Dog Wired
Brewery: Brewdog/ 8 Wired
Type: Imperial Pilsner
Alcohol: 6.8%
Country: Scotland/New Zealand
A few 8 wired beers turned up a few months ago at the local craft beer shop. I didn't buy them and they disappeared almost over night. I always kick myself for not getting a chance to try something from them. So I jumped at the chance to grab this collaboration brew between them and Brewdog. Dog Wired also goes along with my recent trend of searching through craft lagers that might bring me around to the land of bottom fermented yellow brews. With a big dose of two delicious NZ hops, I don't doubt this is one "pilsner" I wont mind drinking.
Pours a semi opaque light orangish color. Can read the words on the other side of the glass so it is still clear enough for a lager, but still pretty dark for what you would think of as a pilsner. Nice white fizzy head that doesn't linger for long but leaves a decent amount of lacing down the sides of the ole glass. The nose of this beer is awesome. Sweet undercurrent of biscuity malts, but hey who cares, on to the Kiwi hops! Huge juicy Nelson Sauvin brings the grapefruit and tropical fruits and citrus. Bit of spicy grassiness behind the big citrus juice explosion. Smell is so enticing I can't keep myself from just sipping on way on it. The taste is all hop forward. Citrus and grapefruit and that background of bubblegum I have come to associate with these NZ hops. There is a bit of a background of malt, not much, but it is there. The lager bit only really comes in the mouthfeel. That kind of smooth silky lagered feeling. This is decently bitter beer, smooth with a nice fruity bite. There is no way if you didn't read the label that you would think this is a pilsner of any kind. Look, smell, and taste are all New Zealand hopped pale ale, or IPA. That is the problem with these twists on a style, they come out like a complete other style. I would put this into the emerging category of India Pale Lager, not pilsner in the least. Also at 6.8% I am not sure this qualifies as imperial anything. Beyond gripes with the style, this is a really good beer. Fresh, vibrant taste and smell, superbly drinkable. Throw a new category on it and call it Punk Lager and I am in.
