Please don't binge this beer. We have worked too hard for it to be wasted.
--Tall Poppy's label
One can see how easily bingeable this beer could be. One does not, however, yield to temptation, and hence, one sniffs and sips and slurps and goodness gracious we have another kickass brew from New Zealand on our hands with this one.
Beautiful and tempting red colour, topped with a lusciously dense, off-white head. Carbonation is just spot on.
A massively hoppy nose, fruity and tart, as if the beer needed to remind us that not only is this a spin on the ubiquitous IPA theme, but also that it hails from Kiwi Central, home of some of the world's most pungent and aromatic hops. Grapes and pineaple, with a hint of raspberry maybe. A slightly boozy, malty undercurrent, warm and sensual, perfectly pairing off with the fruity hops. Once the massively dense pillowy head subsides, the nose opens up even more, yielding faraway hints of dried flowers and a slightly oily, resin-like vibe.
In the mouth, something unusual happens. Instead of the smooth, toffee-like sweetness common in regular IPAs, this red ale becomes crisp, slightly dry, and almost sharp. The mouth expects some sweetness when the nose promises all those fruits and flowers, and while the malts do deliver, the focus is on bitterness, rather than sweetness. Personally, I thoroughly enjoy bitterness in a quality ale, but it's something that might put certain people off. The rich and fruity hop aromas we encountered in the nose are slightly subdued on the palate, and instead of hop flavour, they impart tons of shades of bitterness in the taste.
It's beers like this one that make me want to do more research on hops. I can hardly make out the Columbus, which I thought I had pinned down as "easily identifyable". Amarillo, yes, but not in that obvious 2011 kinda way. Simcoe and Warrior, I'm looking at the two of you.
While it looks silly, smacking open-mouthed after a sip reveals a lingering but pleasantly refreshing bitterness all the way at the back of the soft palate, reminiscent of grape seeds and skins.
It takes a while before the beer really strikes a chord, but when it does, it transcends the IPA genre so subtly and effortlessly that the epiteth India Red Ale starts to make sense. This really is a (minutely, but distinctly) different genre altogether.
The mouthfeel is thinner than that of your average IPA, with a mild, and again pleasant, hint of acridity. The dry and crisp mouthfeel, together with the prominent hop bitterness make the label's warning come to mind again. This beer begs to be drunk. The label begs the drinker not to be one.
Halfway through, with some relaxation in the glass going on, the nose really starts to bloom. Hints of burnt caramel lie hidden amidst all those hops. The intensity of the hop fragrances is simply dazzling, leaping up from the glass, straight onto the tongue in an elongated, sharp and intensely pleasant bitterness, which lingers on and on and on. Just like the Hop Wired, the Tall Poppy has an absurdly long, ridiculously entertaining aftertaste. You can literally enjoy a single sip for several minutes after swallowing it, and never become bored.
However much the beer focuses on hop bitterness, it never becomes harsh or even remotely unpleasant. Testament to Søren Eriksen's brewing skills, the hops have imbued this beer with only goodness, and none of the nasty stuff which they'd have left behind in the hands of a lesser craftsman.
But.
While I can't honestly think of anything negative to say about this beautiful beer, a word of caution is in order. I've come to realise that I like intensely bitter beers.
At 60 IBU, this one isn't even in the same ball park as some recent extreme ales, which easily (and often swaggeringly) pass the 100, if not the 200 mark.
I reiterate: the Tall Poppy is not a hop beast.
But nevertheless, this is an bitter beer, focusing clearly on the myriad varieties of bitterness the tongue can detect. A word of caution then: if you're not a fan of bitter beer, you might want to take care with this one. It's not extreme (I've a feeling 8 Wired doesn't really brew extreme beers, unless you mean extremely drinkable ones), but this beer has its headlights firmly trained on the bitterness. If however you've an open mind and want to learn a thing or two about how many shades of bitter there are, then this is a beer you absolutely have to try.
This was my second brew from 8 Wired, and by a long stretch, they are my favourite overseas (transglobal, in their case) brewery. I love the style and the finesse, the packaging and most of all, the beer. Søren, if you're reading this, congratulations on another truly excellent brew.
Beer: Tall Poppy
Brewery: 8 Wired
Style: India Red Ale (really, give it this much credit at least)
ABV: 7%
EBU: 60
SRM: 16 (EBC: ~40)
Served: 500ml bottle
Greetz
Jo
--Tall Poppy's label
 |
| Tough but sensible advice. |
One can see how easily bingeable this beer could be. One does not, however, yield to temptation, and hence, one sniffs and sips and slurps and goodness gracious we have another kickass brew from New Zealand on our hands with this one.
 |
| All it needs is some fireworks in the background. |
A massively hoppy nose, fruity and tart, as if the beer needed to remind us that not only is this a spin on the ubiquitous IPA theme, but also that it hails from Kiwi Central, home of some of the world's most pungent and aromatic hops. Grapes and pineaple, with a hint of raspberry maybe. A slightly boozy, malty undercurrent, warm and sensual, perfectly pairing off with the fruity hops. Once the massively dense pillowy head subsides, the nose opens up even more, yielding faraway hints of dried flowers and a slightly oily, resin-like vibe.
 |
| Sensual, but bold |
In the mouth, something unusual happens. Instead of the smooth, toffee-like sweetness common in regular IPAs, this red ale becomes crisp, slightly dry, and almost sharp. The mouth expects some sweetness when the nose promises all those fruits and flowers, and while the malts do deliver, the focus is on bitterness, rather than sweetness. Personally, I thoroughly enjoy bitterness in a quality ale, but it's something that might put certain people off. The rich and fruity hop aromas we encountered in the nose are slightly subdued on the palate, and instead of hop flavour, they impart tons of shades of bitterness in the taste.
It's beers like this one that make me want to do more research on hops. I can hardly make out the Columbus, which I thought I had pinned down as "easily identifyable". Amarillo, yes, but not in that obvious 2011 kinda way. Simcoe and Warrior, I'm looking at the two of you.
While it looks silly, smacking open-mouthed after a sip reveals a lingering but pleasantly refreshing bitterness all the way at the back of the soft palate, reminiscent of grape seeds and skins.
 |
| Heed this boy to your own disadvantage. |
It takes a while before the beer really strikes a chord, but when it does, it transcends the IPA genre so subtly and effortlessly that the epiteth India Red Ale starts to make sense. This really is a (minutely, but distinctly) different genre altogether.
The mouthfeel is thinner than that of your average IPA, with a mild, and again pleasant, hint of acridity. The dry and crisp mouthfeel, together with the prominent hop bitterness make the label's warning come to mind again. This beer begs to be drunk. The label begs the drinker not to be one.
Halfway through, with some relaxation in the glass going on, the nose really starts to bloom. Hints of burnt caramel lie hidden amidst all those hops. The intensity of the hop fragrances is simply dazzling, leaping up from the glass, straight onto the tongue in an elongated, sharp and intensely pleasant bitterness, which lingers on and on and on. Just like the Hop Wired, the Tall Poppy has an absurdly long, ridiculously entertaining aftertaste. You can literally enjoy a single sip for several minutes after swallowing it, and never become bored.
However much the beer focuses on hop bitterness, it never becomes harsh or even remotely unpleasant. Testament to Søren Eriksen's brewing skills, the hops have imbued this beer with only goodness, and none of the nasty stuff which they'd have left behind in the hands of a lesser craftsman.
But.
While I can't honestly think of anything negative to say about this beautiful beer, a word of caution is in order. I've come to realise that I like intensely bitter beers.
At 60 IBU, this one isn't even in the same ball park as some recent extreme ales, which easily (and often swaggeringly) pass the 100, if not the 200 mark.
 |
| Or well past the 2000 mark, such as this hops-soup. |
But nevertheless, this is an bitter beer, focusing clearly on the myriad varieties of bitterness the tongue can detect. A word of caution then: if you're not a fan of bitter beer, you might want to take care with this one. It's not extreme (I've a feeling 8 Wired doesn't really brew extreme beers, unless you mean extremely drinkable ones), but this beer has its headlights firmly trained on the bitterness. If however you've an open mind and want to learn a thing or two about how many shades of bitter there are, then this is a beer you absolutely have to try.
This was my second brew from 8 Wired, and by a long stretch, they are my favourite overseas (transglobal, in their case) brewery. I love the style and the finesse, the packaging and most of all, the beer. Søren, if you're reading this, congratulations on another truly excellent brew.
Beer: Tall Poppy
Brewery: 8 Wired
Style: India Red Ale (really, give it this much credit at least)
ABV: 7%
EBU: 60
SRM: 16 (EBC: ~40)
Served: 500ml bottle
Greetz
Jo
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