Pale Ale City
FOR the past 20 years Wellington has been at the forefront of New Zealand craft beer culture. In the early 1990’s we were one of the first New Zealand communities to embrace independently brewed beers and in the early 2000’s we became the major market for beers that displayed aromatic New Zealand hop characters.
Now with New Zealand craft beer entering its energetic adolescence Wellington has moved along to developing a major craving for big muscular hoppy aromatic pale ales. During my day job as a retailer it is becoming increasingly clear that hoppy pale ales are the preferred style in the Wellington market and indeed this year’s Beer Necessity survey suggests that the brewers know this as well.
This year we received more pale ale entries than any other style, over twice as many pale ales as the next most popular style Stouts and Porters.  
Every year the level of quality improves. We have only mentioned beers that scored a 3 or better. This year two beers scored an impressive 5 out of 5 and two a 4.5. These four beers are the judges’ top recommendations. Overall 20 beers scored 4 or higher. Two years ago the survey came up with a ‘Top 8 Pack’ last year the increasingly high standard of the beers meant we stretched to a Top Dozen. This year’s top beers pose the very pleasing problem in that there are too many good beers to sum up in one mixed format. Instead this year those that are 4 or higher have a recommended star / cap next to them.  
Ironically the two beers to achieve 5 out of 5 this year are both about as far from the Pale Ale Style as it’s possible to get. Wigram Spruce Beer is a recreation of the first beer ever brewed in New Zealand by Captain Cook in Dusky Sound in 1773. Wigram Spruce Beer is a dark amber beer brewed with Rimu and Manuka instead of hops and gains some of its fermentable sugars from treacle. It’s an incredibly unusual beer that manages to strike the perfect balance between exotic aromas and flavours that sum up the Kiwi bush and drinkability.
8 Wired I-Stout is a modern take on the type of stouts that were once exported from England to continental Europe. I-Stout is a rich full bodied and decadent beer that combines flavours of dark chocolate, burnt fruit cake and espresso. Brewer Søren Erikson recommends using it as part of an ice cream float (or spider as it was known when I drank such things) combining the intense rich chocolate of the beer with the rich velvety texture of vanilla ice cream. At a time of the year when 10.5%abv stouts are probably not at the top of everyone’s shopping list this is perhaps a more summery way of experiencing I-Stout.
New entrants were the two new breweries that have recently opened in the Wellington area, The Garage Project in Aro Valley and Keruru Brewing in Upper Hutt. The future for craft beer in this town looks bright, I suggest we all drink to that!   
This year’s task was bigger than ever with more beers entered. I would like to thank the judges for what turned out to be a full day’s work. I would also like to thank Regional Wines and Spirits for donating the venue, the glassware and my time to this years survey.
Cheers, Kieran Haslett-Moore
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The Judges
Kieran Haslett-Moore
(Convenor)  is an experienced New Zealand beer judge, Beer Specialist at Regional Wines and Spirits and beer columnist for Capital Times.
Geoff Griggs
is a senior New Zealand beer judge, campaigner and beer writer based in Blenheim.
Stephanie Coutts
is a beer festival volunteer coordinator for Beervana, The Matariki Beer Festival and The Pacific Beer Expo, she has also taken part as a judge in several consumer orientated beer competitions.
Phil Cook
traded the law for a career in beer. He works the bar at the iconic Malthouse, writes his Beer Diary Blog and has started New Zealand’s first beer podcast.
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SCORE KEY
5 -    a truly exceptional beer
4.5 - an outstanding example of the style
4 -    a very good example of the style
3.5 - a good beer
3 -    an average beer  

Golden, Red and Black Lager
Typically: Clean, crisp, refreshing , Golden Lagers are generally lightly malty brew with a low hop character. Darker lagers will present bready, caramel , and even chocolate and espresso notes.
Moa Original
Pours a crystal clear gold with a moderate head. Aromas of nice grassy hops , cooked corn and a hint of stewed malt gives way to a medium bodied palate with some nice lemony hops. 3
West Coast Good Bastards Lager
Pours a clear gold with a tight white head. Aromas of bready malt alongside some papery notes and a hint of baking chocolate gives way to a slightly savoury palate. 3
Macs Black     
Pours a deep dark ruby red with a thick creamy healthy tan head. Aromas of coffee, and dark chocolate give way to a smooth palate with nice body and good mocha flavours before a slightly astringent finish. 4
 Harrington’s Ngahere Gold
Pours a clear gold with a good healthy head. Aromas of apples and pears jostle alongside cereal grain notes before sweet malt and spicy warm alcohol come through in the mouth. 3
Sprig and Fern Doppelbock
Pours a dark chestnut with a great lace. Aromas of dark fruits (black current, ribena) meld with an appealing malt loaf character. In the mouth rich sweet rounded malt combines with some minty notes. Great balanced beer that lacks a little malt complexity. 4

Pilsner
Typically: A type of lager which places a lot of emphasis on hop character. The New Zealand variant of the style tends to feature prominent fruity, floral herbaceous hop aromas, a clean malt profile and a pronounced bitter finish.
Macs Hoprocker
Pours a clear straw gold with a good head. A slightly muted aroma features some prominent fermentation fruit notes, some sulphur alongside some nice zesty hops. In the mouth the beer shows some aged malt notes leading into a firm bitter finish. 3
Tuatara Pilsner
Pours a clear gold with a light white head. Some nice citrus, and passionfruit hop aromas alongside a slightly ripe sweaty note leads into well balanced palate with a late rising bitterness. 4
Croucher Pilsner
Pours a light brilliant gold with a good healthy head.  A striking original aroma features lychee, and talcum powder. In the mouth rose water, and citrus sit alongside some lean malt and lead into a firm bitter finish. 4
Emerson’s Pilsner
Pours a light clear gold with a good healthy head. Aromas of passionfruit, and citrus sit alongside a hint of sulphur. In the mouth some muted hop sits alongside some light malt before a good firm bitter finish. 3.5
Moa Methode   
Pours a light hazy gold with a huge voluminous frothy head. Aromas of sherbety lemon and sour lollies gives way to a lemony palate with a big firm bitter finish. 4

Wheat
Typically: Crisp and spritzy with a big fluffy head. Special yeast strains and in Belgian style examples spices, create aromas and flavours which can include bubblegum, clove, banana , orchard fruit and tart citrus.
Moa Blanc Evolution     
Pours a light hazy gold with hints of spicy vanilla, and citrus. In the mouth an original spike of lemony hop flavour alongside some orchard fruit leads into a crisp dry finish. An original hoppy take on a wheat beer.  4.5
Emerson’s Weizenbock    
Pours a nice dark ruby / brown with a light white head. A nice complex aroma of Christmas spice, bubblegum and orchard fruit gives way to a palate that blends fruit and spice with some warming rich malt and a long fruity finish.  4

Bitter / English IPA
Typically: hop accentuated fruity ales with varying levels of toffee and caramel malt on the palate and a drying bitter finish.
Monteith’s Original
Pours an appealing shade of copper with a healthy white head. Aromas of red apple and cereal grain give way to a slightly thin aged malt character in the mouth.  3
Emerson’s Bookbinder
Pours light amber with a moderate white head. Aromas of barley sugar, cracker biscuits and a touch of sulphur combine with zesty NZ hop aromas (citrus and melon fruit).  3.5
Wigram Kortigast
Pours a bright amber with good healthy head. Aromas of grainy malt, caramel, fruity fermentation notes and a hint of sweet corn give way to a sweet slightly unbalanced palate.  3
Tuatara IPA
Pours a nice shade of amber with a healthy white head. The aroma features some nice fruity hops leading into a treacle and liquorice tinged palate ending in a big rising bitterness.  3.5
Sprig and Fern IPA
Pours a nice shade of amber with some nice NZ hops on the nose. In the mouth butterscotch, and a papery note give way to a slightly harsh bitter finish. 3

American/Aotearoa Pale Ale, New World India Pale Ale, New World Amber Ale
Typically: Bigger hopped and more aromatic than English style pale ales with a leaner malt character. New World hop varieties create citrus and pine resin aromas and flavours.
West Coast International Pale Ale
Pours a very hazy amber with a light white head. The aroma features candied marmalade, with a hint of passionfruit. In the mouth some nice citrusy hops sit over some slightly aged malt and a rising bitterness. 3
Croucher Pale Ale       
Pours a nice shade of bright amber with a tight lace. Citrussy NZ hops notes lead into a fruity hop accented palate that lacks a little in the malt department. 4
Tuatara Aoteroa Pale Ale      
Pours a slightly hazy gold with a healthy white head. Marmalade, tomato stalk and kerosene all jostle in the aroma before leading into a full bodied palate with a firm rising bitterness. 4
Moa Pale Ale
Pours a bright amber with a thick enthusiastic head. A complex aroma of citrus, talcum powder, and tomato stalk gives way to a slightly salty savoury palate with a late rising bitterness. 3
Dales American Amber Ale     
Pours a crystal clear amber with a reluctant white head. Nice bright hops create a complex citrus effect in the aroma. In the mouth rich rounded malt and some original hop flavour are all presented with a low level of carbonation. Original and very drinkable.  4
Garage Project Red Rocks
Pours slightly hazy red with a healthy white head. Aromas citrus, passionfruit and tomato plant give way to a pronounced salty citrus tinged palate and a firm bitter finish. 3.5
Yeastie Boy’s Digital IPA     
Pours a lovely shade of gold with a thick white head. A complex aroma of passionfruit and tangy sweat gives way to bitter sweet palate with a hint of saltiness and a rising bitterness. 4
8 Wired Hopwired    
Pours an clear light shade of amber. Aromas of passionfruit, and sherbety lemon gives way to a muscular hard edged palate combines a short lived malt cushion before a big zesty firm bitterness. 4

Brown Ale / Scotch Ale
Typically: Aromas tend to feature complex nutty malt, although New World examples often feature hops as well. Malt character tends to be nutty and lightly chocolaty and biscuity.
8 Wired Rewired     
Pours a reddish brown with a nice white head. Aromas chocolate and Turkish delight give way to a rounded full bodied malt character in the mouth and a slightly burnt astringent finish. 4
Sprig and Fern Scotch Ale
Pours a reddish brown with a nice creamy head. Aromas of red apples and pears give way to a fruity palate all supported by some sweet uncomplicated malt. 3

Belgian
Typically: Belgian brewers often use yeasts which impart aromas and flavours of clove, orchard fruit and spice to their beers.
Dales Belgian Pale Ale
Pours a light amber with no head. Aromas of bubblegum, Christmas spice and a hint of zesty hop. In the mouth a low carbonation let down what is a lovely balance of zesty hops, orchard fruit , nutty malt and bubblegum notes.  3
Yeastie Boys Red Rackham
Pours a mid amber with a good healthy head. Aromas of boiled lollies, bubblegum, Christmas spice give way to a malty palate with an intriguing menthol character, and a warming finish. 3.5
Tuatara Ardennes
Pours a bright gold with a moderate head. Aromas of clove, freshly cut grass, and cereal malt give way to a sweet malty palate that just manages to stay in balance. 3.5
Emerson’s JP 2011
Bright gold with a pleasing white head. Aromas of spicy pepper, and orchard fruit give way to a warming palate with a touch of clove on the palate and a rich full body. 3.5
Moa St Joseph’s Tripel    
Pours hazy old gold with yeast particles in suspension and an enthusiastic head. Aromas zesty hops, bubblegum and clove gives way to stonefruit, zesty hops and rich malt in a tight balance on the palate. 4.5
 
Fruit/Flavoured
Typically: a beer that has had a fruit or spice added or is produced from an unusual ingredient.
Harrington’s Lazy Sunday
Pours a bright gold with a loose white head. Aromas of warming ginger spice give way to a very dry palate that lacks malt and just manages to present like a beer. 3
Mussel Inn Captain Cooker
A lovely shade of amber with a nice head. Aromas of Turkish delight, rose water, and Manuka give way to a well balanced drinkable palate with malt perfectly cushioning the more exotic flavours.  3.5
Yeastie Boys Rex Attitude    
Pours a hazy gold with a tight white head. Aromas of charred wood, earthy peat, and a hint of burnt rubber. In the mouth the beer is salty and earthy with a subdued fruity hop character.  4
Wigram Spruce Beer       
Pours an deep shade of copper with an amazing bush aroma, resiny pine, tarred rope, and earthy spice all feature before  rich malt and treacle take over on the palate and lead into a clean balanced finish. 5

Stouts and Porters
Typically: Dark Ales with roasty, toasty aromas and flavours and a hint of chocolate and espresso.
Kereru Moonless Stout
Pours pitch black with a sluggish white head. A striking aroma of roast coffee beans and dark 725 cocoa. In the mouth the beer lacks a little malt cushion but makes up for it with some lovely dark malt flavours. 3.5
Wigram Dakota Dark
Pours a dark reddish brown with a thick head. Aromas of caramel, butterscotch and cocoa give way to a caramel accented palate with rounded finish.  3
Sprig and Fern Porter
A dark shade of ruby with a creamy head. Aromas of perfumy red apples, coffee and chocolate give way to a straight up chocolate caramel accented palate. 3
Yeastie Boys Pot Kettle Black      
A very dark shade of red brown with a loose head. A complex aromas of cocoa, zesty hops and a hint of sulphur gives way to roasted malt , cocoa, and resiny hops in the mouth. Overall a toasty Jaffa effect. 4
Croucher Patriot
Dark reddish brown with a huge fat head. Aromas of mocha and grapefruit give way to a lean palate that displays good mocha and jaffa flavours but could use some more malt cushion. 3.5
Harrington’s Baltic Porter
Pours dark brown with some red highlights. Aroma features fruity red apple fermentation notes, warming alcohol and a hint of cocoa. In the mouth the beer is sweet and malty but lacks a little in malt complexity. 3
Moa Imperial Stout
Dark black with a hint of red light when held aloft. A slightly muted aroma leads into a rich malt, roasted malt flavours, cocoa, and warming alcohol.  4
8 Wired I-Stout            
Pours a pitch black with a thick tan head. Aromas of super dark high cocoa chocolate, burnt Christmas cake, rum soaked raisins, prunes and toffee. All of the above continue in the mouth with a salty deep roast character joining the party. One judge commented that it was a deeply sexy beer.  5