They've long been big proponents of Australian hops at Bridge Road Brewers but with these two limited releases, their love for lupulin has taken them to other shores. Well ... NZ Hazy is about more than hops with the pale ale showcasing Mega Terps; a hop product from Freestyle Hops and Phantasm. This custom blend of Southern Cross, Motueka, and Rakau combines thiols and terpenes (if you're wondering what on earth any of that means, this podcast and this article are likely good places to start). There's certainly quite an intensity to the pithy beer, with ripe papaya and rockmelon particularly pungent from the first sniff, and a pithy orange juice flavour carrying through each sip too.
Stata East Coast, meanwhile, is a far leaner and somewhat more easy-going affair despite the higher ABV. Here, the dry and clear IPA brings strawberry, raspberry, honeydew, and passionfruit, tying them together with a bold but moreish bitterness.
Will Ziebell
Published February 12, 2025 2025-02-12 00:00:00
