{"id":1498,"date":"2011-02-12T00:01:44","date_gmt":"2011-02-11T11:01:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/?p=1498"},"modified":"2011-03-12T21:15:34","modified_gmt":"2011-03-12T08:15:34","slug":"8-wired-underwired","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2011\/02\/12\/8-wired-underwired\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Wired ‘Underwired’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"8<\/a>
8 Wired 'Underwired'<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I’ve said it many times before, but it’s not like saying it again is going to cost me extra: the world, and particularly this part<\/em> of it, needs more midstrength craft beer. So when I heard that S\u00f8ren (him of the reliably-delightful 8 Wired beers)\u00a0was making one, and was dropping the booze level even lower<\/em>, I was intrigued.<\/p>\n

George (him who bought the original Diary<\/em>)\u00a0and I wandered into Hashigo on our way to the wedding party for our friends Simon & Jessie<\/a>. People were talking about it as a 2.2% version of the much-loved Hopwired (hence the awesomely punny name<\/a>), but it was more reminiscent (to me) of the redder<\/em> Tall Poppy<\/a>. I therefore felt I should try to come up with an equally-punny name, and gravitated towards “Short Poppy”, which seems to work. And it was pretty good; maybe<\/em> one of those beers that I like more as an achievement<\/em> than as a beer<\/em>, but still a very worthy thing.<\/p>\n

At 2.2%, you’ve gone past ‘midstrength’ and right down to officially ‘light’, so it’s no surprise that considerable fullness of body had to be sacrificed to get all the way there. Strangely, if anything, the weakest point of the drinking experience was the moment of actually sipping it, because of that thinness. Seconds after that’s over, and for a good few minutes from there, the hoppy flavours pleasantly amble around your skull and also manifest in some surprisingly nice burps<\/a>. If you’re after a hop-focussed midstrength, I’d still suggest that Hallertau’s ‘Minimus’<\/a> takes the gong,1<\/sup> but this is some seriously impressive brewing, all the same.<\/p>\n

And then<\/em>, when I got to the wedding party and went looking for a beer, I was faced with a fridge full of the usual supermarket-brand green bottles. But I was then told that Simon & Jessie had made a special trip to Regional and picked me up a flagon of the blessed Three Boys Golden<\/a>. That struck me as a real sign that I was definitely becoming something of a Notorious Beer Nerd, and<\/em> that I have some pretty neat friends — it was bloody lovely.<\/p>\n

Verbatim:<\/strong> 8 Wired ‘Underwired’ Mini IPA 12\/2\/11 2.2% on tap @ HZ w\/ George. More mid-strength! Although this is officially “light”, and if anywhere, that’s where the weaknesses come in; soda-water \/ disprin body. But what else could you have, way<\/span> down there? Colour is very dark, as against expectation. Reddish hints. Hoppy flavour shines best in the aftertaste + the burps. It’s just a touch thin at the moment it’s sipped. So, Minimus still has it, but this is an impressive feat, and I love that there are more in the game, now. Still definitely beery, but less Hopwired to me than Tall Poppy — so… “Short Poppy”?<\/p>\n

\n
\"8<\/a>
8 Wired 'Underwired', tap badge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"8<\/a>
Diary II entry #61, 8 Wired 'Underwired' Mini IPA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"Three<\/a>
A flagon of the blessed Three Boys Golden<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n

1: For a few Bonus Nerd Points, I’m having one right now<\/em>, as I write this. Well, that, and because I like it — and simply because it’s there.<\/span>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’ve said it many times before, but it’s not like saying it again is going to cost me extra: the world, and particularly this part of it, needs more midstrength craft beer. So when I heard that S\u00f8ren (him of the reliably-delightful 8 Wired beers)\u00a0was making one, and was dropping the booze level even lower, … Continue reading 8 Wired ‘Underwired’<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[6,14,12],"class_list":["post-1498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-diary","tag-pages","tag-nz","tag-pale-ale"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4844,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2012\/07\/23\/croucher-raindogs\/","url_meta":{"origin":1498,"position":0},"title":"Croucher ‘Double D’ and Raindogs ‘Apothecary’","author":"Phil","date":"July 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"It is, for some reason, traditional that here in Wellington trans-Tasman flights arrive Eastward around midnight and depart Westward just before sunrise. I suppose it makes its own kind of sense, but it does mandate some bleary-eyed mornings and lead to the occasional un-bookable blank evening if you're excitably waiting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Actual Diary entries"","block_context":{"text":"Actual Diary entries","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/category\/diary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Croucher 'Double D', tap badge","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Croucher-Double-D-tap-badge-225x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2404,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2011\/03\/31\/beer-diary-podcast-s01e01\/","url_meta":{"origin":1498,"position":1},"title":"Beer Diary Podcast episode 1: Emerson’s Pilsner and Grey Market Imports","author":"Phil","date":"March 31, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"An experimental offering from George (him of the original Diary) and myself, in which we enjoy a beer while pondering the history and various happenings that surround the stuff. We're aiming to keep things accessible and conversational (hopefully with some guest conversationalists along the way), so have a listen, join\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Podcast episodes"","block_context":{"text":"Podcast episodes","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/category\/podcast-episodes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":915,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2010\/10\/13\/8-wired-tall-poppy-india-red-ale\/","url_meta":{"origin":1498,"position":2},"title":"8 Wired ‘Tall Poppy’ India Red Ale","author":"Phil","date":"October 13, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"8 Wired continue to be a sure thing in the local beer scene. Whenever the almost-aggravatingly-talented S\u00f8ren Eriksen releases another beer, just try it. Worry about details like style, strength and price later. It's going to be good, whatever the hell it is, you can basically rely on that. This\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Actual Diary entries"","block_context":{"text":"Actual Diary entries","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/category\/diary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"8 Wired 'Tall Poppy'","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/8-Wired-Tall-Poppy-225x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2641,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2011\/04\/16\/beer-diary-podcast-s01e02\/","url_meta":{"origin":1498,"position":3},"title":"Beer Diary Podcast episode 2: Fat Yak and Beer Marketing","author":"Phil","date":"April 16, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Back for a second round, we have a beer which George discovered purely from its advertising. Which leads to a discussion about beer marketing in general; the history, the good and the very-very-bad indeed. We touch on a few recent controversies and try to make some sense of them from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Podcast episodes"","block_context":{"text":"Podcast episodes","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/category\/podcast-episodes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1932,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2011\/03\/07\/8-wired-hopwired-saison-yeast\/","url_meta":{"origin":1498,"position":4},"title":"8 Wired ‘Hopwired’ (Saison yeast)","author":"Phil","date":"March 7, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Just when we got a couple of kegs of the ever-delightful Hopwired back in at work, I heard that Hashigo had a keg of an experimental Saison-yeast variation. Which sounded like a prime opportunity for 'Science!'. I jokingly suggested to Dave that we should pour some pints, brave the Liquor\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Actual Diary entries"","block_context":{"text":"Actual Diary entries","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/category\/diary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"8 Wired 'Hopwired', Saison yeast edition","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/8-Wired-Hopwired-saison-yeast-edition-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4640,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2012\/07\/11\/8-wired-saison-sauvin\/","url_meta":{"origin":1498,"position":5},"title":"8 Wired ‘Saison Sauvin’","author":"Phil","date":"July 11, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"This'll make three posts in a row from that neglected mid-to-late-2011 patch of the Diary that I've resolved not to let rust completely. But this one, at least\u00a0\u2014 or \"unfortunately\", if that's what you were here for1 \u2014 will be significantly less grumpish. 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