8 Wired Brewing Co. Hopwired American IPA at 7.3% ABV
Pours a clear copper with one fat finger of persistent dense white head and moderate spotty lacing. Nose is tropical fruit, citrus and piney hops, balanced nicely with caramel malt. Taste is quite similar, with sweet caramel malt giving way to oranges, tropical fruit, and piney hops, finishing with a pleasant lingering bitterness. Mouth feel is medium-bodied and creamy, with persistent moderate carbonation and an off-dry finish.
Not bad at all. The hops and malt are decently balanced, though I rather suspect it’s been a long journey from New Zealand. There is a certain historicity to drinking an IPA that has undergone a long journey and the concomitant ageing and fading of the hop sharpness, as did the recipients of the first IPA’s, and the high-ish ABV is apparent only as a gentle warming. I would, however, like to try this fresh – possibly after an exhilarating drive up Ninety Mile Beach!
8/10 #ryansbooze
