Moa’s Head Brewer David Nicholls at Brewers’ Guild of NZ Awards 2015
Moa Brewing Co. has added another nine medals to the trophy cabinet – four golds, one silver and four bronzes – at the 2015 Brewers’ Guild of New Zealand Beer Awards.
Up against 93 other local breweries and six international brewing houses, New Zealand’s largest craft brewery’s award haul saw them come third overall at what is widely pegged as the ‘Oscars of the beer world’, with multinational Lion Co. and the innovative Hutt Valley based Panhead taking out first and second respectively.
Moa head brewer and awards judge David Nicholls was chuffed with the placings, particularly with the kudos awarded to the brewery’s sours and special reserve program, all brewed at the Marlborough headquarters.
Three of Moa’s sour range received a gold, with its latest addition the Festive IPA Belgian Edition (an even hoppier version of the lauded Festive IPA Green and Red editions) rounding off the top podium spots.
“Our special reserve program is all about pushing brewing boundaries, so it was great to get the nod from our peers that the combinations are working. It goes to show drinking palettes are developing rapidly across the beer drinking population, and as a judge it was a real honour to sample the tastes and complex flavours coming out of the larger craft community,” says Nicholls.
The other brews that delivered for Moa included its Southern Alps brew (silver), and bronzes for easy-drinking Moa Session Pale Ale along with the heartier Noir Magnum, Sour Grapes and St Josephs offers.
The awards, which are about recognising and celebrating excellence in the industry, reflect more positive growth for Kiwi breweries, says Brewers’ Guild chairman Bob King. “Whether it’s a one-man band or the larger more established breweries, New Zealand is enjoying a golden era in terms of the variety and quality of beers produced,” says King.
The awards are now in their ninth year and are recognised internationally.
They are judged by a panel of 25 national and internationally qualified judges who rate each beer by a style guide for each category.
