And then, a brand new, very exciting discovery . . . new beer, also from NZ.



It’s called Moa, and I’ve been hearing about it for a few years now. The founder and brewer is Josh Scott, the son of the famous winemaker Allan Scott from the Marlborough region. I’m sure Josh is a talented winemaker in his own right, but we should be happy he turned his attention to beer—as these are unique and exceptional.

Each beer is produced in a 750ml bottle (that's the size of a bottle of wine). What’s unique about this beer (and many of the Belgian and Belgian-style beers that use the technique, is that it’s fermented in the bottle to give natural, finer carbonation and more complex flavor. Then, Champagne style, the bottles are inverted to get the dead yeasts to head of the bottle, the neck is then frozen and the sediment is removed so you don’t have dregs as you would with, say Cooper’s, though personally that never bothers me.

Anyway, that’s all well and good, but would mean nothing if the beer wasn’t tasty. And tasty it is. So far I’ve only tried the samples I’ve received of the Blanc beer and the Méthode, and still have the Noir waiting for me to try. The Méthode is a true German pilsner style, meaning that it’s light, crisp and quite hoppy. Very refreshing. I thought it delicious, but was even more impressed by the Blanc. Not that the blanc was better, just more impressive, because Josh made a wheat beer (65% wheat, 35% malt) that is far more complex and interesting than most versions you’ll find. It erupts with citrus, grain, fruit, and a little funk which makes it irresistible. One of the best wheats I’ve had in my life.

It’s brand new to the market, so it might be a little tough to find, but I know Plumpjack’s got it, and I’ll bet a bottle of Moa Blanc that South Food and Wine Bar, a Kiwi/Aussie production opening later this month will have it.