There's been plenty of action in the Kiwi beer scene in recent years, with a number of growers developing new products and working hard to get them into the hands of brewers across the globe. Among them is Freestyle Hops, and among their new offerings is hop variety Peacherine, which is given the spotlight in this hazy pale from Wayward.
It lands with as much punch as we’ve come to expect from new NZ varieties within a beer that might only register 5 percent ABV but has a texture and palate impact that warrants descriptors such as plump and pillowy*. It's a little sticky too, emitting ripe stone fruit in all directions, plus a little grassiness and a touch of prickly sauv blanc.
James Smith
*I'd dropped "pillowy" into my tasting notes before checking to see what the brewers had put on the can. "Pillowy"...
Published November 15, 2024 2024-11-15 00:00:00
