Not giving up the 8 Wired - so next is this on - the Fresh Hopwired- a limited edition of things - brewed for 8 Wired Brewing. Brewed at Renaissance Brewing this is in the style of anIndia Pale Ale (IPA) and that trick all happens in Blenheim, New Zealand
A wet hopped version of our flagship IPA, HopWired
A 500ml bottle 7.3% ABV beer, 219 calories, and at 60 IBU, and that would be 2.87 standard drink units in NZ. 60 IBU is the low end for an IPA.
Over the past 2 years, HopWired has more or less turned into the benchmark for all New Zealand hopped IPA. It is a pure expression of NZ “terroir” for better and worse. This year we decided to mix it up a little and make a wet hopped version of this modern classic. So one beautiful morning in March we drove to
[caption id="attachment_7801" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Selfie[/caption]Nelson and picked a truckload (literally) of freshly harvested, “wet” Motueka hops. We went straight back to the brewery and brewed some beer. Two weeks later we did the same thing, but this time the hops was Nelson Sauvin (the two hops mature at different times). The two beers were blended and here it is, a refreshing take on New Zealand IPA.
Today is a very special day. We have just mashed in a batch of Hopwired, but the hops for the beer are still on the bine! As we continue the brew, the good farmers in Motueka will harvest, you guessed it, Motueka hops. We will collect these wet hops in about an hour, drive them over the hill and stick them straight in the beer. In two weeks we will do exactly the same thing, but the hops will be Nelson Sauvin. By blending the two batches, we will have made the first ever "Fresh Hopwired". Good times!
I rated the standard Hopwired a 9 on the scale of things, so I'm quietly hoping that I got that right and that this'll hit the spot.
Sweet mild hop aroma on opening, nicely sweet.
Something sweet citrus in this too.
Lots and lots of pine/grass but at a level that gets you interested and it's layered on a nice sweet note.
Finish is dry but not desert dry just nicely so on the back of the palate, nice decent carry and finish.
Rather classy then, this is very very well behaved and enjoyable,. The freshness of the hops translates into that really resin/grass tang that this has, but it's really well balanced.
If anything this is under-carbonated, but that's picking a fault. The measure though is the pdubyah-o-meter which rates this easily as a 8 on the scale of things. Despite a few things that this lacks, and it might do to have some more body for instance, and this does have a lot of sweetness in it, which is masking some of the bitterness that you could might enjoy.
I drank this in a hurry, despite my best intentions not to, despite me thinking that this might be a bit tart up front and too sweet at the back, it turns out that this is a beer that I'd have a few of without a problem, which might end up a problem. Conflicted much?
I have no idea how to follow this up and be as happy as I am right now, and whilst I am not ecstatic I'm not disappointed.
The double dip review:
- Am I enjoying it? Gosh yes
- Would I have another? I wish I could
- Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? This has a lot of really nice things going for it, quaffable and enjoyable without being the centre of attention. Get in!
There wasn't music there was Formula One on the teevee. I should have played some music. I was listening to the band "Slowly Rolling Camera" before I made that particular mistake, do yourself a favour and give this 3 minutes of your time.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK9VnYb7pIg&w=560&h=315]
INDIA PALE ALE & IPA
India Pale Ale gets its name and unique style from British brewers who were making beer for export to India. This style has an intense hop flavor which was used to preserve the beer for the long voyage. India Pale Ale has a golden to copper color with a medium maltiness and body. The aroma is moderate to very strong. IPAs work especially well at cutting the heat of chili, vindaloo or Sichuan cuisine.
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The beer sounds ok, but that is a kick-arse sound track to go with it. Kind of reminds me of late Miles Davis, obviously without the trumpet, just has that mellow, atmospheric feel.
ReplyDeleteI try to challenge myself with music as much as the beer, and they seem to go together well, beer and music that is.
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