8 Wired Hopwired IPA

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

50cl bottle pours up with a clear copper body and thin gold hues supporting a dirty white head of foam. The aroma offers up an inviting degree of dank earthy hops that are shallot and somewhat garlic like along with some grapefruit citrus hops around the edges. The taste is similar and I’m digging it. This has a great mix of dankness, shallots, grapefruit and garlic as well as a earthy black tea quality that surfaces about midway. Reading this back those flavor combinations don’t seem like notes that should go well together but boy howdy! they do. Yum, solid rich and balanced where the hop bitterness plays well with the various hop flavors.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Strong aroma is very hoppy and has an undertone of sour citrus, a mixture of Mandarin orange and grapefruit with a hint of lemon. And, yes, I do get a hint of gooseberries. At least I think it’s gooseberries. Pours an attractive clear amber with a thick, pale golden-tan head. Flavor is seriously hoppy, more at evergreen than wood, a little bitter, notes of grapefruit and - gooseberries? Also got a yeasty hint. Texture has about average body and fizz, but leaves a good hoppy, woody, slightly bitter, slightly fruity finish. Get hopped up and wired for this one.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Pours a clear amber colour with a frothy-creamy off-white head, good retention and some thick wavy lace. Sweet aromas of caramel malt, citrus fruits and mild grass. Crisp wet mouthfeel with just a nice dry finish creating bitterness that lingers into the aftertaste. The taste is not as sweet as the nose, but has the grapefruit zest and hops. Gets better as you drink it. A nice strong IPA that goes down smoothly.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

The first of several 8 Wired beers that Ontario is expected to see over the next couple of years. This one ia a clouded orange gold with a large frothy head. Lots of tropical fruit and citrus in the aroma, some herbal hops, and spices round out the aroma. Flavour is similar to the aroma with a tropical punch in the face flavour. I would certainly try this again if it comes back.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

From my most favourite town on my trip to NZ years ago. This is the first NZ beer I have had in while, and the first one that has made it to Kamloops shelves. Dark orange, lots of light coloured head with great lacing. Hop aroma is prevelant but not as tropical as others that I have had. I would describe it more like lightly oaked chard flavours, earthy, grapefruit, pineapple (in a really underripe and heavy way). Tropical makes me think light and sprtizy, and I do not find this beer to be that. Heavier side of medium bodied and that probably also contributes to the lethargy I taste. All in all, well bittered and good, could just be a bit old. Drank 05/13 and BB date is 12/13... not sure what that means to this brewer. Good but not to be sought again at the $9/500ml that I paid.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

April 7, 2013
LCBO Outlet #483B (Toronto, Ontario, Canada – Royal Bank Plaza)
500ml bottle
7.3% ABV
$6.25
The beer pours a reddish gold colour with a thin white head and some effervescence. The aroma was citrusy hops, tropical fruit, and grass. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. The flavour is tropical fruit and citrus and bready malts. Very refreshing, and very good! An easy drinking IPA.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

1/2 liter bottle: puts a lightly hazed deep gold-orangey ale in the glass - 2 finger rocky cap reduces to a surface foam and laces the glass well. Medium carbonation. Aroma is exotic fruits, white grapes, maybe some goose berry over lush pale malt sweetness -.Flavour is very unique, rounded and sturdy bodied. There is good balance in the front side with big chewy malt (more bready than sweet) and hops forming a great amalgam - mid palate there is complexity- grape skins, berry, fruit peels, earthiness, steamed cereal - the finish is long and increasingly bitter but not annoyingly so. This is an unconventional big rich IPA that I want in my cellar for special occasions.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Wonderful appearance. Dark hazy orange with a generous head and globs of lacing. Nice aroma right there as you pour. Full flavoured, very smooth oily,ipa. New Zealand hops. Whats that? Different but very good. Might have to re..review Smashbomb after this.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

500 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7.3%. Hazy deep golden colour, large white head. Wonderful aroma of tropical fruits, crushed white grapes, citrus and crushed gooseberries. The flavour is a burst of fruity New Zealand hops, also with resinous notes, on a medium sweet malty base. Bitter finish, long and very bitter aftertaste, but not too extreme. Excellent beer!