UPDATED: AUG 19, 2022 Tap pour. Pours a dark gold with hints of red and small amounts of off white head. Soft malty nose which almost instantly develops into manuka and smoke with caramel and residual sugar. Full body with a lot of residual sugar which is tamed by the smoke. Yeast esters at the forward which has white fruits and pepper which then changes into caramel, residual sugars, and toffee.

UPDATED: DEC 18, 2020 330ml bottle. Pours red brown as advertised with short lived pale head. Not much aroma and light body. Tart with mild lingering bitterness and unusual complex of flavours which I guess come from the Manuka. As a medicine it's better than most but as a beer it's an illustration of why when you have the choice you let the bees make honey from Manuka and keep it out of your beer. A historical curiosity to try in Golden Bay.

UPDATED: JUN 20, 2020 Aroma: Medium soapy, apple, lavender, Appearance: Clear, copper body. Small, off-white head. Low retention. Fine bubbles. Flavour: Medium fruity, lavender, soap. Medium bitterness. Dry finish, lavender Mouthfeel: Medium-light body, Medium carbonation. Overall: I am not sure what a manuka should taste like, but assuming that the floral notes are manuka, then the beer presents it very well. But I am not sure if I like the addition. The beer presents very soapy. 330 ml bottle, poured.

UPDATED: DEC 30, 2019 This is the beer that made the Mussel Inn famous in NZ ... but it's not their best beer ... a lovely amber colour , good bead , wispy head ... aroma of strange herbs ( manuka ) ... same taste , astringent - manuka is bitter - but a well balanced beer ... not a style I enjoy .. but it does have a Kiwi history behind it .... try one ... then move onto their better beers .

UPDATED: DEC 28, 2019 I don’t know what Manuka is supposed to taste like, but this is a solid, unique amber ale. Nice hops, a little medicinal quality. Tried in Nelson after our interview with Ngati Koata in 2019.

UPDATED: DEC 20, 2019 Draft @ Mussel Inn. Almost clear amber chloor, foamy white head. Pretty complex amber ale with definite sweetish floral, medicinal tones of the manuka, lightly bitter to round it out. Medium body and carbonation.

Amber-brown, really nice bright fruity tip note. That manuka tip note is bright, the base amber is ok, and that.

Bottle. Huge spiy, resinous nose. Sweet and spicy with resins from the manuka tips. Wax, chocolate, caramel, soft body, cinnamon spice. Not my thing. Too strong in the resins.

On tap. Pours orange brown. Peach, honey, sage, little synthetic grape, lemon. Decent body. Good stuff.

On tap at Brew Craft Beer Pub Tauranga. Slight hop aroma with pine and sulfur notes. Dark amber brown with OK head which dissipates quickly. Mild bitterness with smooth malt body and lingering hop bitterness. Also a slight astringency perhaps from the Manuka. Not bad by any stretch.