New World Beer & Cider Awards
The 8 Wired team is stoked to have two golds in the top 30 in the New World Beer and Cider Awards, and another two Highly Commended!
A panel of experienced, independent beer and cider judges with a range of expertise on different styles blind-tasted and evaluated literally thousands of samples (judges see only the beer or cider in the glass, never any bottles or brands).
The Top 30 and Top 100 lists make a great guide for tasting some of the country's best brews!
Our winning beers and the judge's comments;
iStout
8 Wired iStout is a legitimate legend in New Zealand brewing circles and brewer Soren Eriksen has perfected the recipe over the years. The i in iStout stands for imperial, which means big, and at 10% ABV it’s the biggest beer in the Top 30 but the alcohol is superbly integrated in the deep, smooth flavour. It shines like black opal in the glass and delivers layers of chocolate, dates, leather, licorice and sweet coffee. “Excellent beer,” the judges proclaimed, “like chocolate liqueur. Smooth, rich and creamy.” A beer for sharing or for spending a long evening with in front of the fire.
If you're lucky, you'll find iStout under our Key Range beers
A Fistful of Raspberries
8 Wired, based in Warkworth but with a barrel room and restaurant in nearby Matakana, have made a speciality of aging beer in wooden barrels. This is potentially the pinnacle of their work. Brewed in the traditional Belgian Framboise style, which means utilising wild yeasts plus bacteria in the air and in the wood of the barrels. The beer is pleasant blush-copper colour and the aroma of raspberries jumps out the glass. The fruit and doughy sweetness is complemented by a hint of vanillin from the barrel and it’s perfectly offset by the bright acidity and dry, just-tannic finish to create a complex but delicately balanced beer. Nothing short world-class.
See our Barrel Aged beers
A panel of experienced, independent beer and cider judges with a range of expertise on different styles blind-tasted and evaluated literally thousands of samples (judges see only the beer or cider in the glass, never any bottles or brands).
The Top 30 and Top 100 lists make a great guide for tasting some of the country's best brews!
Our winning beers and the judge's comments;
iStout
8 Wired iStout is a legitimate legend in New Zealand brewing circles and brewer Soren Eriksen has perfected the recipe over the years. The i in iStout stands for imperial, which means big, and at 10% ABV it’s the biggest beer in the Top 30 but the alcohol is superbly integrated in the deep, smooth flavour. It shines like black opal in the glass and delivers layers of chocolate, dates, leather, licorice and sweet coffee. “Excellent beer,” the judges proclaimed, “like chocolate liqueur. Smooth, rich and creamy.” A beer for sharing or for spending a long evening with in front of the fire.
If you're lucky, you'll find iStout under our Key Range beers
A Fistful of Raspberries
8 Wired, based in Warkworth but with a barrel room and restaurant in nearby Matakana, have made a speciality of aging beer in wooden barrels. This is potentially the pinnacle of their work. Brewed in the traditional Belgian Framboise style, which means utilising wild yeasts plus bacteria in the air and in the wood of the barrels. The beer is pleasant blush-copper colour and the aroma of raspberries jumps out the glass. The fruit and doughy sweetness is complemented by a hint of vanillin from the barrel and it’s perfectly offset by the bright acidity and dry, just-tannic finish to create a complex but delicately balanced beer. Nothing short world-class.
See our Barrel Aged beers