Hopful Thinking

Format: 750 ml Bottle (with a nifty staple over cork)  Type: Speciality Flanders Beer  Origin: France (Flanders Hops)  Strength: 8.5% ABV  Cost: $16.90  Purchased from: New World Victoria Park, Auckland  Selected by: Chris

This beer built high expectations before we even opened it. Having to slide off the grunty staple before taking at it with a corkscrew (not just any corkscrew – there are even direct instructions on how NOT to open it on the back of the bottle in true French style)! We figured it had to be good as it was such a bloody mission to open the bloody thing.

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Format: 500ml / 9fl.oz bottle  Type: American-style Black Ale  Origin: Rotorua, New Zealand (US Hops).  Strength 5% abv  Cost: $7.99.  Purchased from: New World Victoria Park.  Selected by: Steve

As soon as we cracked the bottle, the unmistakeable scent of Hops filled the room.  Most of us had already enjoyed one or two of these before, so we knew we were in for a treat.

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The excitement is mounting…

In less than two weeks, I will be partaking in my very first overseas beer adventure. Look out Midwest USA, here I come!

This will not be my first trip to the Midwest, however it will be the first trip with a mission: Redemption.

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Format: 500ml bottle  Type: American-style IPA  Origin: New Zealand (US Hops)  Strength 6.66% abv (the number of the yeast)  Cost: Only your soul.  Or about $17.  Purchased from: The devil Himself.  Or New World Devonport. (available most supermarkets) Selected by: Dan

In the beginning, there was nothing.
Then an impish brewer piled a ludicrous amount of the finest hops into a bottle.
This zymurgyical big bang is Epic Armageddon, an apocalyptic assault on every beer lover’s pre-conceptions and taste buds.
It may be too huge for this fragile planet so enjoy this beer like it was the last one on Earth.

This is the mythical Epic Armageddon, a beast borne of hops, in fact 4 different varieties: US Cascade, US Centennial, US Columbus, US Simcoe, according to the website.  And boy does it show.  As hoppiness goes, Epic Armageddon would give a tree frog a run for it’s money.

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