Rewired Brown Ale - 8 Wired Brewing Co.

ngeunit1

California

4.23/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a fairly dark brown color with a bit of ruby around the edges and a finger of frothy khaki colored head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of lightly toasted caramel malts, coffee, tropical hops and some coffee and a bit of nuttiness.

T - Starts off with some sweet caramel malts with some grapefruit hops and a bit of brown sugar. Through the middle, some grassy hops come through with a bit more bitterness and some coffee and nuttiness. The finish is a mix of lightly toasted caramel malts with some earthy hops, brown sugar, nuttiness, and a bit of coffee and bitterness.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a sweet and lightly bitter finish.

D - Very drinkable. Nice brown ale with a good overall balance. Good amount of hops.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 02:12:54 | More by ngeunit1

Samp01

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle. Pours a deep mahogany brown with a large tan head. Good lacing and head retention throughout. Aroma of roasted caramel malt, dates, walnuts fill the senses. Taste is of dark toasted caramel malt, brown sugar, dark dried fruit, dates, with some nice walnut flavor and earthy hops. Palate is a well balanced combination of sweetness and bitterness with a slightly sticky medium body. Finishes with some sweet roasted caramel malt, a bit of brown sugar, dried fruits with some good earthy hops for balance, ending has a lingering roasty nutty walnut flavor. Overall an excellent flavorful, and tasty well balance brew. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 18:06:01 | More by Samp01

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.43/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A little disappointed here. Poured at a good temperature, with a smallish, light tan head that slowly settled to a light cover and some lace. Color is a clear mahoganey with no bubble trails. Aroma is malt, hop, resin, a bit of fruit. Flavor's like nose, fairly dry, some hop bitter and significant carbonic tang. Body is ok, ditto carbonation. Finish is like flavor, kind of long, and not that great. This is more like an American Pale Ale that had second thoughts and tried to be a brown, without really pulling it off. Or doing well at either. As an ABA ( which I'm not convinced is what they were trying for), it's still, meh.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 06:18:52 | More by drpimento

LeoEnergy

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into ST. Bernardus Tulip

A- Pours a glowing auburn chestnut with an off-white head and creates spotted lacing. Tiny bubbles trail from the meniscus at every sip.

S- The scent is a bit illusive here. Very little toffee or malt emerges as it should. Instead bread, grass, and grain seep through. No detection of alcohol.

T- Begins smooth and creamy, then a backbone of bread and grain with fading notes of malt and toffee at the finish. For my palate there is not enough richness in molasses, toffee grain and malt. Nevertheless, solid quality.

M- Mouth-feel is fizzy and smooth, looses carbonation rather quickly but gains some depth over time. I would try this beer again at a different temperature and let it develop a longer duration next time around.

O- I would categorize this beer as a light brown ale. I am looking for some deeper notes and more complex aromas. I would give this brown ale another go- Cheers

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 08:04:58 | More by LeoEnergy

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.63/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

8 Wired Rewired is a tremendous American brown ale, much drier than usual but opening up to a world of high hopping rates, bold roast, and clean fermentation yet holding true to the essence of brown ales.

Dark, bark brown appearances are accompanied by the light hop haze but still allowing shallow highlights to penetrate the edges of the tumbler. Firmly capped with egg shell white foam with semi-dense, semi-creamy structure. Retaining to the end of the session, the beer reveals rings of lace, denoting each sip.

Hops and roasted grain leaps from the glass in bold fashion. Pine needles meet coffee for a sharp combination of scent that seem backed by burnt caramel, toasted walnuts, wood, and white grapefruit.

Timid sweetness leaks onto the tongue and carries the slight richness of toffee but mostly burnt sugars. The dry malt character opens up to bitter chocolate, coffee grounds, and burnt embers of spruce. Hop-forward notes accent the dry malt taste with grapefruit pith in flavor and resiny pine sap in bitterness. The coffeeish, roasted grain taste makes the beer cross the line of styles from brown ales into porters if just for a brief moment.

Aridly dry on the mouth, the short-lived sweetness from malt makes negligable impact on the tongue. Yet the creamy notion of carbonation and the drier malt textures give an engulfing sensation to the mouth with showcases the woody bitterness, acrid roast acidity, and grain derived astringency. Where the dryness of the beer is well celebrated, it exposes some problematic textile characteristics.

True to American microbrew attitudes, Rewired is a wonderfully dry beer with elevated hop characteristics in aroma, taste, and bitterness. But the light finish reveals that this sharp bitterness and roast bitterness do not play well together.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 17:14:31 | More by BEERchitect

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by Steve, 500ml into a tulip.

Dark brown in colour, almost a bit muddy. Tan head leaves behind some fat, chunky lacing and good retention. Nose has bright hop notes, roast and chocolate. Some tropical fruit notes come through, a touch of grassiness as well. Taste has cocoa and some typical brown ale malting, a bit of roast again. Caramel and some juicy hop notes again, that are somewhat floral and mouthwatering admittedly; this New Zealand style hop profile is quite interesting. A bit drying and malty, and quite a full fee. A unique, hoppy brown ale - another solid beer from these guys.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 14:52:03 | More by liamt07

DoubleJ

California

3.18/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The wave of New Zealand beers continue to hit the shores of Southern California. From a 500 ml bottle, on to the beer:

Dark leather brown color with reddish hues spooted at a few points. The head is soapy lookin' and forms small on top. There's a little bread crust and mocha in the nose, and a distinct tangy lemon note.

It's quite roasty for a brown ale, almost stout-like in that respect. In a blind taste, a hoppy stout is what I would have guessed. Still, the flavors don't meld enough for me. Cookie dough and bitter chocolate provide the secondary note. It's very hopped, unlike the usual brown ale. It provides a big burst of bitterness and a Pine Sol note. A little buttery, roasty, and bitter in the aftertaste. It's got a surprisingly hearty body with an astringent bite.

Rewired is similar to the style of Nuke LaLoosh's pitching (and fucking), all over the place. If you squint your eyes, there are a few solid qualities to this beer, though at $9 a half-liter, there are hopes of more than just squinting for a few solid qualities.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2011 06:55:14 | More by DoubleJ

jeffjeff1

California

3.6/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I picked this up about a week ago at Monument Wines and Spirits.

Appearance- dark brown color, quarter inch head, good head retention

Smell- really sweet smell, caramel, fruit, malt

Taste- sweet malt, caramel, dark fruits

Mouthfeel- medium to full bodied

Drinkability- I thought this was pretty good. I would drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 20:58:50 | More by jeffjeff1

Macca

Australia

3.58/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This poured a dark tan colour with a minimal beige head.Good lacing.

Some great brown sugar and caramel notes on the nose. Some nice dried fruits as well. Hops come out as it warms.

Lots more maltiness on the palate. Some chocolate. The bitterness seems malty rather than hoppy. I get some meatiness too (weird).

High carbonation. Too much for me.

Not sure about this one. Ok but ...

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 11:31:31 | More by Macca

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

russet brown with loads of hints of reddish tones around the sides and bottom of the glass. Very dark and opaque, essentially no light was shining through on this baby, except for the slightest little bit on the bottom of the glass. A very nice large tannish head of foam rose up over the top and crowned it beautifully

aromas of caramel and sugar were easily the most evident thins found in here. It really was much sweeter than I thought it would be, and this was a good thing. I was picking up some light notes of chocolate and a touch of nuttiness as well. There were definitely some hops way down deep in the profile a rich caramel sweetness. Very nice and big and very evident from the very first sip. Really a malt bomb here for sure. Some notes of the roasted nuts then following it along and really pulling it together quite well. Very light hints of chocolate now coming through, very light though and just enough to add some sweetness, a touch of sweet coffee now on the horizon as well and really giving it even more depth than it had before. The finish was very strong, a nice little hop bite to dry it out and get the flavor to linger, and the sweet caramel notes were really becoming prevalent here.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 00:46:52 | More by mikesgroove

eyeenjoybeer

Indiana

4.18/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a standard pint glass.

A: The head pours thick and off-white. The body is a nearly see through nut brown.

S: The nose is not overpowering but contains rich roasted malt and a late whiff of sorghum.

T: This is where this on shines. This is a full flavored brown ale that pronounces the malt with a light roasted nuttiness and a faint burnt toffee in the end.

M: This is the other best part of this one. The body carries the rich and balanced malt across the palate and allows the flavor to linger a bit after the swallow.

O: I would gladly drink this beer again, but the price tag will likely keep me from reaching for this very often.

This bottle came from the always stellar, always interesting beer coolers at Star Grocery in Berkeley.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2011 02:24:13 | More by eyeenjoybeer

joecast

Australia

4.33/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

#3 of my New Zealand six pack.

A bit lighter than some other recent brown ales. A shade or two darker than amber and a nice red tinge when held to light. Head is decent, not too thin with good stability and lacing. Clarity is also good. Medium carbonation.

Aroma is a great example of balance between caramel maltiness and light floral hoppiness. Not too much one way or the other here. Again, as a comparison to more recent examples, much more toffee and doughiness than others.

Taste has a very welcoming, comforting feeling about it. Must be the extra heft brought by the judicious use of dark malts. This by no means is an indication of the absence of hops. Flavor and bittering hops are very well presented but don't distract from the 'brown' in the ale. Rather they add another, complimentary dimension.

It's important to remember here what this style traditionally has been and this beer is much more an evolution of that than some of the more radically hoppy examples. Not that I don't love those, but style wise this cannot be faulted.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 08:04:33 | More by joecast

ToasterChef

Maine

3.63/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I picked up a bottle of this beer on a whim the other day. I had never heard of the beer or the brewery, but since I'm interested in lots of things New Zealand (my sister lives there), I thought I'd give it a try. The bottle was stored in the cellar for about a week and poured into the center of a pint glass. A big cascading head of brown bubbles slowly recedes, filling my pint glass with a dark brown liquid. As the head dissolves, some patchy lacing is left behind. The aroma is roasty and a bit nutty. A few bittering hops are present that give the nose an interesting twist. It smells better than most browns I have encountered.

Some sweetness is present, but it is mostly overshadowed by a coffee-like bitterness. A woodsy, almost bark-like flavor is also present. The finish has a sharpness provided by the hop oils that I didn't expect.

The body is a touch on the watery side but manages to leave a flavorful coat. Carbonation is on the low end of average.

Overall, an enjoyable brown. I wouldn't recommend you go out of your way for this beer, but if you see it and want to try something different, you'll be in for a good tasting.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2011 02:21:27 | More by ToasterChef

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

One of the best browns I have tried, exceeding expectations. Bottle from Premiere. De Konnick glass that poured dark brown with off-white retained one-eighth head, and tons of spider lace. Malty aroma. Way bove average mouthfeel that delivers great bitterness with solid roasted malt backbone. Residual lemony aftertaste. Appropriate carbonation. masterful and tremendous drinkability. Don't miss it.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2011 02:36:02 | More by northyorksammy

redsonja

Netherlands

4.5/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A; brown[yeay its a brown ale] nice white head

S; hopps

T; hop, bitter chocolate, alcohol, rosted malts

M; a hit of the chocolate stays in your mouth the hop bitters and malts are there to

O; for a brown ale good beer all the tastes are there not a style you see mutch but this one is a good exemple. good effort

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2011 08:51:08 | More by redsonja

juju7

Australia

3.58/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Dark reddish brown, firm head.
Aromas are of a bit of tropical fruit hops but not at all over the top. A hint of like a chicory or coffee in the back.
Smooth mild and firmly bitter, a fairly approachable beer that balances all it's ingredients nicely. Good beer for sure.
Will not disappoint fans of the brown ale style.
Tad expensive for what it is though.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 08:19:33 | More by juju7

avalon07

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a brown color and a slightly hazy consistency. There was an inch of creamy, long-lasting head. Excellent lacing.

S: A somewhat underplayed aroma of malt, hops, and a mild nutty quality.

T: Tasted of malt, the classic brown ale nuttiness, and hops. Surprisingly, this beer had much more of a hoppy character than most browns. A solid flavor for a brown.

M: A nice amount of carbonation with a very dry finish. Medium-bodied.

D: For a brown ale, this one is pretty drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2011 12:10:16 | More by avalon07

GRG1313

California

3.73/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear dark copper brown with red tints and a firm khaki head that quickly fades.

Nose is fresh semi sweet Belgian candi sugar with hints of sweet chocolate and plums.

Mouthfeel is low carbonation and a bit "heavy/flabby" but it's saved by the flavor profile.

Flavors initially hit you with such power and assertiveness as to be off-putting. However, once your senses "regroup" and you take a second and third taste you get just huge pure flavors of fresh brewed and bright acidic coffee; rich burnt toast and assertive roasted grain.

Finish is an assertive, big and bold bitter black espresso that then takes on a final "fruity" acidic bitter character.

This is a rich, bold and assertive brew. Tons of big roasted bright flavors and character. Not a great candidate with lots of food but likely great with big meats and maybe even rich creamy sauces. Big roasted beer. Not a typical brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 07:16:10 | More by GRG1313

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.93/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark brown with ruby tints and a lasting creamy head with loads of lacing.
Nose shows soft nutty malt alongside lots of caramel and chocolate. Also present is a big piney, earthy hop hit.
Flavours are more roasty, lots of cocoa and nutty notes. Again, there's a fair amount of piney hops. Finishes with a strong hoppy bitterness, a bit too strong in my opinion.
Nice moderate carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 02:41:11 | More by CrazyDavros

dgilks

Australia

3.6/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Red-brown hue with a small light tan head. Poor head retention.

Moderately hoppy aroma with notes of citrus and passionfruit. Mild coffee notes.

Mild acrid and coffee malt notes. Lots of citrussy hop and moderately strong bitterness. This is a bit out of balance for a brown ale and needs a touch of sweetness.

Medium light body with moderately high carbonation. I want a touch more body.

A very dry, hoppy take on the brown ale from this experimental NZ brewer. There is just a bit too much bitterness and it keeps this beer from being great.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 03:41:53 | More by dgilks

ADZA

Australia

3.6/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First of all i love this breweries bottles/labels looks cool,the brew pours a reddy,brown hue with average carbonation that leaves behind a half finger head and a rim of lacing,the aromas are brown sugar,candied apples and toffee,it has an above average mouthfeel which is neither thick nor thin and exudes tastes of brown sugar,brandy snaps,raisin bread and finishes with a passionfruit hop bitterness,overall a decent drop thats easy to drink without being too complex.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2010 07:47:43 | More by ADZA

laituegonflable

Australia

3.65/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a reddish-brown colour with minimal head, off-white-to-beige in colour, but yeah, more of a rim than a head. Lace is gorgeous and sticky, cascading down the glass. Clear body, fairly flat. Doesn't matter though, colour is great and everything else is there for a good brown ale.

Nose is delicious. Sweet but with a really nice roasted edge. A lot of malt, brown sugar with caramel hints to both. Just a slight hint of roasted grain, plus a really nice floral hop character and hint of pineapple at the back. Bit of a diacetyl character but doesn't ruin it. Pleasant.

Taste is malty, pleasant. Lot of toffee on the front with slight sourness like undercooked dough, buttery note and then a nice darker flavour towards the back. Bit of toasty grain and yeah, maybe a merlot vinous edge. Feels a bit thin on the palate, sadly, but is largely sweet and malty, going down nicely. Bit of bitterness on the back, but it could use more. That's the story of this palate really, could use more of everything. A bit weak, but pleasant overall.

Slimy and a bit sticky on the feel, then dry as it goes down. Not bad, okay to suit the flavour.

A bit more flavour would make this beer delicious, but it's quite enjoyable as it is.

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2010 01:55:28 | More by laituegonflable

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.58/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Tried on tap at Sydney's Local Taphouse ANZAC Day SepcTapular.

Pours a deeply opaque dark ruddy brown colour with a full head of meniscused beige bubbles. Lacing is excellent, and it looks pleasantly static in the glass. Nice look overall.

Nice chocolate notes on the nose, with a semisweet grain malt character. A little raisin toast as well. Pretty nice overall.

Taste is full of grainy roasted characters, with a slightly sharp bitterness through the centre, which may be nothing more than the latent hop presence. Finish is quite dark and roasted, leaving an ashy astringency on the back of the palate. It feels slightly too dark for a Brown Ale. Nice characters mostly, but the bitterness is too strong. Mouthfeel is smooth.

Not bad all up, a little difficult to stomach a lot of, but it has plenty of character.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2010 00:29:46 | More by lacqueredmouse