And now for something completely different. Or at least two beers following a different path to their comrades in the NZ Hops Great Brew Challenge from a couple of Queensland's most high profile breweries.
Range have taken the hop formerly known as Brooklyn, Moutere, and sprinkled it (well, dry-hopped it) liberally into a lightly hazy, golden lager called No Place Like Moutere. Deep, somewhat resinous citrus aromas and flavours (grapefruit is the key characteristic according to Moutere's growers) with a sprightly top note of lime and mandarin lead off, while there's a little white pepper and hints of lager’s noble hop traditions to be found in the bitterness. The triumph here is in the clean delivery of the hop variety's charms, with the brewers laying down a blanket of hop oils with the finesse of housekeeper at a five star holiday resort.
If you were planning to make your way through the dozen beers in the mixed packs (tip: don't unless you're sharing with mates!), Your Mates' DDH Sour is the circuit-breaker for your palate. Lean, spritzy and refreshing, like a wine cooler waiting for you at the end of a hot day in the Sunny Coast surf, the Wai-iti hops are responsible for the creamy stone fruit and citrus aromas accompanying the base beer’s tang. A bit of bright and breezy fun.
James Smith
You can read about other NZ Hops Great Brew Challenge here: Hemingway's and Working Title, CoConspirators and Mismatch, Molly Rose and Sailors Grave, Uraidla and Mountain Culture and Deeds and Six String.
Published January 17, 2022 2022-01-17 00:00:00
