The Big Smoke - 8 Wired Brewing Co.

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A 500ml bottle with a BB of March 2012, so it's well out of date. However, the label suggests that it can be aged for a year or two so I'm hoping it has stood the test of time. Acquired ages ago from a webshop. I like the label design.

Poured into a Duvel tulip (thrice). A seriously dark brown hue that appears pitch black in the glass. Holding it to the light reveals plentiful carbonation. It produces a truly vast head of creamy beige foam with amazing stability; this lasts for ages before reducing to a thick surface layer (so much so that three pours were required). An aroma of rich, fruity malt and smoke: notes of prunes, dried fruit, roasted malt, smoke, phenolics, molasses, chocolate, mild coffee, faint TCP and earthy yeast. Intensely deep - total sensory immersion.

Tastes of rich roasted malt with a smoky character and a dry finish. Notes of dried fruit, roasted malt, smoke, mild burnt grain, molasses, phenolics, wood, coffee, a hint of chocolate and earthy yeast. Complex and dry, followed by a malty bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and mildly spicy, with good carbonation. The body is decent but a tad less substantial than might be expected. Rather astringent, with an aftertaste of smoky roasted malt and dried fruit.

Boom! What a beer - like bonfire night personified in liquid. The aroma and flavour have fantastic depth and complexity; a beautiful and well-rounded mélange. Perhaps this has something to do with the age of the bottle - maybe time has allowed the flavour to mellow out and smooth the harshness that a younger brew would have possessed. At any rate, this is lovely and well worth sampling if you have the good fortune to stumble across it.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 00:35:00 | More by jazzyjeff13

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.2/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is one of the best smoked porters! Poured at about cellar temperature, with a colossal, super frothy, foamy, billowy, tan head that lasts and lasts plus good lacing. Color is a clear orange brown with plenty of bubble trails. Aroma is smoke, malt, leather, cocoa. Flavor's like nose, smoke is not out of proportion, fairly dry, bitter and carbonic tang balance nice with smoke. Body and carbonation - excellent. Finish is like flavor, longish, a little boozy, and good for one or two bottles.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 01:46:02 | More by drpimento

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.48/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Dark brown bordering on opaque black almost and with a huge and foamy, tan brown head on top that is almost half the size of the pint shaker I poured the bottle in to.

Smoked aroma to begin and a strong one at that with a lot of spice and peat in there. There is some strong, dark chocolate aroma with some wood and burnt malts too. I can detect a hint of caramel as well but it is the smoke that dominates.

Roasted malts, a little smoke and some dark cocoa to kick thing off along with hints of caramel and even some coffee in there. There is a little wood in there too.

Quite sweet , smooth and creamy with a touch of alcohol and moderate carbonation. There is a fair amount of smoke in there and the finish is ever so slightly dry.

A nice beer once it settles down a little; after the first sip I didn't think I was going to like this one due to the strong smoked flavours but this subdued slightly as time went on and it turned in to a not bad beer. It could have slightly better balanced but it was one that I enjoyed and was a somewhat unusual offering.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 12:54:44 | More by flyingpig

seand

California

4.08/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a very dark brown, nearly opaque, with lots and lots of foamy tan head. It dissipates to a thinner denser blanket relatively quickly, but remains solid and leaves thick walls of lacing.

S: Sweet toffee and dark chocolate with just a touch of smoke.

T: Mildly burnt sweetness leading into a fair amount of almost tart bitter hops. The balance is nice, and the smoke is present but subtle.

M: Medium body, medium carbonation, somewhat chewy.

Overall, very nice. Really excellent mouthfeel for the flavors, and at 6.2% compares well to stronger beers in terms of complexity.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 00:59:09 | More by seand

ngeunit1

California

4.23/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a dark brown with a big finger of frothy khaki-chocolate colored head. The head fades down slowly leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of roasted chocolate malts with smoke, vanilla, coffee, with a bit of cola.

T - Starts off with a mix of roasted bittersweet chocolate with some vanilla and a bit of cola. Through the middle, the smoke comes through with some coffee and a bit of molasses. The finish is a mix of roasted chocolate malts, coffee, smoke, vanilla, and a touch of molasses.

M - Medium-plus bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a sweet and smokey finish.

D - Very drinkable. Good smoked character that comes together nicely and is balanced with all of the other flavors.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 04:49:59 | More by ngeunit1

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.55/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep, opaque dark-chocolate brown with a thick, though not persistent, dark tan head. It fizzes a lot, but more like cola than beer. Aroma has roast coffee and semi-sweet chocolate notes, plus hints of molasses and caramel. Smoky flavor has malty, woody and coffee notes with a hint of caramel. Texture has plenty of lively, soda-like fizz but not much body. OK as far as porters go - not the best, but worth at least a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 15:14:21 | More by Cyberkedi

CookstLiquor

British Columbia (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 500ml bottle. Pours solid black and forms a big beige head that dissipates quickly. There are of course plenty of big dark roast notes on the nose backed with tempting smoked meat. Similarly pleasant combination on the palate, with roasty malt flavour up front followed by the meaty smoke flavour on the finish. Smooth, creamy mouthfeel with a nice dry finish. Eminently quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 23:50:38 | More by CookstLiquor

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served from tap into an imperial pint. Poured a massively dark ruby red brown with a two finger tan head that subsided to half a finger slowly. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of roasted malt, smoke, smoked meat, cream, and dark chocolate. The flavor was of sweet malt, roasted malt, roasted malt, dark chocolate, smoke, and smoked meat. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a pretty decent brew. While the smoke was definitely present on this one it really wasn't the star of the show. The roastiness on the armoa definitely dominated this one upon first inspection. On the flavor I was really quite surprised to find a sweet malty aspect going on. I don't think it was needed and rather clashed with some of the smokey and roasty notes. Not a bad representation of the style, but defintely not my favorite.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2012 16:32:18 | More by thagr81us

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - effectively tar black, thumb of mocha head dissipated quickly to a thin covering
S - definitely has big smoke, a little sour peat aroma, charcoal, and faint hint of fruit syrup
T - definitely delivers what in advertises in terms of smoke, beyond that there are hints of caramel and boozy sweetness
M - medium body, fairly creamy, the smoke gives it a somewhat dry ashy finish
O - its says big smoke and that's exactly what you get, so its hard to argue in terms of rating it, don't bother if you're not a fan of smoke flavour

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 02:38:01 | More by joemcgrath27

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass. Finger and half of tan head, pitch black body.

Smells of beechwood smoke and burnt malt. Very strong aroma.

Strong burnt wood taste, then moves towards a creamy, milk and roasted malt flavor. Delicious.

It has a soft and creamy texture. Low carbonation.

Really good and well put together.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 21:01:06 | More by Fatehunter

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle poured into tulip 12/6/12

A very dark brown with a deep cola edge, a large three finger mocha head looks a little airy and quickly falls to a thin film that leaves just a few random patches of lace

S coco powder and milk chocolate mix well with the mellow smoke, much too my surprise I can pick up on some hops through all the dark malt, just a little cold coffee in there too

T mimics the smell quite well with just a little nutty dark toffee, not over the top smoke and some pipe tobacco plays a small part, not very intense but mellow can work well at times

M light bodied for the color but far from thin, fluffy from the bubbles and a nice charred wood aftertaste that lingers for a while with a little coco powder

O not over the top smoke but it allows the chocolate notes and a little hops to shine through, very drinkable stuff as my half liter bottle was gone in no time

another solid offering from a "new to me" brewery, pricy here in Alberta but I just might buy one to tuck away for a while and see what happens

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 05:48:48 | More by wordemupg

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml bottle. Classy, upscale presentation - check. Dear import micro price - oh yes. And now for the rest of the story...

This beer pours a very, very dark chestnut brown colour, almost opaque, but for some broad reddish cola highlights when exposed to the June evening sunlight, with one fat finger of thinly foamy beige head, which leaves a few instances of arched lace around the glass as it quickly recedes.

It smells of roasted caramel malt, meaty to the bone, at first, as the smoked campfire essence bleeds with all things carnal, only to soon cede a bit of territory to a more easy-going cola sweetness, and earthy, leafy bitterness. The taste is a pretty big sidestep from the aroma - right up front I get big semi-sweet chocolate malt, with a supporting stolid breadiness, and then the lingering ashes of a still relevant visceral smokiness, some oily nuttiness, a subtly sour milk note, and adequately bitter earthy, weedy hops.

The carbonation is quite soft, and unexpectedly caressing, the body a stocky medium weight, and mostly smooth - weirdly, in this particular case, fouled by the hops - yeah. It finishes sweetly malty, of the nutty chocolate bent, with a tame waft of the lead-off smoke, now transferred to a supporting role, and oh so more well suited for it, as the hops persist in assuming the final balancing onus.

A smoked beer with the best tendencies, IMHO - freak me out with aroma, do a context shift with the malt for the taste, and rest on your laurels thereafter. Not a bad thing, that. Overall, a nice, multivaried, if not overly complex, smoked beer. Recommended, if you've the cash to burn.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 02:57:26 | More by biboergosum

zeff80

Missouri

3.85/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a jet black color with a two-finger, tan, bubbly head of long-lasting foam. It left sticky patches of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled very smoky, like a campfire.

T - It was smoky and roasty with come caramel and molasses. The smoke flavors mellow as it warmed up.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied brew with a fairly dry finish.

O - This is a pretty interesting beer. At first I thought I wouldn't be able to finish this smoky brew but it mellowed and was pretty tasty.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 14:41:02 | More by zeff80

mynie

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Might be my first New Zealand beer. Certainly my first from 8 Wired. 22 oz bomber purchased from John's Grocery in Iowa City.

Pours very dark for a porter, just barely translucent when held up to a light, and topped with a thick, rocky head that stands as firm as custard.

Smells like a lightly smoked porter. A lightly smoked light porter, i mean. Even at room temperature, it's pretty tame and boilerplate.

The flavor is a great deal more portery than the aroma. Rich, bitter, lightly sour porter barley starts things off, getting a bit creamy in the middle, and ending on a cross between firm, bitter hops and light smoke flavoring. Nicely hopped, nicely smoked, and nicely balanced, this is a refreshing and remarkably sessionable beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 04:52:03 | More by mynie

Duff27

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Big two inch tall light tan head on a dark brown/black body. Head has some decent stayin power and splotchy lacing.

Nose is more of a cola smell than smoke. Smokiness is faint but there.

Some more cola hints. Smokey bacon aftertaste...comes out more as it warms for sure. Good drinkability.

Creamy mouthfeel with a crisper than normal (for a stout) carbonation.

Overall the smokiness was not as overpowering as I usually like. Having said that, this one was pretty tasty and drinkable. Worth a try but wouldn't seek out. Thanks TATURBO.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 01:15:16 | More by Duff27

SLeffler27

New York

3.38/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A huge, rocky, beige head quickly overwhelms a Harp nonic before it slowly turns to seafoam, leaving patches of lace. This is a dark brown beer with carbonation on the inside wall of the glass and dark ruby highlights. The look is reminiscent of an ice cream float.

There is a hint of some smoke and some Baker’s chocolate and soap. Smokiness is drawn out with each sip.

Summer sausage is discernible along with oak, dark chocolate and a modest finish of black coffee. Overall, this is okay but nothing special.

A medium body with watery texture, lively carbonation, and residual sugar.

The long journey may have taken a toll on this one, which is generally muddy.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 21:32:02 | More by SLeffler27

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasty very drinkable smoked porter. Good and substantive hopping. Worth paying up for. I drink the bomber inside of half an hour. Nice colour and wine like hoppy smoked aroma. I was concerned about the chocolate muddling up the character of this smoked porter, rather it smoothed it out and improved drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 05:39:00 | More by northyorksammy

TheWhiskerReview

Tennessee

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown with a frothy 3 finger off-tan head that stays at a solid creamy layer atop the brew with thick, soapy lace.

Aroma is a dark mix of caramel, dark bread, a touch of chocolate, and a leathery, dried meatiness, slightly sweet. Hints of clove and pepper tie it all together.

Medium-bodied palate is heavy on the dark chocolate- chewy, with a woody, almost green sweetness that brings out a touch of that meaty smoke. Bitterness is mild, while flavors of pepper and leather lead to a lingering dry, dark toast character.

Quite a tasty smoke brew. The nose pops a just a little bit more than the rather deflated palate, which is a shame, but at least nothing is over-the-top or blown out. Didn't get the explosive carbonation that others seem to have had, either.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 03:54:27 | More by TheWhiskerReview

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter.

3.5 A: Holy shit is this overcarbonated. First pour was nearly all head. After a good half hour, I finally got a full glass. Black color. Three fingers of frothy tan head. Retention is good and some lacing is left.

3.0 S: Really dry and dusty. Bacon smokiness. Light roast. Simple and not particularly enticing.

3.5 T: Taste is a little better. Dry overall again, but there's a little more sweetness in the form of chocolate and caramel. Smoke is fairly light and adds a touch of bacon again. Grainy, dusty, with a moderate roast.

3.5 M: Medium body. Good creaminess, especially for the body. Normally I'd give this a solid 4.0, but I have to penalize the brewer's for the obscene amount of carbonation.

3.5 D: I was hoping this would be smokier than it is. In any case, it isn't a bad beer, but I'd never pay $10 for a bottle of it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 03:52:22 | More by DavoleBomb

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.7/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Explodes out of bottle with a five+ finger light tan head that fades very slowly leaving a good lace. Deep mahogany color, no highlights. Fierce carbonation and medium bodied. Smoky nose and flavor is a smooth smoky malt with a serious smoky aftertaste. Pricey at $10.99 for a 500ml bottle from Julio's Liquors Westborough, Ma.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 23:36:32 | More by jdhilt

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

500 ml bottle. Served in a mug, the beer pours dark brown with a couple inch frothy tan head. The head stays around a very long time, and there's a good amount of lacing. Aroma is smoked and roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate, and a bit of coffee. Although smoke is noticeable in the aroma, it's not close to being overpowering at all. Taste is pretty much just like the aroma, the brew tastes like smoked and burnt/charred malt, coffee and bittersweet chocolate. I think the bitter/roasty flavors are bit stronger than the smoky ones, but it's still a tasty brew. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit coating and has high carbonation, way more carbonation than I would like for this beer. I think it's a decent enough brew overall, I'd buy this again at some point in the future.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 00:18:45 | More by bluejacket74

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a Gale Sayers shaker pint glass.

Big thanks to YaKnowBrady for this bottle!

Ooh, some smoked goodness from a new country (Kiwi-Land). Let's do this: It pours a clear deep, dark ruby-brown topped by over a finger of dusty tan foam. The nose comprises rich smoke (not too dark/peaty, but thick and heavy enough to really make an impression), light roasted malts, mild cocoa, walnut, and a few drops of maple syrup. The taste is mostly a lithe blend of smoke, chocolate, light roast, and maple syrup. Good times, indeed. The body is a light-leaning medium, with a moderate carbonation and a dry, slightly prickly feel. Overall, were this not a touch light and overcarbonated, it would be a downright great smoked porter. As it stands, it is very, very good, and I would never turn another down.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 21:26:05 | More by TMoney2591

corby112

Pennsylvania

1.65/5  rDev -57.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Pours a dark brown color that appears black in the glass with a two finger frothy beige head that slowly fades into a lasting cap. Spots of soapy lacing left behind.

Smoked malt aroma with lots of toasted malt without feeling burnt along with some faint sweetness. I was hoping that it would be smokier but it is pretty tame. Slightly meaty with hints of charcoal and burnt toast as well as some coffee bean and dark chocolate.

Medium bodied with lots of tight carbonation up front and an odd metallic flavor that covers up the smoke. Likely infected with hints of charcoal, burnt acrid charred toast and ash. Very dry finish really gross and extremely difficult to drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 05:47:43 | More by corby112

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

3.63/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle

Slowly opened bottle with a huge "hiss" that didn't abate. Ouch. The over-carbonated beer started to perculate out of the bottle and I had everything to pour the 500mls into three pint glasses!

Not a good start.

A: deep, dark copper color with, imagine this, amazing thick head that took awhile to settle down, big frothy bubbles
S: slightly cloying, light smoke but more underlying CO2 throughout (again, imagine that!), some treacle that is very interesting
T: CO2 bite detracts from overall taste, soft chocolaty taste with some, but not a lot, of smoke flavor, disappointing overall, finish is CO2 bite
M: soft and mellow with noticeable CO2 bite

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2011 01:59:05 | More by wisrarebeer

July2Nov

Hawaii

3.55/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Dark, dark brown...almost black in color. Tan head that soon becomes a healthy lacing of foam.

Smell: Like smoked bacon, syrup and some licorice.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Big smoke flavor upfront and some syrup too. Good carbonation. Smooths out into a good roasted chocolate flavor. Getting a syrupy taste at the tail end, that lingers. Good amount of malts. Lighter-medium in body.

Overall: Not a huge fan of smoked beers, but I really enjoyed this one. Would get it again, depending on what I was pairing this up with for a solid dinner option.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 04:59:28 | More by July2Nov