Tall Poppy - 8 Wired Brewing Co.

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.47/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased for me by @epiclurk and cracked open with @tobeerornottobe and @LaitueGonflable.

Genuinely gorgeous colour, a true deep ruby-hued red, almost like a deeply coloured rosé, with a full if large-bubbled head of beige foam. Some sticky lacing, and a really nice heavy body, which gives it a thickness and some sticky carbonation when swirled. Looks very nice indeed--a great look for a beer.

Nose is very heavily hopped, but with a sly subtlety to it, almost giving a twinge of aniseed and dry undergrowth. In some respects, it smells like a very freshly hopped beer that has got a little old, even though I know this bottle is fresh. Certainly some spicy richer characters; not just the prevalent sharp freshness of clean dry hopping. It's still very nice nonetheless.

Taste is--oh my god--just wonderful. Here, the slightly subdued hoppiness shows it full colours. Here, we have a brilliantly balanced beer. Here, we pull out all the stops to showcase the brilliance of the American Red Ale style (or as they prefer to call it an India Red Ale; an apt title). Lovely malt characters balance with the light fresh bitterness to give a subtle balance and a nutty finish that gives the classic hoppy red ale character. Just lovely.

Feel is just a little too thin--for a red ale, I'd really love some extra thickness, but it still does a good job.

A really, really lovely brew. A brilliant example of the style, and genuinely as good as some of the top American examples I've tried. Delicious.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2011 09:36:42 | More by lacqueredmouse

CookstLiquor

British Columbia (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 500ml bottle. What a treat to get some NZ craft beer! This pours a rich chestnut brown with reddish highlights. Gorgeous sweet malty nose a nice present hop aroma. It's definitely a touch sweet on the palate with brown sugar notes as well as a solid hop backbone. Delicious.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 23:32:47 | More by CookstLiquor

beerdrifter

Germany

4.2/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up at my favorite beer store in Belgium, Dranken Geers. Beautiful clear mahogany pour with a thin two finger head that quickly fades with minimal lacing. Big, bold nose with lots of toasty malt and resiny hops, along with hints of caramel, toffee, and rye. The taste is bold and toasty with nearly perfect balance. Hints of caramel, toffee, butterscotch, resiny pine, rye bread, and just a touch of blood orange. Medium bodied mouthfeel with a slightly dry, tangy, bitter finish. Another great offering from 8 Wired and one of the best red beers I've tasted to date!

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 19:57:52 | More by beerdrifter

Lukie

Australia

4.15/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured out a deep red mahogany with a solid inch head, which dissipitated slowly into a firm top. The lacing clung to the glass the whole way down.

Sweet stone fruits give way to big pine characters. Hints of bark and floral pot-purrie. The fruity characters were a bit underwhelmed by the big bold resins.

A nice malty front on the pallate gives hints of caramel, toasty, nutty flavours, and it all gives way to a fruity hoppiness that finishes with that pine and bark notes.

It's not as big in the essence of biting into a piece of tree like some American Red Ales are, but is a bit more balanced then that, with more flavours coming through. A very good and impressive ARA, a style we need more of.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2011 02:21:18 | More by Lukie

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4.11/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another top notch NZ beer that is as hoppy as any PNW red ale with with a big mouthfeel and a rounded malt base that really works with the style. I love red ales and this is on the bigger side almost an imperial but the mouthfeel is balanced out this ABV. I am really enjoying NZ beers and I must say that 8 wired is on top of my list along with Epic.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 03:33:53 | More by canucklehead

dgilks

Australia

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark red colour with a small light tan head. Average head retention.

Rich, resinous pine and mild stone fruit dominate in a big hop wallop supported by notes of caramel malt.

Really tasty, thick, juicy hops with moderately firm bitterness and a clear sweet malt profile.

Medium body with moderate carbonation. Nice.

A great tasty American Red Ale with lots of flavour and packed with hops.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 09:54:03 | More by dgilks

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

4.09/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Another bottle from BrewDog edinburgh. A red IPA that is heavily dry-hopped from my gathering. Poured a deep red ruby brown. With a slight tannish head with pretty good lacing and whispy film that stuck around till the end.

Smell is nicely bitter with a lot of hop earthy presence. Mild roasty malt comes through with a lot of dried fruit, raisin, cherry, cranberry. Earthy and maybe also a bit nutty.

Taste has dried cherry sweetness, with a firm toasty earthy bitterness, some honey, roast malt, and a dry slick hop feel to it, with a balanced resin-ey finish, mildly nutty and warming. Very full bodied IPA in terms of the malts and hops but balanced really nicely to be satisfying and easily drinkable. A winner in multiple terms, feel has some moderate carbonation but definitely let the hops come forward but not over-dominate this beer, nicely well balanced. Only suggestion might be to firm up some of the complex citrus notes, which get lost a bit, but otherwise an excellent beer that is quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 08:58:02 | More by mick303

laituegonflable

Australia

4.03/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a murky Hellish red with beautifully dense, but thinnish, beige head. Retains really nicely and leaves some cracking dense lace. Looks yeah, uh... cracking.

Smells quite hoppy, really, but with a good toffee malt base. Plenty of burnt sugar and treacle and a great hop hit cutting through with strong citrus and pine notes and a touch of peppery spice. Slight brandy kick to it as well. Cracking bloody nose.

Taste is pretty nice; not quite up to the standard of the nose. Pleasant, almost grainy - but heavy - malt on the front. A touch of English toffee and brown sugar that then gets slightly citric but without a huge hop hit; touch of pine resin and oak and leaves with a nice fruit rind bitterness. Rounded out with a slight lemongrass and white pepper aftertaste, this is a pleasant beer, absolutely. Not quite cracking, though.

A bit thin at first but gathers viscosity towards the back. Still not enough; feels a bit lacking. Rather than cracking.

Overall it's quite a cracking beer though; complex and full-flavoured with a really nice spicy fruity edge to it. Good job.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 10:29:44 | More by laituegonflable

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

again another huge thanks for getting me this bottle. i was stoked to be able to shake off the rest of the lineup!

ery nice with a rich, reddish tinted amber taking front stage. Nice bit of sediment in the bottom and some light cloudiness just worked its way into the sample. Good bit of carbonation could be seen streaming skyward throughout the session and a very nice two inch head of white graced the top. Easy receding left behind about a half inch of white that just nestled its way down to the surface.

The aroma was loaded down with hops as one would expect. Rich notes of citrus, orange and tangerine mostly were by far the dominant notes on this one. Some light biscuit in the middle and a very grainy presence persisted well into it. The flavor was more of the same, rich notes of orange, tangerine, and nice touches of all over this thing. Nice bready middle to the profile and a long, drawn out bitter finish capped it off quite well. Easy to session with a medium body and a profile that was hoppy, yet smooth.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 00:42:46 | More by mikesgroove

danieelol

Australia

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: looks like a barleywine. Dark red, good head, lots of detailed little lacing.

S: mango bread, stonefruit, overripe fruit, ethanol, pine, sweet. Sweet creamy bubblegum peaches.

T: leafy hops, pine, green tea. Somewhat bitter. Breadiness from the malt, but it's more a vehicle for the hops.

M: Despite being red and similar ABV to Arrogant Bastard (and Cap'n Sig's NW Ale), this is a different beast. It's dry and thin in the mouth. Much lower gravity and IBU imo.

O: A good Red IPA from our Kiwi friends. The alcohol could be a bit more concealed in the aroma and the beer a bit more luscious on the whole, but it's an enjoyable effort all round.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 15:57:36 | More by danieelol

shambeano

Australia

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this one at Carwyn Cellars in Thornbury, shared with a mate and poured into a pint glass.

A- Pours a light brown with a reddish tinge, or amber if you are so inclined. about an inch of head that slowly subsides to a thin film, looks pretty darn good.

S- hoppy straight up, a touch citrusy and fruity, some sweeter malts in there, pretty good.

T- some sweeter malts up front, but then the hops kick in, citrus, pine and some fruitiness i cant put my finger on. nicely done.

M- mid bodied, a nice bitterness sets some salivation in motion, and the finish is dry. pretty good length of feel and flavour too.

O- this is a really solid beer, i could easily sit down and have a couple and thoroughly enjoy myself. well rounded and good.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 13:17:59 | More by shambeano

juju7

Australia

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Yet to be disappointed by these guys. Not that I want to be.

Murky, coppery dried blood kind of red with little head. Aromas are of straight up fresh hops - plenty of tropical fruits there for the wafflers. A nice backing of toffee brittle that comes to the for more on the palate. Assertively bitter but not too over the top. An initial hit of sweetness but finishing dry.

Really well put together beer and something I'd love to revisit.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 09:35:17 | More by juju7

spicelab

Australia

3.95/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500mL bottle thanks to Chris@Slowbeer.

Muddy honey colour, tight beige head of one-and-a-half fingers or so. Solid filmy retention on the sides of the glass.

Definitely hop forward, with grapefruit, lemon zest, white pepper and a touch of garden clippings. Savoury toffee malt character steps in increasingly as it warms. Good stuff.

Earthy pine and citrus rind tempered brilliantly by truckloads of butterscotch and brandy-snap malts. There's also an armada of slightly spicy floral notes. Yummy.

Unexpectedly thin for 7%ABV, and as noted by another reviewer, has a rather sharp and palate-stripping mid to rear palate bitterness, which generates a bit of throat lozenge character.

Terrifically crafted Red Ale which really showcases how much more this style has to offer, as a rule, than the vast majority of IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 07:54:52 | More by spicelab

Macca

Australia

3.95/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This pours a murky dark red/ brown colour with a bright white head. A good finger and it hangs around.

When first poured it's a riot of NZ hops but after a little while they are joined by some solid maltiness but its the spicy hoppiness that continues to dominate.

The hops dominate the palate and they provide an assertive bitterness but there's also some sweet dark sugar characteristics which come to the fore more as it warms.

Medium bodied.

I can appreciate that this is a well made beer but for me the balance between hops and malt just aren't what I really enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 11:05:41 | More by Macca

ADZA

Australia

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This brew pours a nice red/mahogany hue with decent carbonation that leaves behind a fast vanishing one finger head and little lacing,the smell is very sweet with aromas of honeysuckle,passionfruit,honeydew and a tinge of fresh piney hops,it has a medium bodied mouthfeel which feels a tad sticky and is averagely carbonated and has tastes of tangerine,mandarin,orange zest,grapefruit and ends with a sweet lime/chilli finish and overall i could drink alot of this i mean its not the best red ale ive ever had but it does have its defying moments that makes it different and with a few twitches i think this brewery could perfect it as i am a massive fan of this brew's big brother Hopwired IPA and look forward to trying more new brews from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2011 06:53:14 | More by ADZA

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml bottle poured into tulip 12/6/12

A clear ruby with very little visible carbonation but a dark tan thumbs width of foam that hangs around for a minuet and leaves some random lace

S citric and floral hops, some tropical notes with lots of toffee and some rye bread and a little iced tea

T not far from the smell but with more pine and more iced tea, the hops are earthy compared to the nose, booze is well hidden and just a little rind and lots of caramel

M a little bitter and a sweet piney rind finish, slightly sticky and medium bodied

O good but not great, a little malty with the hops trying to catch up, not sure where the iced tea flavor comes from but it doesn't hurt the cause

pretty easy to drink for the strength, I'd never guess 7% but you feel the booze more then anything. Interesting beer that's worth a try but at over 8$ for a half liter I might buy their IPA before this again

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 03:09:16 | More by wordemupg

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.9/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours copper/ruby with a large lasting head.
Nose shows big piney, resinous hops along with softer passion-fruit and peach. Underneath is lots of sweet malt with caramel character. Good stuff!
First off the mark upon tasting is the same caramel and light toasty malt, with a big piney, resinous hoppy hit taking over soon after. It's all finished off by a powerful bitterness. Personally I find the bitter a little overwhelming, it has a sharp, almost metallic character to it.
Nice moderate carbonation though!

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 09:06:39 | More by CrazyDavros

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

3.88/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle. ½ pt Tumbler glass. Enjoyed on agt´12. Reddish amber color. Chill haze. Off-white, small size bubbled froth. Firm crown. Resiny, toasted malt aromas & grapefruit notes to the nose. Resins & heavy maltiness at first sip followed by increasing hoppy bitterness. Medium to light body. Soft carbonation. Underlying hops in a long malty finish. Slightly woody on the aftertaste. Worth to try.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 18:07:14 | More by GONZALOYANNA

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle. My first IRA since sitting in Henry's in downtown Portland, Oregon last summer. And now, all the way from Marlborough, New Zealand - huh, the circle isn't exactly zeroing in on me now, is it?

This beer pours a crystal clear ruby brick hue, with one flabby finger of tight foamy beige head, which leaves some spooky lightning strike lace around the glass as it genially subsides. Who's a pretty girl?

It smells of sweet grapefruit and orange citrus, and some other very south seas oriented fruitiness, with a soft, thin caramel malt, and a mild cough drop essence. The taste is more citrus/pine hops, but better ingratiated to the growing whim of the bready caramel malt, tinged with toffee, and edged with exceedingly ethereal ethanol.

The bubbles are feebly prickly, and generally ok, the body a waiting list medium weight, and tacitly smooth. It finishes fairly off-dry, the hops digging in, and the malt taking that dare in stride.

I assume that the 'India' designation, as before in that Oregonian offering, indicates an IPA-like treatment applied to a base amber ale. If so, this is a bang-on interpretation of this meta-style - nice and hoppy, of the Pacific NW (or SE, if you will) bent, over an adequately solid caramel malt base. Quite enjoyable, very drinkable, however, just not all that affordable at 10 bucks minus small change per serving.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 01:37:28 | More by biboergosum

StJamesGate

New York

3.84/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark garnet with loose pitted sandy foam that sheets.
Caramel, strawberry, and resin on the nose with some orange blossom.
Caramel sauce, red currants, and berry jam then gooey resiny earthy hops with some orange oil and pine forest.
Perfumed floral finish and endless waves of bitterness on the linger.
Medium, clingy, sticky, oily but clean.

Hops hide at first behind plentiful malts but as you'd predict, Warrior and Simcoe make a dank, oily combo. Like a triple 5AM Saint. Not as compulsively tasty as that or Red Rocket, though - I wonder if two sticky hops were a good choice with a malty red as it's all a bit heavy and lacking in aroma; the Centennial gets buried.

Missing a bit of magic.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 18:45:44 | More by StJamesGate

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Bottle: Poured a deep amber color ale with a super large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of earthy hops notes with solid caramel malt backbone. Taste is also dominated by earthy hops with light citrus notes with some solid caramel malt with balanced sweetness level. Body is full with nice creamy texture and great carbonation with no apparent alcohol. Solid offering form 8 Wired.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2013 01:12:21 | More by Phyl21ca

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Decent though overrated amber. As expected, the hop taste comes through far better as the beer warms. Well malted up front, sauvignon hops are there mid sip on, something more subtle for this style. Good drinkability.Slightly red appearance.Suitably carbonated.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 01:42:27 | More by northyorksammy

MasterSki

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to maneliquor for the hookup. Always nice to try New Zealand beers relatively fresh - think this was supposedly under a month old. Served in a FoBAB taster pint glass.

A - A finger-plus of light tan-tinged foam settles to a thin cap, leaving behind some splotches of lace. Lightly hazed amber-red body.

S - Lemon and grapefruit hop character, along with some herbal and pine notes. Hops definitely smell more like New Zealand than the US, but that's not unexpected. Malt-forward toffee backdrop emerges as it warms up, keeping this in true red ale territory.

T - Medium-high hop bitterness, a blend of orange and grapefruit citrus sweetness, mixed with a bread and toffee malt backdrop.

M - Sticky, resinous medium-bodied. Dry finish, lower carbonation that seems a bit out of character for the style.

D - It's missing the aromatic character of Tocobaga or Nugget Nectar, although it's hard to tell if that's due to age or the actual recipe. I'd certainly have this again if I ever get to New Zealand or Australia, but I don't think it'd be a good candidate for export to the US (as Hopwired sort of proved).

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2011 19:08:02 | More by MasterSki

ktrillionaire

Florida

3.45/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - It pours a deep red hue, and is capped with a big tan froth; good retention and lace too.

S - The nose is mostly lemon-citric hoppiness, and a bit of caramel malt.

T - Taste is very basic. Lemony hops and caramel malt, fairly balanced.

M - The feel is just about medium-bodied, and is softly carbonated.

O - Pretty decent, but nothing I would seek out.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2011 20:47:23 | More by ktrillionaire

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.41/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Recently stumbled across my notes from The Festival 2012. Lets do this!

A - Poured a crystal clear ruby hue with a nice one finger head that fades to leave a thin quarter inch blanket.

S - Aromas of citrus (orange, grapefruit), light caramel notes.

T - Taste isnt bad. More of the nose with light citrus, more grapefruit, a touch more caramel malts than I was expecting. Lends to a rather odd iced tea type flavour here. Not a huge fan.

M - Mouthfeel is fairly solid. Nice carbonation helps keep this up off the tongue.

O - Overall, not a bad brew just something going on with this taste. Weird hop/fruit/malt mix here and some booze gives this a rather odd taste and even more unpleasant after taste.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 21:16:22 | More by rudzud