no longer pretend to prefer the gentle nuttiness of a 3.2% English Mild flavoured with organic hedgerow cranberries over the bitter brutality of a 7% American hop bomb. At this point, I apologise to readers for this long-running and staggeringly effective deception.  Some of you might have stopped reading by now while others may be vomiting with rage.  In all likelihood, you are probably just casually flicking between this page, Facebook and TradeMe like most Kiwi internet users. Now that this startling admission has been made, I feel liberated to profess my genuine enthusiasm for the 5th Annual Malthouse West Coast IPA Challenge -- truly the hoppiest time of the year.  It takes place at Malthouse from 4pm on Friday 13 July 2012 with a record field of entries.  Here is the list as it currently stands: The Impish Brewer Luke Nicholas , one of the instigators of the Challenge, is promising a return to his original recipe with Epic Armageddon Old School .  Fellow competition founder Steve Plowman will be taking the opposite approach with a new beer called Hallertau Bro'jolais . Looking to defend their 2011 title, Moa have produced the souped-up Moa 7 Hopped .  In a calculated bid to increase their odds of winning, Liberty Brewing Company and the Yeastie Boys have teamed up again and are thought to be entering both the Liberty/Yeastie Boys Motueka Raven and Liberty/Yeastie Boys Yakima Raven IPAs . Fresh from the delightful madness that was May Day 10.5% Double APA,