After two years in the Top 30 with their hugely popular #FakeNews Hazy IPA, Tekapo-based Burkes Brewing are back for a third, this time with a polar opposite beer: Unforgiven Porter. Helicopter engineer turned brewer Sebastian Burke is on a can't-miss run with this beer and it's no surprise to see it turn up in the Top 30 after it was named New Zealand's Champion Beer at the 2021 New Zealand Beer Awards. Unforgiven is more than the sum of its parts, and it's an awesome showcase for the beauty of dark malts, said the judges. Creamy chocolate on the nose is followed through in the palate, with just a hint of savoury. Think chocolate-coated coffee beans.

Find out more about Burkes Brewing on the Ale Trail.