Following in the footsteps of the incredibly well-received Headliner ft. NZH-106, Sprig + Fern Brewing Co. have today released its successor, the aptly named Encore ft. NZH-106.
Headliner ft. NZH-106 was the first beer in New Zealand to commercially brew with trial hop NZH-106 from the NZ Hops’ Bract Brewing Programme, and as such drew much attention from the craft beer community. The limited release NZIPA found great success, remains one of Sprig + Fern’s top-rated beers on the review website Untappd, and claimed a silver medal at the Brewers Guild of New Zealand Beer Awards in August.
Encore ft. NZH-106, which utilises the same experimental hops as its predecessor, brings a slightly tweaked recipe and lower ABV, but delivers the same fruit salad, tropical and citrus notes, with a pleasant bitterness and toastiness playing in support.
As the copy from Sprig + Fern’s website states; “Encore ft. NZH-106 NZIPA is everything you loved about the opening act, back for one more outing.”
Encore ft. NZH-106 NZIPA is available from today at all Sprig + Fern and Little Sprig Taverns in Nelson, Tasman, Wellington and Christchurch. A small amount of 440ml cans and 888ml bottles are also available in leading supermarkets and liquor stores nationwide, and from the Sprig + Fern website.
Those who have tried Encore ft. NZH-106, Headliner ft. NZH-106, or another beer brewed under the Bract Brewing Programme, are encouraged to complete a short survey sharing their thoughts on the hop. This information will help guide NZ Hops Ltd in determining which hops go on to further trial round, and eventually – potentially – a commercial release. Previous graduates from trial hop programmes include Nectaron® and Superdelic™, which have found huge success with brewers worldwide. Feedback on the trial hops can be given at sprigandfern.co.nz/bract.
