BREWERY // There wasn't a huge range of craft beer around in 1996 when Glenn & Virginia Meikle sold their house to start a brewery. Initially it was just Glenn with a little help from his mum on the books but the family business has steadily grown into a Bay of Plenty institution with a team of 40. The brewery was recently passed down to the next generation as Glenn & Virginia's daughter Briar (who was 6 weeks old when Mount was founded) and her partner Niall have taken the reins. Their head brewer Pawel and team are steadily cranking out the core favourites but also spending more time on interesting seasonal releases, we've heard rumours of a fledgling barrel ageing programme that we're excited about. Their brewery taproom, The Rising Tide, is a must-visit when you're in the BOP with a rotating selection of 38 taps from Mount Brewing as well as guests.
BEER // Well, it's still the most popular beer style around! New England, or Hazy IPAs, once dismissed as another fad are definitely here to stay and have become a key staple of most breweries output. As such it takes a lot for us to sit up and take note of a core range hazy. Orignally brewed in the New England region in the northeastern corner of the USA these beers are brewed with a high protein malt base usually featuring oats and wheat for body. New England IPAs are heavily hopped during the later stages of brewing, the whirlpool and dry hop, to bring out the fruity characteristics of the hops while minimising bitterness. They are then fermented with fruity English ale yeasts which provide supporting fruit esters and body. This a great example of the style that grabbed our attention with it's punchy hop character, full body and creamy drinkability. This style is all about showcasing the fruity side of hops with notes of citrus and tropical fruit at the forefront and Crazy Hazy Daze delivers this in spades. This beer is packed with Citra, Amarillo and Nelson Sauvin which bring a bright citrus and tropical note to the fore with flavours of mango, lemon and pineapple. The fruity hop character is backed up by a soft and rounded mouthfeel and smooth sweetness to the malt base.
BREWERY // Mount Brewing Co.
BEER // Crazy Hazy Daze
STYLE // Hazy IPA
ORIGIN // Mount Maunganui
ABV // 5.9%
TEMPERATURE // Cold - 7-9C
FOOD MATCH // Pasta Carbonara, Garlic Bread, Passionfruit Cheesecake
VESSEL // IPA Glass
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