Beer Review: Croucher APA

LIKE Santa Claus, except he has no beard, lives in Rotorua and is probably 100kg lighter than the "real" Santa, Paul Croucher has been hiding away in his brewery undertaking a special project.

However, he has recently emerged from his grotto carefully clutching in his trembling hands another triumph of the beer world - his reworked Croucher APA (American Pale Ale).

Paul says a bit of pressure was put on him by his business partner, Nigel, "the happy elf" Gregory, after he produced his first batch of Croucher APA a few years back.

"I didn't like it at all, but Nigel loved it and it was really popular so Nigel asked me to do it again. But this time I've beefed it up a bit into a really serious beer and I think it's technically bang on."

That's nice, Santa, but does it taste any good? It sure does.

Brewed with Amarillo, Ella and Citra hops its 6.2 per cent alcohol rating is subtly hidden behind a blend of speciality malts to give it its amber hue and smoothness, with less of a bitter bite than an IPA (India Pale Ale).

Considering their last "imperfect" APA sold out in just two days, I suggest you get your hands on some now.

-Beer kindly supplied by Brew Craft Beer Pub on Eat Streat Rotorua and The Strand Tauranga. It's also on tap at Abracadabra in Rotorua.