Hawke’s Bay classicists Zeelandt won a gold medal at the recent NZ Beer Awards with this wonderfully true-to-style German Rauchbier, a beechwood smoked lager. This beer utilises the uncommon technique of ‘decoction’ mashing. Gentle smoke wafts over toasted grain on the nose, with a distant grassy hop character hiding away. The palate is dynamic, with the smoke kicking things off before the highly expressive malts take over, finally subsiding into a clean and firmly bitter finish. A hugely characterful lager that’s uniquely suited for winter drinking.
