The Holgate brewers had fun playing around with NZ hops as part of 2024's 25 Years Of Beers series, kicking it off with Hazy AF and creating a delicious NZ pilsner in cahoots with Fox Friday as the ambitious project drew to a close. They're at it again with their first limited release of 2025 – one that again sees them embracing the sort of playful can design you wouldn't have found on a Holgate beer before last year.
That said, while Motueka and Taiheke hops are involved – and both known for their ability to add citrusy, lime-like qualities to beer – it's another ingredient added to the pilsner malt base that has the most obvious impact. They've dosed their Fush 'n Chups with lime and salt and the former hits hard, to the point you might want to pour the lager over ice in a glass and treat it as a tangy summer cocktail.
The "hint of salt" adds to the quench created by the bitterness, while between the upfront lime and that quenching finish is a somewhat viscous, slightly hazy pale lager. One with lime aplenty (in case you missed the bits about the lime.)
James Smith
Published February 4, 2025 2025-02-04 00:00:00