If you have a few moments I would suggest checking out each brewery’s website: 8wired.co.nz, renaissancebrewing.co.nz and nogne-o.com.
From the Renaissance Brewing Company’s website, we find this commercial description.
A 3 way collaboration between Norway and New Zealand. Loosely based on a mix of our 3 flagship beers: Stonecutter Scotch Ale, Hopwired IPA and Batch #100.
Let’s sip. Shall we?
This brew came in a 16.9 oz. bottle and it had an ABV of 9.0%.
It poured a deep brown, oxblood color. The head was light tan, smooth and creamy. The size was decent and the retention time seemed to be sufficient. The lacing looked alright. A few patches of foam were left on the sides of the snifter for a good while. Not a bad looking beer.
The nose smelled wonderful. Hints of sweet caramel and toffee. Touches of chocolate and cocoa powder as well as a solid dose of toasted wheat bread and other toasted malts. Well suited piney hops along with a slight hickory nut type of aroma also. Very well balanced and pleasing on the nose. I really liked it.
The taste was very gratifying too. It was almost exactly like the aroma. Rich caramel and toffee malt intermingled with dry chocolate. More toasted breads and malts. The piney hops mix with some earthiness to create a very “round” and “smooth” flavor profile. A very light taste of alcohol was found, however it only added to the complexity and never became distracting or obtrusive. Again, very well balanced and very good.
The mouthfeel was medium to full bodied. Thick, sticky, dry and chewy. Medium to low carbonation with a nice warmth from the alcohol. A nice shot of flavor was left on the palate for a good while after each sip.
No doubt about it. This is a great brew. Tons of complexity was had to be pondered. It kind of reminded me of an Imperial Stout actually. It was a bit thick and chewy for a real high drinkability rating, however if you are looking for a sipper that could be best enjoyed on a cool Fall/Winter night, this may be a brew to be tried. I wish I had picked up another bottle and squirreled it away that’s for sure. Have you guys ever tried the 8 Wired/Nogne O/Renaissance Brewing “O Is For Awesome” Imperial Amber Ale? What did you think of it? If you would like, leave a comment and let me know.
Thanks for reading everyone. I really appreciate it.
Until next time. Cheers.
Score: 4.25 out of 5
Grade: A-
Beer Apprentice - Craft Beer News, Reviews, Interviews and Info. 