The Hop Formally Known as HORT 4337 has been the hottest thing out of the Kiwi beer world over the last two years, thanks in part to it being so unlike other New Zealand hop varieties. Instead of the grape characters you find in Nelson Sauvin or the citrus-heavy Motueka and Riwaka, Nectaron is all about those big, juicy tropical fruit flavours.
In order to put Nectaron fully through its paces, One Drop partnered with Bintani and NZ Hops to air freight a decent portion of the 2022 crop, direct from Motueka on top of the South Island before jamming as much as possible into a 8.3 percent ABV double IPA.
If you’re after a full expression of Nectaron short of being repeatedly punched in the face with a bag of hop pellets, this is probably the way to go. Welcome to the Nectaron Experience by name, Welcome to the Nectaron Experience by nature. Concentrated aromas of pineapple, passionfruit, apricot nectar ooze their way out of the glass. The base beer is heavy on the oats and wheat which adds a thick and sweet mouthfeel that works well with the juicy hop flavours. One Drop have also opted for a relatively low bitterness that makes it seems like the split between hot side and cold side use of their Nectaron is roughly one percent hot, 99 percent cold. But, hey, if you’ve got it, flaunt it!
Judd Owen
Published June 24, 2022 2022-06-24 00:00:00
