PDubyah: Beer – #42 – 8 Wired

Monday, August 6, 2012

Beer – #42 – 8 Wired - iStout

On a day where I'm doing a double, the second one up is an "8 Wired iStout"

iStout is a 500ml bottle of 10% ABV beer. Gosh! This one could make me forget many things.

iStout is brewed at Renaissance Brewing in the style of an Imperial Stout, and of course they're in Blenheim, New Zealand. Wait a minute Renaissance and 8 Wired from the same place. Well yes, yes they are, and I learn something new.

I've had some of the 8 Wired beers before, notably the Saison Sauvin, and I have a Renaissance beer in the fridge with my name on waiting for me to tall it's number.

But iStout. mostly brought for it's amusing name, don't tell the iApple people, and because it's a Stout, and I'm chasing down one that's as good as the Fig & Coffee Oatmeal Stout. He says. This was this weekends most expensive beer, and for that reason I expect a bit of bang for the buck.

Also I learnt of "the most decadent dessert of all; half a bottle in a glass with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on top (beer geeks like us know it as the Imperial Stout Float)" I frowned.

It pours like it could be liquid chocolate, it looks so thick!, and has a dark dark chocolate almost cappuccino coloured head, which after you marvel at it for a few moments sneaks off on you. Another head free beer.

And lordy that packs a wallop of flavour, smokey, chocolate, coffee, and all very smoothly delivered. Wasn't expecting that amount of taste to be honest, but I'm chuffed it's there. That is a pretty spectacular beer. On further drinking each time it's the same set of surprise and enjoyment, and it's hiding it's 10% of alcohol well. This isn't a early evening beer, unless you're up for an early evening.

The pdubyah-o-meter in play compares this to the Epic Fig and Coffee Stout, and yes I know they're different styles but this isn't what I was looking for and therefore not a competition. For that reason it stands on it's own as a 9 from 10 for stouts though, this isn't to be taken lightly.

Might go sit down and smile indulgently at the children, and contemplate some cheese and crackers.