Friday, December 2nd, 2011
Is this double/Imperial IPA, Hardcore in a good or a bad way?
This is Brewdog’s second incantation of the Hardcore IPA. It has a new & improved recipe and label as well as a slightly higher alcohol content of 9.2% over the original 9% variation. The new version of Hardcore took out the gold medal in the Imperial IPA category at the Brewers Association World Beer Cup in Chicago of April last year. The new version is said to be a double dry hopped monster, which is meant to be much darker with more malts than the previous release – unfortunately I can’t verify as I sadly don’t have access to the original Hardcore IPA which is now retired. Hardcore pours a blurry deep orange colour with a firm head of white foam which slowly subsides to leave lovely intricate lacing. The aroma is straight up fresh, hoppy, herbal like and all round pleasant to smell. For a brew of 9.2% alcohol this is exceptionally easy drinking and smooth on the palate. It has a hop filled earthy presence up front followed by a lingering bitterness and is an extremely well balanced with the three types of malt used in it. I couldn’t wait to for my next mouthful and now just wish I had more of it.
Hardcore DIPA is a solid brew for its style. My only regret with this particular beer was having it late at night and being too tired to truly enjoy it. Also considering a 330ml bottle set me back $7.50 this wasn’t the smartest move on my part. So there you have a Hardcore beer of 9.2% alcohol that won’t bite but may leave your taste buds wanting another bite or two!
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Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011
There must be something special floating around in the waters of New Zealand cause the brews coming our way from those dedicated Kiwi’s are amazing and this one is no exception!
8 Wired Brewing Co was created in 2008 by self-confessed beer geek, Søren Eriksen. Søren native to Denmark has a masters in biochemistry and is an assistant brewer for the Renaissance Brewing Company by day, while brewing his own brand 8 Wired during his spare time. 8 Wired currently contract brews all its beer through the Renaissance Brewery in Blenheim and in short this simply means they rent the brewing equipment from them but still produce their own beer. They currently have 10 different brews on offer including this one, with some only available on tap. You won’t find this brew at any major liquor outlets so to look for it at the independents like Archive’s Next Door Cellars in West End (QLD). A 500ml bottle of this delicious IPA (India Pale Ale) will cost you $13 and equates to 2.9 standard drinks. It comes wrapped in a basic looking leafy green coloured label, so keep an eye out for it as it doesn’t stand out from the crowd.
Hopwired IPA has a beautiful aroma, one that nearly fills up the room once opened. It’s massively fruity with noticeable notes of Mango along with some citrus tones. The smell is delightful & fresh and one I could sniff all day….not that a glass full would last anywhere near that long. It pours a cloudy dark orange with a two fingered cream coloured head that has decent retention and lacing. This is an exceptionally well balanced brew which comprises of three different types of hops and four different variations of malt. The bitterness comes on strong after swallowing and makes this beer ever so moorish. Fruity citrus notes are present on the palette, particularly that of lime and orange. The taste is smooth & fresh and is highly drinkable for 7.3% alcohol. It is an absolute pleasure to drink from start to finish.
Yet another amazing brew to come out of New Zealand and I recommend everyone sources themselves a bottle to try. I look forward to trying more from Søren in the not too distant future, well done 8 Wired!
Rating (out of five):
Quick Facts: 7.3% alcohol – 500ml brown bottle – Pop top
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Tuesday, July 5th, 2011
Meet the Hopinator, part beer part something else.
Hopinator is a DIPA which stands for Double India Pale Ale. DIPAs are generally speaking a strong, extra hoppy style of pale beer and they are also known as Imperial IPAs. This type of beer should normally contain high amounts of hops and malt as well as having an alcohol content somewhere around 7% per volume. They also should have a high bitterness to them or IBU (International Bitterness Units) scale, somewhere in the vicinity of 60+ IBUs. This brew has both and rates in at 7% alcohol and 68 IBUs per volume.
Hopinator pours dark amber in colour with little to no head and there was noticeable sediment in the bottom of my glass. It has a rich malty aroma full of toffee & caramel as well as some grapefruit tones up front. I found the alcohol came across too strong in this brew which was off putting. The smooth malts could be easily tasted on the palette and there was a pronounced bitterness but not so much as I was expecting for a DIPA. It also seemed under carbonated in my opinion. What surprised me most was that is seemed to be missing its catch phrase, HOPS! This brew was enjoyable but certainly not sessionable.
This is the second brew from the Holgate Brewhouse that I have reviewed, with the first being Temptress. Unfortunately for me though it has also come second to Temptress as I found it to be missing what the label and name so proudly displays, hops. Try it for yourself, maybe you will find what I didn’t in the Hopinator.
Rating (out of five):
Quick Facts: 7.0% alcohol – 330ml brown bottle – Pop top
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Tuesday, June 21st, 2011
Don’t let the red lettering of Feral on this bottle put you off, cause this brew is anything but!
Hop Hog is an American-style IPA (India Pale Ale) and although it sounds contradicting it’s actually not. It is brewed & bottled by the Feral Brewing Company in the scenic Swan Valley countryside of Western Australia. The company was opened in 2002 and has since won multiple awards for their unique hand crafted brews. They currently offer more than a dozen beers, ranging from Belgian-styled Ales to smoked Porters. Some are only available on tap and are also seasonal offerings.
At first glance this beer pours an appealing fluffy white head with moderate carbonation and leaves a patchwork of lace down your glass. It comes out a clear honey like colour with a lovely sweet, citrusy aroma. The taste is clean & crisp, with an earthy hops flavour that is extremely well balanced with some light citrus tones. It has a brisk bitterness that makes it nothing less than refreshing. Hop Hog weighs in at 1.5 standard drinks and 5.8% alcohol per 330ml bottle. I paid $9 for my bottle and relished every bit of it.
This brew was an absolute pleasure from start to finish and one that I honestly will recommend to others. I now need to find the cheapest place to buy a case….no rhyme intended.
Rating (out of five):
Quick Facts: 5.8% alcohol – 330ml brown bottle – Pop top
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