It’s here… the full force of the fresh hop storm is upon us, and I find myself again in the (not so arduous) position of having vastly too many releases to choose from. So for this week’s feature, I’ll pick one that I’ve been most looking forward to reuniting with. After far too many a year’s hiatus, the legendary 8 Wired Fresh Hopwired NZIPA is back on the fresh scene once more.
Fresh picked Nelson Sauvin and Motueka from Clayton Hops’ Korere farm drive an aroma that wouldn’t be at all out of place in a freshly bottled Sauvignon Blanc. Dazzling lime and grapefruit citrus give way to freshly picked gooseberry and tinned lychee, with just a hint of pungent thyme in the back. On the palate there’s more ripe and delightfully pithy citrus, which cut effortlessly through the rich and substantial malt base and streak off into the firmly bitter and deeply satisfying finish. One of the all time classic NZIPA’s in its finest (and alas fleetest) form.