Rewired Brown Ale - 8 Wired Brewing Co.

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