GABS Brewer 2014: Soren Eriksen from 8 Wired Brewing Company in New Zealand

What beer are you making for GABS?
Brettanomyces refermented and barrel aged foreign extra stout.

Does it have a name yet?
Rastafari Unchained

Where did the inspiration come from?
Rastafari Stout is a beer we make every now and then. Basically a hoppy 6 per cent stout. This one has been in pinot noir barrels for a good 6 months, refermenting with brettanomyces. ‘‘unchained’’ is a term I use for these standard range beers that we referment with brett in barrels. It will be the second release of the series, Haywired being the first. Rewired and Hopwired are currently in the barrels.

Do you think it’ll be a one-off or are you considering adding it to the range after GABS?
We have seven more barrels, so it will definitely appear again. It will be limited though.

What do you think of the concept of GABS?
It’s awesome, no doubt. It can be tricky for overseas breweries to launch a new beer exclusively in Australia though. We have to get it ready months before the event so it has time to ship. But it is a token to the great event that so many brewers make it happen after all.

The Great Australasian Beer Spectapular (aka GABS) is on in Melbourne on May 23-25, 2014.