It’s been a tough few years for international (or any) travel and, while we can now get on a plane, doing so doesn’t remain as simple as it once was. Balter’s answer to that issue is a simple one: they want to take your mouth on holiday. First, stop in that holiday – and Balter’s first limited release for 2022 – is New Zealand, with NZ Pils. It’s quite an exciting prospect given their since-departed core range pilsner was a bit of a house favourite among the Crafty team, while anyone who’s stopped by a Balter stand at a beer fest or visited their home on the Gold Coast may have already tried it on tap under the name Cuzzie.
The beer not only features Motueka and Riwaka hops but a can design inspired by 1980s tourism brochures and a competition you don’t have long (30 or so hours at the time of writing) to enter. Crack into the can and you’ll find it pours a clear and sparkling golden hue with a building bitterness and the softest biscuit character to the beer’s clean malt base. Motueka and Riwaka meanwhile provide melon, grapefruit and lychee, flavours that stand out and fade into the background in equal measure, which in a very Balter way, means a second can is likely to follow your first quite quickly.
And if you’re wondering how some Kiiwi hops taste in hoppier and hazier beers, well, you won’t have to wait too long for your next mouth holiday…
Will Ziebell
Published April 7, 2022 2022-04-07 00:00:00
