From the master Kiwi Brewers at 8 Wired comes this interesting take on an IPA that has been mixed with a strain of yeast that most Brewers in the world used to consider a spoilage organism. Good ol’ brettanomyces yeast. This adds a bit of funk to an otherwise fruity, punchy IPA that leaves the mouth dry and refreshed. Sounds good really.
We pour into a tulip glass, and the first thing we notice is the hay/straw like body that is exceptionally clear. I can read the newspaper through it! There is minimal head and only a touch of lacing on the rim. Plenty of carbonation rising up through the clarity. Our first smell is heaven. It’s so floral that you can smell the juicy fruit flavours at least 10 cm from the glass. Loads of pineapple, citrus, passion fruit. So sweet. As it hits the palate, there is restrained co2 and a moderate yet subdued bitterness as it swishes round the mouth. We are waiting for a big injection of funky sourness but it doesn’t arrive. Just very slow and creeps in right at the end, and then before you know it, it’s gone. There is a completely different flavour profile when the beer hits the tastebuds. It’s more grapefruit, lemon, very mild malt – almost lager or golden ale like. The hop has this herbal character to it. The body is quite thin and light, and a 6.2% ABV makes for pleasant easy drinking. Very little lacing down the glass here as we push it down. Well what can we say? We were expecting more funky sourness. We love the clarity but there is no yeasty sediment at all in the bottom of the glass and maybe this has taken away from the sourness? Otherwise it’s just a light IPA that doesn’t stand out, especially in comparison to the hop wired IPA. We like the use of this yeast though. Just a tad let down.