Year of the underdog

Opinion

6 Jun

Michael Donaldson takes us behind the scenes of this year’s New World Beer & Cider Awards... ...

The beauty of judging beer “blind” is that all preconceptions go out the window and judges aren’t distracted by brands, labels, or descriptions. It puts everyone on an equal footing and gives small, unheralded breweries a chance to showcase their work against established craft heroes and global brands alike.

As a result, there’s always a surprise or two in beer judging events, and this year’s New World Beer & Cider Awards Top 30 is no exception. More than that, in the eight years I’ve been involved in the competition as Chair of Judges, I’ve never seen a year of the underdog quite like 2023.

It starts with humble Lakeman Brewing in Taupō winning the Supreme Beer Award with their excellently executed Primate Pilsner. And if you’re thinking: “I’ve had that, but it wasn’t a champion” try it again. This is a beer they’ve worked incredibly hard on and have reaped the rewards of always trying to be better. They changed the yeast, played with the hop additions, consulted with their peers and in the words of the brew team (James Cooper and Rory Donovan) they’ve “tinkered”.

Maybe because of their remote location and rural setting with the brewery in the middle of the farm, Cooper and Donovan (who are largely self- taught) employ a Kiwi country attitude to problem-solving: DIY. But they prove that old-fashioned rural ingenuity and meticulous dedication will eventually reap rewards.

“This is a beer they’ve worked incredibly hard on and have reaped the rewards of always trying to be better.”

Speaking of teaching people to brew, it was a delight to see a beer from Otago Brew School in the Top 30. The school, based in Cromwell, was set up in 2018 by Otago Polytech to offer a pathway into the industry for aspiring brewers. The beers they produce are made available for sale on campus and in select locations in the region. And now they’ll be going national with their Dunkelweizen, a classic German style that marries a lovely flavour combo of banana and chocolate.

Other unheralded breweries that popped onto the Top 30 radar for the first time include the relatively unknown brewery pair of Ruapehu and Martinborough, the proven Taranaki duo Shining Peak and Three Sisters (who delivered a rare and beautiful Munich Dunkel), and Miramar’s Double Vision, who have been on the cusp of a big award for some time.

Many regulars in the Top 30 are back for more, including McLeod’s and Panhead, who contribute the two iconic pale ales that have defined that style in New Zealand over the past decade: Paradise Pale Ale and Supercharger respectively.

One of the beauties of this year’s competition is the mix of small and global, with two of Asia’s biggest brands – Tiger and Asahi – represented. The Asahi Super Dry 0.0% has to be tried to be believed. In the taste-off for the Champion Beer it more than held its own against full-alcohol beers.

New Zealand’s big breweries did well too with Monteith’s, Mac’s and Steinlager all represented in the Top 30 as well, proving you can do great flavour at a good price.

It’s worth noting the range of hazies in this year’s Top 30. They include the light and airy Petite Pegasus from Shining Peak (4.2%), and a couple in the 5% range: Mouth Party from Double Vision (constructed to be super-sessionable and not overwhelm your palate) and Urbanaut’s Newtown Hazy Pale Ale.

Of the bigger ABV hazies, Urbanaut’s Silver City is a sleek cryo-hopped beer that’s all about the silky texture, while Unlimited Vis from Ruapehu is what I’d describe as a bit more grunty with some biting bitterness. In short, the range on display proves hazies are far from one-dimensional!

And a huge hat-tip to Bootleg from Matangi with two beers in the Top 30: their iconic Apehanger IPA and the brilliant Belgian Quad, Late Night Monk Fight.

But the brewery of the event was Urbanaut, who delivered 10% of the Top 30 with three hoppy beers: Newtown Hazy Pale Ale, Silver City Citra Hazy IPA, and Bronx Double IPA. All are excellent but I think the Bronx Double IPA is destined for greatness.

W: See the full Top 30 in the New World Beer & Cider Awards 2023