Twisted Hop: Trip Journal

From the NZ Craft Beer TV journal entry, 22/1/11:

Twisted Hop in the city was next and we met up with expat Brit and owner, Martin Bennett. These guys are pretty unique in that they are one of the few breweries and bars in NZ that produce cask-conditioned ales. The brewpub is right behind the bar itself and the six handpulls were all go with beers ranging from 3.7% to 6.4%. From the citrusy Goldings Bitter to the lemon and pepper goodness of the Challenger, the beers were in great condition, all smooth, lightly carbonated and a pleasure to drink. The best beer of the lot though was the 6.4% India Pale Ale which screamed big tropical fruit notes and grapefruit bitterness and is definitely up there with the greatest cask IPAs I have tasted.

Martin then pulled out a couple of bottles. Nokabollokov, an incredibly rich and complex Imperial Stout had bold, bitter coffee notes with an amazing caramel and chicory nose and even hints of hazelnut. Brilliant. Even better was the Enigma, an incredibly rounded 11% barley wine that had coconut and toffee up front and a smooth, rich mouthfeel, almost sherry like. We tried it with a couple of pieces of Blue Windsor cheese and the match worked perfectly.

We finished with a palate cleansing Sauvin Pilsner which did exactly what it said on the tin. Hints of the characteristic Sauvin hop in the nose and a nice dry finish, this was a great brew. If you’re ever in Christchurch and you don’t visit this place, then it’s a pity. It’s brilliant.

Twisted Hop: About

The Twisted Hop was the only brewery producing traditional English style cask conditioned ales in Christchurch, and their brewpub is the only place to sample them. Unfortunately they were hit hard by the February 22nd earthquake in Christchurch and are currently unable to access their Popular Lane premises. They are looking at suburban premises, to help keep Christchurch's real ale drinkers sated. To keep up to date with developments, head over to their website and sign up to their mailing list.