The Big Smoke - 8 Wired Brewing Co.

zduerr

British Columbia (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%

12-05-2012 00:20:25 | More by zduerr

lisagirl

New Zealand (Aotearoa)

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%

05-12-2013 08:01:39 | More by lisagirl

SDG1070

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%

04-20-2013 19:54:22 | More by SDG1070

bostonryan

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%

02-13-2013 23:22:40 | More by bostonryan

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A 500ml bottle with a BB of March 2012, so it's well out of date.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

ZinFanDave

Georgia

4/5  rDev +3.9%

12-15-2012 04:44:47 | More by ZinFanDave

TLieu

4/5  rDev +3.9%

12-05-2012 10:12:50 | More by TLieu

Chugs13

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%

12-02-2012 01:30:57 | More by Chugs13

Liquoric3

Germany

4/5  rDev +3.9%

11-26-2012 21:34:45 | More by Liquoric3

scottypinthemix

4.75/5  rDev +23.4%

11-12-2012 23:03:36 | More by scottypinthemix

C4NUCKb33rLOV3R

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%

11-12-2012 06:02:17 | More by C4NUCKb33rLOV3R

pin

Australia

4/5  rDev +3.9%

11-07-2012 01:58:39 | More by pin

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

Texasfan549

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%

10-05-2012 13:47:59 | More by Texasfan549

kjkinsey

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%

09-27-2012 03:18:53 | More by kjkinsey

HevvyMetalHippie

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%

09-18-2012 00:50:04 | More by HevvyMetalHippie

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

anhigdon

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%

08-19-2012 16:20:44 | More by anhigdon

UltimateLivewire

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%

08-19-2012 04:25:32 | More by UltimateLivewire

JSBeer

4/5  rDev +3.9%

08-12-2012 23:08:58 | More by JSBeer

Cramerican

North Dakota

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%

08-11-2012 05:19:57 | More by Cramerican

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