8 Wired Super Conductor Double IPA

Oho, what have we here.. a DIPA based on the excellent Hopwired? Count me in.

It's certainly a seductive nose, with the hopwired heritage very much evident. I've said before I don't think NZ hops alone can generally carry a good IPA / DIPA, so it's mouthwatering to pick out the green lushness of NZ here mixed in with the sharper citric notes of their USA cousins. It's the perfect combination as far as I'm concerned.

Taste-wise this is just as bitter as you'd hope, but it's rounded thanks to the above and evolves through the mouthful to stay exciting and delicious throughout. Malts are just right - not lacking in any way, but not too obtrusive either, just a backing canvas to slash hop juice all over.

This one's obviously that bit bigger than its IPA counterpart, but still exudes that brilliant balance key to the style. Looks great, smells great, tastes great. Truly excellent - just need to try it side by side with Hopwired to see which one is better. Buy it. 9.0

Epic Double Stout

Epic take on another highly contested field of war: that of the double stout.

It's labeled as a 'vintage ale' too.. I mean, it's hard to argue.. but still a strange way to put it in the circumstances.

The rest of the label tries to tell us of their brew day. It's that same old story: "let's put in double malt, double hops, double everything!". It seems lucky then to arrive at the advertised abv of 7.77%. It's also a bit of a shame that their prominent website link www.epicbeer.com/doubletrouble also leads to a page error (or at least it has every time I've tried it over the last few weeks). Double fail?

The nose on this is unifaceted and bitter, with a sticky head. Tastewise it's far too hoppy to be honest, a real assault on the senses that comes back to you after the mouthful. It delivers a treacly foreign extra stout sort of flavour behind that which nevertheless comes off a little empty and pale with the bitterness, far from the typical lush pillowy landscape you expect when you buy a double stout.

It does improve slightly as it warms, but we started these two glasses at what is normally a good stout temperature around 12C. I'd say it may be better when aged a bit longer too to mute the hops a little and expose the malts - but then, it's quite low abv for one of these too.

In the end I'd have preferred them to just double the water too and make a balanced, drinkable stout. As it is this is neither enlightening nor a good example of a stout, double or otherwise. It does however shed a little light on why the brew day website link doesn't work - "what happened on brew day was .. oh. An error." 4.5

Epic Barrel Aged IPA

Another one of 'those labels' from Epic, but this one's got some presence in that 'big glowing clipart' sort of style they have going on.

It's also spent 8 weeks in the oak barrel which augers well for a complex IPA here. After a flattish pour the main aromas are pretty citrusy, I get tangerine, lemon flesh, maybe even lime just ahead of that woody barrel scent.

Rather than smack you with the bourbon (or rum, or whatever) hammer as a spirit aged beer might, this is a barrel-aged drop that takes on substantial funk and sourness ahead of the heft. The brett character up front is assertive and takes most of the hops out of the equation, so what you're left with is a pretty spiky experience rather than the warming alcohol hug you might have anticipated.

It's probably not the beer I was expecting, but not bad nevertheless. 7.5

Epic Zythos

Another in the seeming storm of IPAs gathering over Auckland.

This one's different as it uses a new strain of hops named Zythos strangely enough. Apparently, that's a Greek version of an Egyptian word for beer. And you can put this Gregyptian 'beer' in with some other stuff, grains and what-not, to make beer. Makes sense, right?

This one presents pretty well, good looking and enticing, nice aroma of - to me at least - NZ and US hops. Perhaps it's a blend? There's a bit of a US twist on the taste too, but you'd have no trouble picking the origin I feel, it's grassy rather than bitter, bit of sort of bready grainy aftertaste too.

The hop combination and backbone here comes together nicely for mine and - again in contrast to ratebeer seemingly - I think this is therefore a better beer than some of their others. Very pleasant indeed. 7.5

Epic First Batch NZIPA

No idea what the numbers on the front mean here, 04.39.53 sounds more like an IP address than a date.

This one is a bit darker than the previous drop though it maintains the comparatively light clarity. Clearly not a bottle conditioning mob, these Epics. There's something a bit spicier in this despite the big NZ nose, possible rye notes I think from both the nose and the flavours (could well be wrong!).

This IPA stays a bit flatter and more mellow than Hop Zombie in what I feel is a nice way. It's drier for sure and in our hop-centric IPA fugue, the initial reaction may be to condemn the lack of sticky lusciousness here but I actually think it aids the drinkability of the beer substantially. I'd pick this to drink over the other even though it's less impressive hops wise, simply because the balance is better. And this from a certified hop-head when it comes to other efforts.

I'd drink more of this, but not search it out directly. Nice beer. 7.5

Epic Hop Zombie

Alright, another beer with a reputation and a frenzied swarm snapping it up as soon as it arrives on our fair shores.

This time, the bottle label glows in the dark in keeping with the theme of those dead prowlers of the night - nice touch.

But yes, this is a big fresh hop NZ DIPA and proclaims it from the first whiff. The 8.5% qualifies it for its class but in person it's really not that heavy on the palate or in the glass. It's a subjective note and appearance only of course but I actually found it a little too clear in fact, and would prefer it to be a bit sort of better bodied. It also comes across quite sweet on the palate for mine, fruity, with that aromatic dense green sort of character these NZ-only hop wagons can produce.

I've become a bit ambivalent about NZ-centric efforts like this of late and find often, the experience of just their hops can be a little cloying as you progress through the glass. There are some ripper hops from our neighbours of course but in terms of balance, I'm not sure they're suited to 'big hop' beers.

To me if I was after a lush and balanced IPA I'd go with Hop Manna or similar over this in a heartbeat just due to the overall package and lack of lopsidedness. If I was after a double or imperial IPA, I'd go with something with at least some US hoppage as to my palate at least, they deliver a far crisper performance despite - or perhaps because of - the clean bitterness and therefore feel a lot more drinkable to me.

So, I'm a bit disappointed here unfortunately and can't really see where the hype is coming from. Sad - I wanted this to be awesome but it's just not. 7.0

Epic Epicurean Coffee & Fig 2011

A special bottle this and had been incubating for some time in the fridge as a result. Finally cracked it open with good company one recent evening and immediately felt thankful for the decision.

The coffee on this is really quite extraordinary - it comes through stronger and more appetizing on the nose than any other beer I have tried, sharp espresso notes rather than the more general ground coffee elsewhere. It's got an enticing presence all round, and for good reason.

Alongside the massive smooth coffee presence this beer has also been racked over roasted figs, and coconut and both provide excellently balanced counterpoints to the main action. This was a beer brewed from a concept born from collaboration with a food critic by reports and it's both a highly successful dalliance and an example of beer as art.

I generally check ratebeer after completing each review, just to get a sense of where things sit in the wider community and the broader public sentiment. In this case this beer has been marked pretty harshly and I can only conclude it's the lack of really 'imperial' flavours going on. Whatever the reason it's a travesty - do yourself a favour and go grab a bottle while it's still around. Then thank me. 9.5

8 Wired Fresh Hopwired

Given the success of the normal hopwired I was mad keen to hook into some of this, the fresh hop variant.

Good dark amber pour, visible aeration, low sudsy head. Nose is dominated by sweet malt and earthy NZ hops. Not quite as punchy as I would have expected but nice and lush regardless. Not sure it has the same swampy (in a good way) character as the original.

Mouthfeel is good, beer itself is really deep dank and earthy with a punch of muted bitterness coming along for the ride. It´s a pretty powerful beer this in its way but sticks to the low and middle notes with nothing really rising above that chorus. Feels a bit less balanced than the other and as a result slightly hard work as opposed to the massively moreish character of the superb normal drop. Slight bit of booze on both the nose and the flavour.

It turns out this beer was made in two batches as it were, to catch the fresh hop characters of the Motueka and Nelson Sauvin strains which must be harvested at different times. The beers were then mixed together to form this final product. I am not sure how much this mixing would influence the beer but this progeny seems really quite markedly different to its predecessor.

This is a good beer and in isolation would rate very well indeed. In this context though I actually like the original better, and by a distance too. It's just that saying that feels kind of like the sporting upset of the season.. 8.0

Wigram Russian Imperial Stout

Nice packaging! And the bottle itself is a bomber of sorts after all.

Presentation top notch out of the bottle too - looks great, lovely lasting creamy iced coffee coloured head, perfect RIS performance. The nose has a slight bitter edge with a little less fruit sweetness than you might expect from this style - although it could well be in keeping with the relatively restrained 8.5%.

On swigging you can expect a pleasant flat mouthfeel, creamy notes, and coffee the main characteristic here from start to finish and indeed beyond. Slight soy notes mingle with the roasty toasty bitterness. It's got good presence for the abv and while not the most complex in this class, delivers a very smooth and easy drinking experience.

The only hard work in this beer is not drinking it too fast as it telepathically calls you back for another sip seemingly as soon as you've put it down. You're only drinking 20ml at a time of course, but when you pick up the glass 35 times a minute...

Great stuff, would drink again. 8.5

8 Wired Saison Sauvin

So, a big Saison loaded up with Nelson Sauvin hops? Sign me up.

Lovely powdery steep head as you can see atop a nice amber body. Sour slightly winelike notes on the nose, plus belgian saison yeast, I don't get a lot of Nelson Sauvin from the aroma at this stage.

Taste wise is where the hops shine - the mouthful starts with that sour note but then mellows through that soothing vanilla quality these hops produce, before a sweet yeasty finish. I love when beers have such a nice range of development as you drink them, this stays interesting and engaging every sip you have. Delicious.

My thought is this could be another wine-drinker-converter sort of a beer. All I know is I enjoyed it immensely and find myself thinking about it constantly since. Pretty high mark here so requires further testing. For validation purposes only of course.

I can't wait. 9.0

Wigram Ginger Jerry

Interesting idea here, combining a ginger beer and a witbier, but for what result?

Pour immediately comes off as nearly clear, no real head to speak of, and unexpectedly flat. My experiences with ginger beer both homebrewed and commercial had conditioned me to expect a bit of fizz here but it's really rather mellow, and pushes out just 4% abv. Nose is of dry ginger ale, with an edge of something a bit sweeter - maybe the yeast?

Mouthfeel is again quite flat but light. I'd actually prefer a little more carbonation here to make it slightly more refreshing. It's not a very beery beer on the whole, but there is a slight edge of possibly psychosomatic wit if you're investigative.

I found this a little too sweet and a little too flat to really have fun drinking it. Ice cold and with a little more fizz? I'd be there for beach drinking all day. 5.5

Epic Mash Up NZ Collaboration Ale

Not sure quite what to make of this beer.

It's a collaboration of sorts, or mash up (get it? hurr) between pretty much every brewer in NZ according to the label. How exactly this came together, I'm not sure. The second odd thing is it's listed pretty much only as an 'ale' at 6.0%. What sort, you ask? You have to open it to find out.

At least the aroma holds some clues, delivering a blast of fresh wet NZ hoppage from the first bounce. It pours very light and crystal clear into the glass but doesn't generate much of a cap unfortunately. Still, that would potentially cover that nose of hops and they are clearly the stars of this beer.

While not outstandingly bitter as such, I felt this hops could have done with a slightly bigger malt backbone just to help support their pungent presence. Still - another fine, if confusing, testament to the power of these herbal kiwi battlers and their excellent properties in aroma and flavour when fresh. 7.0

8 Wired Rewired Brown Ale

First consumed with the staff of the St Kilda Local Taphouse at around 2am in the morning, after a night on many fine premium craft beers, but for some reason I just don't have a great recollection of the properties of this drop from that time. Weird.

The bottle goes on about brown ales being a style that's been both neglected, and used by "the mass brewing companies .. for their most unattractive products". The first point I agree with, the second .. well a quick search of my memory banks at least yields only UK macro producers even attempting this style at all. Brown ales to Aus producers at least are as untouched as barley wines.. perhaps there's a good reason for that.
Lovely pour this - initially gives the impression the head might be a bit fleeting but instead it hangs around nicely, lacing stickily to the side of the glass. It's the colour of dark mahogany, with a tan top.

Yum. This beer's just 5.7% but it's a good strong mouthful of flavour. It's bitter up front for a brown, but this wash of bitterness is soon overtaken by smooth nuttiness from the midsection. Bit of toffee here too before it washes away with a little lingering bitterness.

What's not to love? Really well balanced, interesting, and above all compelling beer that should be appealing to all, brown ale fan or not. Delicious. 8.5

Moa Imperial Stout

Despite the lovely cork on the bottle, I was a little surprised to see this one pushing 10.2%.

Something about the labeling from these guys suggests to me they're a bit lightweight - which if this beer is anything to go on, couldn't be further from the truth.

Instead, this pours lovely and consistent with a heavy body and leaves a lovely sticky beige finger of head. It's got one of those imperial stout aromas true to form, with molasses and sultanas the standout. Booze is pleasantly unobtrusive in the nose, remaining hidden unless you really hunt for it like some nasal version of Kirby.

This beer is aged in pinot noir bottles, and it does feel apparent with the red wine rum and raisin flavours really suiting this imperial stout. There's some dark fruit present before a pleasingly dry coffee aftertaste takes you to a full and reassuring conclusion.

I have to say I wasn't expecting much here but I enjoyed every drop. Recommended. 8.0

Renaissance Craftsman Chocolate Porter

Another porter from the NZ crew at Renaissance - after surprising with their first one, could they deliver another cocoa winner?

This time around the brew is explicitly a chocolate oatmeal porter and so starts life with some quite clearly defined targets at which to aim. But while it hits the mark with the basic chocolate vanilla roast characteristics of the aroma and flavour, there's a disappointing lack of real smooth velvet body that keeps it from hitting greatness. I also felt it was perhaps a little green in the middle .. but upon checking it was approaching the end of its 'best before', not the start (and yes, it was a best before rather than a best after).

So, a recommendation? To me it depends on price. If you see this for cheap, it will not let you down. But if you've access to Mildura Brewery's Choc Hops for example you'll save some dosh and procure a better beer in the process. 7.0

Yeastie Boys Her Majesty 2011

Part one of a frankly awesome birthday four-pack kindly provided by the erstwhile Mr Taggrip.

And a special beer to boot - this is a limited edition saison brew from 2011 measured at the now-standard abv for modern varieties of this beer, 8%. It's a solid attractive bottle and good pour to put you in fine thirsty spirits from the outset. Lacing is also top drawer, this clings and grasps the whole way down. Beautiful.

The nose presents clear saison yeast notes but is also sour enough to make you have a good look at the bottle to find out what's going on and sure enough, there's some ageing going on here in pinot barrels. Combined with an interesting choice of hops (nelson sauvin and pacifica of all things) it all adds up to a pretty complex and interesting experience.

Sometimes these words are a case of damning with faint praise but in this case it's important to note that the beer itself is also quite delicious. You can pick out the sour grapelike red wine characters, the nelson sauvin softness in the middle, and the bitey saison throughout.

A beer to be enjoyed thoughtfully over a period of time, but also one that will grab your attention as you do it - probably one of the better wine-drinker-converter style drops on the record. 8.5

[Nøgne Ø / 8 Wired / Renaissance] Ø for Awesome Imperial Amber Ale

Well, it's certainly wrapped up the longest title on the record for a start.

First impressions are great too - the dull bone head and brown, amber tinged ale body heighten expectation of something special here. Nose is slightly hot but otherwise more or less what it says on the tin: dark imperial amber malts and muted fruit backing.

Initial reaction on tasting is that it comes across like a cross between a barleywine and a solid fruity brown ale. A bit of caramel develops in the mid body as it warms before it delivers a quite strong bitter fruit finish. There's a constant and competent backing bassline of malting and alc throughout.

This beer is intensely flavoursome and interesting, but somehow just a little spiky in places which limits it from either drinking with great glee, or in great amounts. I get the feeling this was close to utter brilliance - not a great surprise given the quality of the brewers involved. 7.5

Yeastie Boys Gunnamatta

First beer I had at the Brewers & Chewers dinner at The Local Taphouse in St Kilda.. and about the only beer I feel qualified to review from what turned out to be a massive and really enjoyable night. Genuinely top quality event this, really impressed and can't wait for next year.. or for something similar to come to Perth..

(Bonus pic of the brewer from Yeastie Boys being interviewed by the egregious Professor Pilsner. Yep. Figures.)

This is ostensibly an IPA, but the Boys, never ones to do things the easy way, have thrown in a bunch of Earl Grey tea leaves among other things to produce a beer that's a really different experience once again.

The best thing about it? It's new and an experience, yes, but also absolutely delicious. Lovely butterscotch malt character, grassy but refined tea flavours, clean refreshing flavours, and monstrously drinkable.

Genuinely progressive and delicious beer that I'm pleased to see was rewarded with the peoples' choice beer of the year at GABS 2012. Personally, I can't wait to get some more. 8.5

Yeastie Boys Digital IPA

A seemingly open source beer - you can download the recipe yourself online - nice idea.

Execution wise however I have to wonder why you'd go to all the trouble. It's not after all their best recipe from this evidence.

This pours relatively flat with almost no head. The aroma put me in mind of Coopers and other Australian pale ales to be honest, far from what was expected with the IPA tagline, particularly from a NZ brewer. Bit murky in the taste, slight grass / apple, slight tea flavours. Pretty punchy hops but to me it could have done with a bit more malt rather than caramel flavours.

At 7% this was perfectly acceptable - but I was surprised to find it vaguely unpleasant and in this class there are far better options. 6.5

Yeastie Boys xeRRex

Urgh not this again.

And this time it's 10%. So it's a similar story, bog nose as expected, oily texture, remarkably agreeable smoky bacon earthen character..

Wait, what?

Not entirely sure if it's me getting used to it or just the imperial version that's so much better, but I .. would buy this again? It's almost reminiscent of a rauchbier.. but like the pig got off the leash and plowed through a field of mud, flailing and squealing, overwrought with mad rage and confusion.

And as a result I will gladly drink everyone else's leftovers too thank you very much. 7.5