With the last of the summer festivals winding down, and big judging competitions not kicking off until mid-year, the craft beer scene goes into something
of a hibernation during these early months.
That is until now, when a very special event rouses excitement and creativity, along with no small amount of risk, up and down the brewing nation.
The hop harvest provides brewers (and drinkers in kind) access to a brief window to capture the once in a year magic of raw, un-processed hops. While these beers can display an incredible array of otherwise impossible flavours, they are amongst the hardest to consistently brew. As the season begins, the pressure is immediate. These whole cones, freshly picked from the bines, are critically vulnerable to spoilage and must be rushed to breweries (ideally) within a day. Every hour beyond that mounts a greater risk that the entire volume will be compromised.
Recently however, this logistical challenge has been made profoundly simpler, at least for producers in the South Island. With hop growing now established in Southland and (just last year) Canterbury, local producers have better, closer access to hops than ever before. Not only does this lessen the urgency of the transport window, it gives local brewers the opportunity to designate a portion of their desired crop and delay picking until the cones are displaying the perfect level of development for their needs. To appropriate some wine terminology, it’s almost a ‘single vineyard’ approach to brewing.
The diversification growing from a solely Nelson affair has also demonstrated the otherwise largely unexplored effect of hop ‘terroir’, with identical varieties presenting vastly different flavour and aroma profiles in the new regions compared to their traditional Nelson grown counterparts. As much as this is an incredibly exciting development for producers, this broadening of an already broad spectrum of unpredictable flavour elements has not made the task of consistent brewing any easier.
While these challenges are daunting, when they are met, the resulting beer has the potential to be the very best of the year’s output. At the time of writing, this growing season is still underway, but as this issue is released the first of the fresh hop offerings will be appearing on shelves and tap. Here are some recommended recurring releases that I’ve found to have the most promise and consistency year to year.
8 Wired: Hopwired (Fresh Edition) 7.3%abv
The fresh hopped edition of 8-Wired’s foundational NZIPA is due to make a return after many years of hiatus. With a conventionally hopped counterpart, it’s the perfect beer to contrast exactly what the fresh element changes.
SPRIG + FERN: Harvest Pilsner 5%abv
One of the longest running fresh hop releases that’s still available year to year. A simply constructed but effortlessly poised expression of pure Nelson character.
EDDYLINE: Hoptimus Prime 5.9%abv
A relative newcomer to the scene, this West Coast styled IPA has been consistently excellent since it appeared. Doubly impressive as it’s usually one of the very first to market, with that first wave often containing some of the wonkier releases.