$ Instore and online. 7 Beer G R E AT G IF T ID E A. Gift Box CRAFT PACK. Corner of Ellice & Hania Street The Basin Reserve, Wellington UNIT.

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1 S K I ERAN 7 Beer Gift Box for $34 95 shipping not included SEVEN UNIT. CRAFT PACK Instore and online Open Mon-Sat: 9am - 10pm, Sun: 11am pm NAL GIO REES &SPIRITS WIN Corner of Ellice & Hania Street The Basin Reserve, Wellington Munchner Dunkel Awarded Best in Class G R E AT G IF T ID E A

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3 O BY K I E R A N H A S L E T T- M O O R E n an overcast day in October I convened a panel of four judges in a community hall in a backstreet of Mt Victoria to tackle the considerable task of reducing 124 beers down to six. To cut a long story short we were a match for the task, and judged our way through lagers, pilsners, pale ales, wheat beers, stouts and porters, sour beers, strong ales, barrel-aged and Belgian beers. We looked for the characteristics expected in each style and points were awarded from 1 to 5. There were many good beers but six stood above the rest and they form this year s Capital Six Pack. Cheers! All glassware provided by Regional Wines and Spirits. Our thanks to them. 42

4 Kieran HaslettMoore Martin Craig Capital beer columnist, beer specialist for Regional Wines and Spirits, partner and head brewer for North End Brewing Company, experienced beer judge, having judged multiple beer competitions including the annual New Zealand Beer Awards. APA Typically: a big aromatically hopped pale with a lean supporting malt character. New World hop varieties create citrus, tropical and pine resin aromas and flavours. S.O.B.A. Pursuit of Hoppiness editor, consumer affairs and marketing specialist, beer lover. IPA A super-charged pale ale where the hop intensity, supporting malt and alcohol have all been increased to create a big assertive hoppy pale ale. Ryan McArthur Beer distribution manager for Beer Without Borders, beer logistics manager for Beervana, passionate homebrewer and beer lover. Spiced Beer A beer that has had a spice or unusual ingredient added. 43 Saison Dave Wood President of beer consumer group S.O.B.A. homebrewer and National Homebrew c ompetition Judge. Manager of beer bar Hashigo Zake. Typically: a spicy dry style of traditional farmhouse beer, produced along the Belgian/French border. Barrel Aged Typically: A beer that has been aged in wooden barrels to either mellow and flavour them with the wood, and a former spirit or wine that resided in the barrel, or to house special wild yeasts that will continue the fermentation process; and sometimes to achieve all of the above!

5 six P 01. Panhead Vandal 02. Mount Brewing Mermaid s Mirth 03. Wigram Munich Dunkel Panhead have only just turned one and yet their influence on the Wellington beer scene has been massive. Mike Neilson has a wealth of experience gained as brewer at Tuatara, and has used it to craft an assertive yet approachable range of hop-accented beers. Named for a famous New Zealand drag racer, the Vandal is a strong NZ-hopped India Pale Ale, combining Nelson Sauvin and Riwaka wholecone hops to create a massive, striking hop aroma. The panel found the Vandal to be incredibly well balanced considering the massive hop character. Aromas of tangy, overripe tropical fruit were backed up by tangy citrus and sweet biscuity malt in the mouth. A seldom-heard-from veteran of New Zealand craft brewing, Mount Brewing Co has been producing beer in the Bay of Plenty since The company has recently re-branded and released a new range of hop-forward beers. Mermaid s Mirth is a Strong American Pale Ale combining American Citra and Zythos hop with British malt to create a fruity aromatic beer. The panel found Mermaid s Mirth to have a lovely assertive tropical hop aroma, and an exotic fruit-bowl hop flavour layered over a firm malt backbone. Christchurch s Wigram Brewery consistently produces a range of interesting and characterful beers with an aeronautical theme to their names and labels. Munich Dunkel is a fantastic example of the style of dark lager brewed in Bavaria. The panel found Munich Dunkel to pour a very attractive deep shade of reddish brown, with a wonderful foamy head. Complex aromas of mocha, rye bread, and milky Milo gave way to a clean crisp palate that balanced rich bready dark malt flavours with light hop flavour and a smooth rounded finish. Our top six picks Beers are in no particular order 44

6 ACK 04. Mussel Inn Captain Cooker 05. Emerson s JP Wired Barrel Aged Imperial Smoked Porter Based in Onekaka in Golden Bay, the Mussel Inn is a well-known bush tavern that brews its own beers, ferments its own wines and cider, and grows much of the food it serves. Captain Cooker Manuka beer is as characterful as the pub. Named for the breed of pigs Captain Cook released into the New Zealand bush and referencing the manuka beer that Cook brewed in Dusky Sound, Captain Cooker is heavily hopped with manuka tips creating a seasonally changing array of flavours and aromas. The panel found Captain Cooker to be bursting with spicy Turkish Delight rose water aromas underpinned by a subtle caramel malt character. In the mouth the wondrous manuka characters were perfectly balanced by malt body and a lightly bitter finish. An exercise in how to establish balance and drinkability in a spiced beer. Each year Dunedin s Emerson s Brewery releases a different Belgian-Style beer to honour the late head of the Otago University s Food Science Department Jean Pierre Dufour. A brewing scientist by trade, Jean Pierre provided huge support to both Emerson s and the New Zealand brewing industry in general. After his death Emerson s started to brew and release the JP beers holding the profit from each batch in order to fund a scholarship in brewing science. JP 2014 is a classic saison style combining the spicy fruity nature of a Belgian yeast strain with a light herbal hop character and pale malt. The panel found JP 2014 to be a very attractive beer with a strident carbonation and an appropriate pillowy head. On the nose the beer was lightly fruity with a subtle spice character while in the mouth it was dry, crisp and elegant. 8 Wired brewing company is the creation of pokerfaced Dane Søren Eriksson. Until recently the brewer contract-brewed all its beers in Blenheim at Renaissance Brewing Co and in Auckland at Steam Brewing Co. However as this issue goes to press the first batches of beer should be brewing at the new 8 Wired brewery in Warkworth, north of Auckland. In addition to brewing an exciting range of hop-accented pale ales, dark beers and Belgian-style beers, 8 Wired has the southern hemisphere s largest beer-barrel aging programme. Here 8 Wired Barrel shepherd Jason Bathgate tends to a sea of former wine and spirit barrels housing hundreds of wild tangy secondary fermentations that will eventually see the light of day one way or another. Barrel-Aged Imperial Smoked Porter is the product of the 8 Wired barrel-aging programme having started its life as a strong smoked porter before being run into American Oak barrels containing the wild yeast brettanomyces. The beer has now emerged mellow, tangy and complex. The panel found the beer to have amazing aromas of bourbon, and tangy slightly sweaty notes from the brettanomyces, while on the palate there was a saltiness, chocolate, smoke and a pleasant hint of marmite. Intensely complex and satisfying. 45

7 PILSNER, GOLDEN AND BLACK LAGER PALE ALE IPA AND DOUBLE IPA ESB AND STRONG ALE Wigram Munich Dunkel Wigram Bavarian Pils A light gold with a lovely white head, subtle floral hopping, giving way to a clean crisp malt-accented palate with a good dry bitter finish. Tuatara Pilsner Light fruity tangy hop aromas give way to a clean palate laced with zesty citrus hop flavour and a clean dry finish. Panhead Port Rd Pilsner Big passionfruit, and lemon sherbet aromas lead into a lean crisp refreshing palate with a light biscuit malt character and a dry finish. Mussel Inn Dark Horse Pours a deep black/ruby, lovely aromas of cocoa and vanilla leading into a clean-bodied clean roasty palate. Panhead Vandal 5 Mount Brewing Mermaid s Mirth Behemoth Murica Spicy citrus aromas, and dark berry-fruit aromas lead into an expertly balanced palate that features sweet malt, and a unique striking hop character. Parrotdog Flaxenfeather Pours a light gold with an enthusiastic white foam. Massive zesty hop aroma of lemon and tropical fruit gives way to a husky wholegrain palate with a big zesty hop character and a crisp finish. Epic Armageddon A light shade of copper, lightly spicy and subtle tropical fruit hop aromas give way to a subtle lean dry palate. Tuatara American Pale Ale A deep shade of gold, with a complex aroma of candied sweet malt, lightly citrus (lemon and tangelo) hop aromas. On the palate there is a nice balance between hop flavour and malt weight with a lightly astringent finish. Parrotdog Bitterbitch A subtle earthy dusty hop aroma with caramel malt notes gives way to an assertive roasty, toasty malt-accented palate with a dry bitter finish. 8 Wired Super Conductor Pours a crystal clear shade of gold, bright aromas of dank tangy citrus, candied orange, mandarin and sweet biscuit malt. In the mouth assertive hop flavours give way to some light sherried notes and a clean finish. Galbraith s Strong Ale Pours a deep dark brown/red, complex aromas of warming alcohol, dark fruit esters and rich malt and toffee gives way to a lean, vinous warming palate. Mount Brewing Shaggy Pours a red shade of amber. Rich nutty malt, coconut, caramel and toffee combine in the nose before a toasty lightly chocolaty palate. CRAFTERS CAFE BAR BOTTLE STORE OPEN 7 DAYS Victoria street /

8 STOUT, PORTER AND BLACK IPA FLAVOURED SPICED AND EXPERIMENTAL BELGIAN Mount Black IPA Big citrus hop character and dark chocolate and espresso aromas lead into a fantastically balanced palate, with sweet malt helping to carry zesty hop and dark malt flavours. Mike s Robust Imperial Porter Complex aromas of warming medicinal alcohol, coconut, and roast malt give way to a surprisingly leanbodied palate and a rounded finish. Yeastie Boys PKB Pours a deep brown/black. Aromas of Jaffa chocolate/orange give way to a tangy hop resin-rich palate with a roasty assertive malt backbone. Baylands Enforcer A deep dark black with ruby highlights. A big fresh hop aroma bursting with orange gives way to an assertive bitter, roasty, sharp palate. Fork and Brewer 21 A big punchy aroma of citrus-tinged hop notes, a sweet malt backbone supports chocolate and jaffa flavours. Mussel Inn Captain Cooker 8 Wired Barrel Aged Imperial Smoked Porter Yeastie Boys xerrex Pours a hazy gold. Big aromas of peat, complex massive and single-malt-like. On the palate wild earthy bonfire and medicinal Islay single malt vie for attention before a salty drying finish. Mike s Coffee Porter Pours a dark black with an enthusiastic tan head. Aromas of sweet caramel, coffee and warming alcohol give way to a well-balanced palate with sweet malt supporting big coffee and chocolate notes. Kereru For Great Justice A lovely complex aroma of subtle coconut, chocolate and roast, in the palate tobacco and lean dry malt vie for attention before a crisp finish. Mike s Coffee Milk Stout Pours black with a rich creamy head, aromas of light milk chocolate and dark cocoa leading into a rich rounded subtle palate. Yeastie Boys Gunnamatta Pours a dark hazy amber with a big white head, aromas of spicy exotic citrus and Turkish delight give way to an intense tannic bracing finish. Wigram Spruce Beer Spicy aromas of Turkish delight and dark sugar give way to a woody earthy lightly malty palate with a spicy clove-flavoured finish. Emerson s JP 2014 Tuatara Ardennes Pours a light gold with a fluffy head, aromas of zesty citrus hops and spicy fruity Belgian esters give way to a sweet maltbalanced palate and a rounded finish. Kereru Velvet Boot Pours a dark shade of gold, aromas of warming alcoholic banana, some nice warming Christmas spice leading into a uniquely herbal palate. Mussel Inn Monkey Puzzle Pour a nice shade of amber, big malty aromas, light fruit esters and a candied fruit and rich malt palate.