F E AT U R E
The best of the the rest
The pale lager style is pretty straightforward. The beer should generally be crystal clear with light biscuit malt characters and generally low levels of hopping.
Session pale ales and India Pale Ales (IPAs)
Fortune Favours Brewery Trailblazer – Lager This beer scored a five for being everything it should be. It was clean and crisp, with light, biscuit malt and obvious New Zealand hop characters of passionfruit and minerals.
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These beers are “mini” versions of the more traditional style, being low in alcohol by volume (ABV). They can be hard to balance. Double Vision Brewery Magical A.F. – Session Hazy Pale Ale This is the session hazy for drivers or those taking it easy this summer, at 4.5%. It has zesty lime and pineapple aromas and a juicy, tropical fruit flavour. The great mouthfeel hides the low ABV. Emerson's Brewery Bookbinder – Session Ale Has there ever been a year this reliable and delicious session ale hasn’t rated? With biscuit malts, and hints of orange and passionfruit, it’s delightfully balanced and rewarding, with a low 3.7% ABV.
Kettle sours These beers are soured as part of the brewing process, not in a barrel. They should be tart and refreshing, not so acidic that they suck your face in. They’re often flavoured. North End Brewery Petit Luna – Hibiscus and Lime Sour Pouring with a hazy pink hue, this beer has a lime and cranberry aroma. It has a robust mouthfeel and finishes dry and refreshingly tart.
Pale lagers
Emerson’s Brewery Underground – Lager This was a clean lager with light bready malt notes, and grass hop aromas with hints of a summer’s garden. It poured bright and clear and had a soft balanced bitterness on the finish. Double Vision Brewery The Classic – NZ Lager Pouring a bright dandelion yellow, this beer had bready malt notes and a light, fruity hop aroma. It was clean on the palate with a slightly sweet, apple-like finish.
New Zealand pilsner lagers
Hop Federation Pilsner – NZ Pilsner This was a punchy and super fresh beer with huge passionfruit and dank resinous hop characters. It was bright in appearance, aroma and flavour with a bitter, mineral finish. It was tasting on-point. Sunshine Brewery Pilsner – NZ Pilsner This was a bright, pale yellow beer with the gooseberry, grassy, and mineral aromas that define the style. It had a soft, pleasant bitterness with well-balanced light malt and citrus hop flavours. Abandoned Brewery Abandoned Pilsner – NZ Pilsner Straw yellow in colour, this beer had great clarity. There was a water-cracker malt character, and tropical and diesellike hop aromas and flavours. It finished with good balance. Fortune Favours The Adventurer – NZ Pilsner This beer had a slight chill haze, and smelled of gooseberries and citrus trees. The citrus carried over into the flavour which also included fresh grassy characters.
Dark lagers
The New Zealand pilsner style has recently entered the official style guide and is defined by our gooseberry, tropical, and minerally hops.
There is quite a range of dark lager styles. The beers listed below are amber to black, and more flavourful than a pale lager.
Tuatara Brewery Pilsner – NZ Pilsner Given this beer is one that defines the style, there’s no surprise it received a five. It was bright and well-balanced with a distinct minerally New Zealand hop aroma and flavour.
Zeelandt Brewery Black Monk – Schwarzbier Pouring with a soft red hue, this beer had aromas of bittersweet chocolate which followed through to the flavour. It was rounded and smooth on the palate with a subtle bitter finish.
Emerson’s Brewery Pilsner – NZ Pilsner This beer is the original New Zealand Pilsner and poured with a great, white head. There were light bready malt characters, citrus, and hints of sulphur. Easy drinking, it finished with a dry bitterness.
Tuatara Brewery Midnight Sun – Baltic Porter This is a dark beer with a deep redbrown colour. There were toast, caramel, and red berry on the aroma and it had a surprisingly juicy mouthfeel without being overly sweet.
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