BREWERY // 8 Wired began on Christmas day when Søren Eriksen's future wife, Monique, gave him the gift of a Coopers malt extract brew kit. A few successful home-brews later, he decided to jack in his career in biochemistry and landed a job at at a brewery. A few years later they created a brewery of their own in beautiful Warkwork. A wide range of traditional and innovative styles are being constantly released by 8 Wired and their barrel ageing programme is one of the largest in our hemisphere with 7 huge foedres and hundreds of wooden barrels. Their brewpub & distillery in Matakana - 8 Wired Barrelworks - is a must-visit destination.
BEER // It is no surprise that the 8 Wired team were inspired to create an Antipodean take on the iconic Belgian beer Duvel which has acquired a unique reputation over the past century. Rendition Of The Devil is a divine take on that Golden Strong Ale made with European pilsner malt and hops with 8 Wired's house blend of Belgian yeast strains. Light in colour and best served with a big fluffy head, it has a silky mouthfeel and huge flavour. There's sweetness from the heavy dose of pilsner malt but it isn't cloying, being balanced by the hop profile. This beer is all about the yeast though which produces esters and phenols responsible for the ripe pear and clove notes. Not to mention the 8.5% abv with the slightly warm alcohol enveloping the flavours together nicely. The long dry finish keeps you coming back for more. It's a pretty complex beer but not overpowering enough to stop you reaching for a second bottle or distract from good conversation.
BREWERY // 8 Wired
BEER // Rendition of the Devil
STYLE // Golden Strong Ale
ORIGIN // Warkworth
ABV // 8.5%
TEMPERATURE // Cold around 5C
FOOD MATCH // Asparagus Tart. Fries & Mayo. Edam cubes with celery salt and mustard
VESSEL // Tulip. Chalace