chewy malt and a drying bitterness.  It might not have the rockstar razzle of a super-premium craft example, but it’s easily 90 per cent of the way there and at damn near half the price ($5.99) of a 440ml can (plus that 60ml extra) the value here is incredible. 

Wigram Mustang Pale Ale

Christchurch’s Wigram Brewery recently hosted an event to pay tribute to the late Paul Cooper, one of the founding fathers of New Zealand craft brewing.  It was a quiet afternoon, but the amount of living history (and a few living fossils) in that bar could have...

Two Thumb SMASH IPA Series #1

From Christchurch City’s Two Thumb Brewing Company, S.M.A.S.H (single malt and single hop) is the first release in a new series of IPAs featuring a single malt paired with a similarly singular hop. Version one (5.5%) is an all-Canterbury duo, combining Gladfield...

Farewell To A Brewing Legend — Paul ‘Coops’ Cooper

Before the internet, before Google, YouTube and AI, and before craft beer became a global movement, there was Richard "Paul" Cooper — or as everyone in the brewing world knew him, “Coops”. A scientist, engineer, brewer, and all-round innovator, Coops was among the...

Brothers Beer Mad Science #2 IPA

Mt Eden’s Brothers Beer invites us to taste the future with Mad Science #2 — a new trial hopped IPA. Amongst the first generation of commercially-released beers to use the latest clutch of trial hops (NZH-111, NZH-112 and NZH-115 variously) from the NZ Hops Ltd's...

Competition Watchdog Blocks Kegstar’s Acquisition of Konvoy

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has blocked MicroStar’s proposed acquisition of keg lending rival Konvoy. MicroStar, which operates as Kegstar in Australia and New Zealand, and Konvoy are the only suppliers of keg leasing services in this...

Boneface Brewing Deadlift Double IPA

I’ve said it before, but if you want to precision test a brewery then ask for a double IPA. Everything has to work harder; the ferment, the grain selection, the hops and (in particular) the conditioning.  As the ABV speedo climbs above seven, only the most precisely...