Glassware: Poured into a pint glass.
Appearance: typical NEIPA colour..complete dark yellow haze with a big 15mm white cloud of a head that hardly budges. Thick foam clinging to the glass as it recedes. Tiny carbonation seen at the base where it’s slightly transparent.
Aroma: Devine tropical fruit with a yeasty, spicy nose ubiquitous to good NEIPAs. Full of pineapple, passion fruit, mango and citrus fruit including orange and mandarin, alongside that white pepper spice hit and malted barley/wheats.
Flavour: not as fruity on the palate as the nose. Slightly subdued tropical fruit and a mixture of booze coming through and sweet malts. The use of the oats gives it a slightly nutty flavour. It’s a shame the fruit doesn’t shine more here. There is also a vegetable aspect to this..almost like cucumber?
Mouthfeel: certainly very smooth and luscious on the palate. Sits well at 6.7% alc vol. Drying on the palate and the bitterness is just right. Body is only moderate and it has good length. Carbonation low as you would expect for a good NEIPA.
Overall: It has been a long time between drinks for 8wired which used to be a favourite NZ Brewery. This is a tasty NEIPA. We feel a big more fruit boldness on the palate that matched the aroma would have clinched it for us.