It never ceases to amaze me how much better beer is becoming in New Zealand.
Our small breweries are doing beer drinkers a huge favour by pressing ahead with fresh, innovative and vibrant beers, packed with flavour and beautifully balanced.
It's prompted the big boys to take craft brewing moreseriously.
What really gets me, though, is that every time I think I've found the ideal beer, another one crops up.
Take Yeastie Boys, for example. A pair of crazed geniuses when it comes to beer, their left-field brews have been warmly welcomed whenever I have found them, but their latest releases have taken it all to a new dimension.
The new His Majesty is a cracking ale (described in more detail at right) and the Pot Kettle Black 2010 remix is an updated version of their classic hoppy porter. Both are distinctly different from previous incarnations.
A very good friend of mine (and fellow beer-lover) shared a collection of Wigram brews from Christchurch with me recently and I was floored by the quality.
I'd tried them before, but it was a few years ago and they revived my palate brilliantly.
The Spruce Beer, an English-style ale flavoured with rimu and manuka, was mellow and more-ish, while the Munchener Dunkel, a dark lager, was packed with chocolate and toffee notes, but surprisingly light for a beer so packed with flavour.
Yeastie Boys His Majesty 2010, RRP 750ml $17.50
Sweet malt over a crisp hoppiness with a hint of smoke on the nose. Gorgeous ale notes on the palate - woody, smoky and dry, but with a touch of barley sweetness. Crisp hops give it an almost coppery tang. Very smooth and rounded, you'd never believe it was almost 7 per cent alcohol.
Wigram Harvard Honey Ale, RRP 500ml $6.99
Crystal clear and copper-coloured ale with a lovely touch of honey on the nose. The palate is less about honey than craftily balanced hops and sweet malt, with a cracking long, slightly sweet finish. Still brewing despite the earthquake, this is a truly heroic beer.
