Heading down the quality road
One of the encouraging themes from this year’s Beer Necessities survey is the increasing quality of New Zealand beer. Last year’s survey offered up 8 beers scoring 4 out of 5 points, this year we have been able to make up a top dozen including one overall champion beer scoring an impressive 4.5 out of 5. In the past we have not mentioned beers that have scored under 2.5 as a result of the increasing quality of the beers this year we decided to lift the bar and have only mentioned beers that scored 3 points or over.
This year’s champion beer is the citrusy fruity expertly balanced pale ale from Croucher brewing in Rotorua. This achievement finishes off what has been a great year for the small company who took out a trophy for their Pilsner at BrewNZ this year and have done a lot to expand their business over the last 6 months. The Croucher beers are tasting fantastic and are well worth searching out. Croucher Pale Ale is an indigenous take on the American Pale Ale style supplanting locally grown hops for American ones and giving the beer a big striking citrus and tropical fruit character as a result.
It’s heartening to see that the diversity that characterised last year’s top 8 has continued to develop with a wide range of styles from a wide range of brewers featuring in the top dozen. This year the top scoring beers ranged from a low carb lager at one end of the spectrum through to a barrel aged imperial stout at the other with a raft of hoppy New Zealand Pale Ales and Pilsners and a hugely hoppy double IPA in between. The breweries that brewed them are no less diverse ranging from the nation’s biggest brewer Lion Nathan at one end of the scale through to 8 Wired, a one-man contract brewer who trials his recipes at a homebrew level before brewing them commercially.
This year we had a truly global judging panel with Geoff Griggs representing England, Colin Mallon representing Scotland, Stephanie Coutts flying the Australian flag and myself representing NZ. I would like to thank my fellow judges. As always the day was enjoyable but fatiguing and not the dream job it is often assumed to be. I would also like to thank my employer Regional Wines and Spirits for donating both my time and the glassware that allowed us to carry out the judging.
At a time when there is a lot of concern over the use of alcohol it’s important that the trend to drinking less but drinking better continues. High quality characterful beer is crucial to this trend so it’s fantastic that this year’s survey shows that quality is continuing to improve.
I think we can all drink to that!
Cheers
Kieran Haslett-Moore
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The Judges
Kieran Haslett-Moore 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.
Colin Mallon is manager of Wellington’s iconic specialist beer bar, The Malthouse.
Stephanie Coutts is a well known beer taster
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The Top Dozen
Macs Spring Tide
A low carb lager from Lion breweries, the nations biggest brewer.
Tuatara Hefe
A fruity German style wheat beer from Waikanae’s Tuatara Brewing Co.
Steinlager Classic
A classic premium New Zealand Lager from Lion Breweries.
Croucher Pilsner
A New Zealand Pilsner from a small craft brewery in Rotorua.
Emerson’s Pilsner
The classic New Zealand Pilsner from one of the nation’s largest craft brewers.
Emerson’s 1812
A fruity pale ale from Emerson’s Brewing Co.
Macs Sassy Red
A fruity and slightly roasty pale ale from Lion breweries.
Croucher Pale Ale
The champion beer from Rotorua’s Croucher Brewing.
8 Wired Hopwired IPA
A big NZ hopped India Pale Ale from Blenheim’s 8 Wired Brewing.
Mikes IPA
A strong and aromatic American double India Pale Ale from one of the nations older craft brewers in Taranaki.
Moa Imperial Stout Barrel Reserve
A barrel aged Imperial Stout from Blenheim’s Moa Brewing Co.
8 Wired The Big Smoke
A smoked porter from Blenheim’s 8 Wired Brewing Co.
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Score key:
All beer judged out of 5. Scores of 2 or less were not reported.
 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

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. Often intended to be served cloudy and can come in a full range of colours from very pale and dark amber brown.
Moa Blanc Evolution
Pours a hazy gold with an enthusiastic fluffy white head. Nice fruity spicy esters give way to a soft sweet slightly tired tasting palate with some light citrus notes. 3
Tuatara Hefe
Pours a nice hazy gold with a very light head. Aromas of bubblegum, banana and caramel give way to sweet malt, and a fantastic well structured balance between fruitiness and malt flavour. 4
Emerson’s Weizenbock
Pours a dark shade of amber with a big mousse like head. A slightly closed aroma of light banana, bubblegum and coffee give way to dry palate that balances dry cocoa and fruit character before a slightly aged dry finish. 3
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Golden Lager
Typically: Clean, crisp, refreshing lighly malty brew with a low hop character.
Moa Original Weka Lager
Pours a crystal clear mid gold with a low whispy head. Aromas of rose petal notes and grassy hops give way to a tart austere palate. 3
Steinlager Pure
Pours a clear gold. Aromas of sulphur, and sweet malt give way to a nicely balanced palate of sweet malt and light balancing hop bitterness. 3.5
Harrington’s Saddleback
Pour a clear gold with a moderate white head. A closed aroma gives way to a neutral balanced palate with a touch of caramel. 3
Steinlager Classic
Pours a light gold with a low white head. Aromas of sulphur and light fruity esters give way to a slightly thin sweet caramel flavoured body with a clean balanced finish. 4
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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.
Croucher Pilsner
Pours a pleasing gold with a nice white head. A big complex New Zealand hop aroma featuring citrus, melon and biscuit malt give way a fruity palate and a well-balanced finish. 4
Emerson’s Pilsner
Pours a brilliant clear gold with a reticent white head. A complex aroma of sulphur, passionfruit, and melon gives way to a well balanced palate that offers up fruity hop flavour and a firm biscuity malt character. 4
Macs Hoprocker
Pours gold with an enthusiastic white head. Herbaceous hop aromas of nettles, tangy tomato plant and citrus gives way to a sweet malt dominated palate and a slightly vegetal finish. 3
Moa Methode Traditional
Pours a hazy gold with a big rocky head. An unusual fresh fruit aroma of melons, tangerine and pear gives way to a intensely carbonated fresh zesty palate that features some slightly sweaty hop flavour, and some spicy vanilla and ginger notes. 3.5
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Barrel Aged, Smoked, wood flavoured
Typically: a beer which has been aged in wooden barrels, aged over wood chips or produced using smoked malt.
Mikes Whiskey Porter
Pours a deep black with a healthy head. Aromas of oak, vanilla and spirity warmth gives way to a lean bodied spirity, chocolaty and somewhat one-dimensional palate. 3
Moa Five Hop Barrel Reserve
Pours a murky gold with an enthusiastic white head.  Aromas of tannic oak, and vanilla gives way to a sweet malt dominated palate and a grippy oaky finish. 3
Moa Imperial Stout Barrel Reserve
Pours a pitch black with a lovely big head. Aromas of light banana liquor, oaky vanilla, and caramel give way to a big fat sweet malt body , some roast notes and a tannic dry finish. 4
8 Wired The Big Smoke
Pours a solid black with a light tan head. Aromas of light smoke, caramel, and fruity hops gives way to rich chocolate and smoky bonfire notes in the mouth before a lean dry finish. 4
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Darks  
Typically: Dark lagers have a malt accented aroma, with a bready toasty, roasty, nutty malt driven palate and a clean spritzy finish.
Macs Black Mac
Pours a dark shade of red with a light tan head. Aromas of nice cocoa and charcoal give way to a sweet malt palate with some light cocoa and hop flavour and an astringent charred finish. 3
Moa Noir
Pours a dark red with a nice white head. Aromas of caramel give way to a palate that features some slightly metallic hops, a lean malt profile and a rounded finish. 3
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Fruit/Flavoured
Typically: a beer that has a had a fruit or spice added.
Harrington’s Lazy Sunday
Pours a mid gold. Aromas of ginger, biscuity malt and fruity notes give way to a thin bodied beer with a pronounced ginger character, a simple refresher. 3
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Pale Ale
Typically: hop accentuated fruity ales with varying levels of toffee and caramel malt on the palate.
Emerson’s 1812
Pours a reddish shade of amber with a light white head. Very clean aromas of spicy hops and toasty malt give way to an orangy hop flavour on top of a good full bodied malt backbone. 4
Macs Sassy Red
Pours a nice shade of amber with a healthy enthusiastic head. Aromas of pithy hops, and burnt toffee give way to a solid malt backbone and a fresh citrus hop flavour and a rounded finish. 4
Croucher Pale Ale
Pours a mid golden with a light white head. A striking aroma of marmalade like citrus like hops, and complex toffee malt give way to geranium like hop flavour and an impressive balancing malt backbone. 4.5
Moa 5 Hop Winter Ale
Pours a hazy gold with a big rocky head and a driving carbonation. A striking tinned peach aroma gives way to a palate that features a striking salted toffee note, stonefruit, caramel and a fruity finish. 3.5
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Low Carb/Low Alch
Typically: Lack Body, Flavour and appeal compared to fuller bodied stronger beer - invented to appeal to the health-conscious’ modern market.
Macs Spring Tide
Pours a clear gold with a tight white head, clean sweet malt flavours, a touch of light hop character and a quick finish. 4
Steinlager Edge
Pours clear gold with a light reticent head, aromas of sulphur and some pronounced fruity fermentation esters give way to a thin mouthfeel some husky grain flavours and a lasting caramel note. 3
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Belgian
Typically: Belgian brewers often use yeasts which impart aromas and flavours of clove, orchard fruit and spice to their beers.
Tuatara Ardennes
Pours a brilliant golden with a healthy white head. An aroma of orchard fruit and cloves gives way to a slightly flabby sweet malty palate. 3.5
Moa St Josephs
Pours a hazy gold with chunks of solid yeast in suspension. Noticeable alcohol, and vanilla blend in the nose before sweet malt, acetate, alcohol heat and some nice orchard fruit make an appearance in the mouth. 3
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American/Aotearoa Pale Ale
Typically: bigger hopped and more aromatic than a standard pale ale with a leaner malt character. New World hop varieties create citrus and pine resin aromas and flavours.
Founders Fair Maiden
A restrained interpretation of the style that pours a light gold with a light white head. An aroma that is dominated by caramel malt, in the mouth there is a light fruity hop flavour balanced by a big rich malt character. 3.5
Tuatara APA
Pours a mid gold with a thin white head. Aromas of big citrus like American hops features alongside a slightly worty unfermented character before nice tangerine hop flavour with some spicy ginger and clove notes, a cereal malt flavour and a slightly harsh big bitterness. 3
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Stouts and Porters
Typically: Dark Ales with roasty, toasty aromas and flavours and a hint of chocolate and espresso.
Peak Brewery Cornhill Porter
Pours a deep black with a nice healthy head.  A big flowery hop aroma gives way to a palate that features geranium, roast malt and a lean slightly unbalanced finish. 3.5
Founders Art Sup-porter
Pours a dark red with a nice healthy head. A complex aroma of fruity esters, caramel and roast gives way to a palate that features chocolate, caramel and a roasty finish. 3
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The nice people at Regional Wines (by the Basin Reserve) get our thanks for giving their their prize beer taster Kieran Haslett-Moore lots of time and lots of glasses to help him manage this beer tasting. It was run just like a wine tasting – entirely blind, so it was pretty fair.  We were amazed when a couple of the tasters recognized one of the actual beers they were tasting.  Remarkable among the plethora of flavours we think.