Kiwi hops have proven to be not just distinctive and often as lively as any varieties on the planet, but also suited to certain contemporary beer styles. And arguably never more so than within pilsners. There's a stack of wonderful NZ brewed NZ pilsners (oh, how I miss the days Emerson's classic was still available on these shores) and they regularly appear from the hands of local brewers too.
For their take on the style, Noodledoof combined Atlas malts from Voyage Craft Malt with Wai-iti. OK, so there's some Hallertau Hersbrucker hops in their too, but the aim was to showcase the NZ variety, right through to a bit of first wort hopping to extract some herbal character as well as its citrusy top notes.
It pours with a light haze and is equally light in its golden colour, with lean citrusy aromas leading the way before a spicy, herbal character joins in, bringing with it a distinct, drying bitterness that cuts through any cracker sweetness. In short, a good and punchy pilsner.
James Smith
Published January 4, 2022 2022-01-04 00:00:00
