Some of head brewer James' favourite pale ales over the years have been Maris Otter based, often used with Mosaic for its fruity tropical and berry-like character. Examples of this include the legendary Karl Strauss Mosaic IPA, and the Grunion Pale Ale by Ballast Point - a beer that James brewed many batches of.

Taking inspiration from this, we wanted to apply some of the same techniques used for these award-winning mosaic pale ales, and instead of the berry-forward Mosaic hops, pair it with the broader tropical fruit flavour of New Zealand hops. As mentioned, the beer’s malt base is made entirely of Maris Otter, which gives the beer a creamy mouthfeel and a smooth malt texture. From there, a mix of “Eggers Special Lily” Riwaka, Peacharine, and Nelson Sauvin hops were used on the brew side, with additional Riwaka and Nelson Sauvin going into the dry hop. The Riwaka "Lily" is selected from a specific lot on the Eggers farm that gave the hop a wonderful overripened fruit character, paired with a subtle resinous touch.

The beer has a medium bitterness, balanced nicely with the malt body, and a juicy fruit flavour consisting of mango, peach, and white grape. It has an intense hop aroma on par with an IPA, but the lower ABV keeps it light and very drinkable. This is one that packs a lot of NZ hop character in a beer style that makes you want to have more than just the one!