If there was one day when New Zealand’s rich beer history changed direction forever it was April 29, 2006. That was the day Epic Pale Ale was named supreme champion at the New Zealand International Beer Awards. As Epic owner-brewer Luke Nicholas celebrates the 10th anniversary of a career-defining night in Nelson he reflects on the changing trend in the beer market that has brought consumers full circle and back to a beer that started a revolution. “If you were able to say that on a certain day, there was a single beer that changed craft beer in New Zealand it was April 29, 2006,...

This week you should start seeing two new Epic beers arriving at your usual craft beer outlets. Epic Brooklyn OTP (One Trick Pony) is the next in a series of single hopped IPA's. The Brooklyn hop is a brand new release from NZ Hops, and was made commercially available in December 2015, with Epic being the first brewery to place and order and brew with it. One Trick Pony beers all use the same recipe, and just replace the hop. The Brooklyn hop, as all the others before it (Zythos, Mosaic, Comet & Equinox) is added in three additions to...

"The stuff of fantasy" to quote Michael Donaldson. And he would be right. I am some what lost for words (which some would say is rare), and not sure how to comprehend what it means to win BEST IPA at three different beer competitions, in three different countries (and with three different batches of Armageddon IPA). In the last six months Armageddon IPA was judged against nearly 400 IPA entries from over 35 countries. What are the chances of this beer winning the BEST IPA three times? An interesting quote from the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) "American-Style India Pale Ale...

 has just been released in time for the coming summer holiday season. Brewed as a session IPA, it is SMALL (4.7% alc/vol) and MISCHIEVOUS (generously dry hopped like an IPA. It has more dry hop than the Epic Armageddon IPA). When poured the aroma hits you with sweet ripe summer stone fruit and citrus as you look at its brilliantly polished pale copper colour. The flavour is of fruity citrus peel intertwined with a juicy caramel note, which finishes with a sharp but brief slap of bitterness. It drinks as though it’s much bigger than a responsible 4.7%, due to...

I just read this positive review about the new Epic IMP on the blog "buzz and hum". You should not only check out the other posts on this blog, but follow it to, as the reviews are thoughtful and a good read. I still need to finish writing something official for the release of this beer. This last week has been consumed by Taste of Auckland (which hasn't gone so well due to the weather). Quickly, the beer is a Session IPA, 4.7% alc/vol, 35 IBU. Dry hopping is greater than Armageddon IPA. It was officially released on Friday night...