The Big Smoke
8 Wired Brewing Co.

The Big SmokeThe Big Smoke
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From:
8 Wired Brewing Co.
 
New Zealand
Style:
Smoked Porter
ABV:
6.2%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.83 | pDev: 12.27%
Reviews:
72
Ratings:
158
Status:
Active
Rated:
Aug 24, 2021
Added:
Nov 26, 2010
Wants:
  13
Gots:
  14
Now what is this? A smoked beer?? It really isn't as crazy as it sounds. 250 years ago virtually all beers were smoked (it's true, Google it!), but with the dawning of the industrial revolution most of the smoke lifted. However, in the German town of Bamberg the flame has quite literally been kept alive and to this day the town’s brewers produce world renowned beers brewed with their own special rauchmalz (beechwood smoked malt).

We’ve taken our best porter recipe and added a good measure of that same Bamberg Rauchmalz. The smoke mingles beautifully with the rich, dark roasted chocolate flavours of the porter without being overpowering. Although it pairs extremely well with smoked seafood, barbeques, strong cheeses and hearty stews, its food friendliness isn’t limited to savouries; chocolate and caramel based deserts are great companions too! Trust us; it really isn't as crazy as it sounds.

40 IBU
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Ratings by BMart:
Photo of BMart
Rated by BMart from Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%

Oct 22, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by RiceOwls27 from Texas

Aug 24, 2021
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.15/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Shared 500 ml gusher bottle at local tasting. Nearly black colour, large off-white head. Dryish and "thin" smokey aroma, notes of smoked meat, woody hints too. Too much carbonation. Smokey and dry flavour too, mild roasty notes in the background.
Feb 16, 2021
Photo of DvdP
Reviewed by DvdP from Netherlands

3.57/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75
31-12-2018. Sort of dark brown, with a small amount of very unstable, yellowish foam. Smells fairly smokey, in the Bamberg meaty sort of way, some sweetness. Body is pretty thin. Taste has some smoke, but not in your face, could be more. Something meaty, something burnt ashy (roast) and the tiniest hint of vanilla.
Sep 16, 2020
Photo of Jugs_McGhee
Rated by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado

3.4/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
B- / WORTHY
Jan 19, 2020
Photo of hman43
Reviewed by hman43 from North Carolina

3.84/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Look: It pours dark brown with a brown head. Head retention is low.

Smell: The initial aromas are of smoke and chocolate. There is a hint of cherry in the background.

Taste: It has a combination of smoke, chocolate, and roast. The smoke is a little bit more prominent that the chocolate which is a little bit more than the roast. There is a slight hint of cherry in the background.

Feel: It has a medium body with a fair amount of carbonation.

Overall, it has a well balance combination of malts with slight dark fruits from the esters.
Nov 23, 2019
 
Rated: 3 by Dutchcraftbeergeek from Netherlands

Feb 10, 2018
Photo of mntlover
Reviewed by mntlover from Tennessee

4.21/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a dark brow almost looks black until held to the light. From an aggressive pour a thumb sized dark tan head arises and falls slow to ringed bubbles, some good spotty lace.

Aroma is nice chocolate roasted malts with big smoke notes. Caramel. toffee , bitter dark chocolate, earthy peat and lots of smoke notes.

Taste is the nose nice big favorable brew with lots of smokey notes. Beat this would go great with some BBQ. Nice malty, earthy, semi sweet smokey goodness.

Mouthfeel is a big medium with fairly mellow carbonation.

Overall really like this smoked porter, and will be purchasing more.
Jan 27, 2018
Photo of WunderLlama
Reviewed by WunderLlama from Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Large bottle poured into a teku glass

Dark brown liquid, pencil thin brow an foam cap settles to a ring

Aroma of smoked malts

Taste of smoked malts, ash, char

Light-medium mouthfeel

Nice beer
Jan 01, 2018
 
Rated: 3.87 by dsshuck from Delaware

Sep 16, 2017
 
Rated: 3.68 by Chico1985 from Massachusetts

Jun 26, 2017
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

4.22/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a mug, the appearance was a semi-dark brown almost black color with a finger's worth of white to off white foamy head that slid off at a moderate pace. Some messy lace.
The aroma had a nice blend of sweet meaty to milk and dark chocolatey malts playing with some subtle effects of smoke, caramel, peach and pineapple. Sly amount of earthy to grassy hops sliding in underneath.
The flavor was moderately sweet blending the chocolate malts to those previously mentioned fruits and bringing in the meaty sweetness and the smoke stealthily in to provide an exceptional smooth aftertaste.
The mouthfeel was almost medium bodied with a nice sipping quality about it due to the mobility of the fruits to the meat and smokiness. Carbonation felt nice. ABV felt as appropriate.
Overall, pretty nice smoked beer, a bit different than what I'm used to due to the level of stonefruit sweetness, but I'll take one of these again!
Jun 17, 2017
 
Rated: 4.01 by dougbreathe from France

Feb 01, 2017
Photo of descobar
Reviewed by descobar from Florida

3.21/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.25
Disclosure: from the "cellar" 2011. Aroma is smoked malts, dark fruits, toffee and only sign of aging is a vinousy note. It pours a deep dark brown with absolutely no head. it shows opaque against the light. body is medium to light, and its texture is creamy. sadly carbonation is minimal to none... no astringency to speak of. ignoring the flat feel, the taste is very decent. the "bacony" smoked malts are there, albeit slightly muted, the caramel, the toffee, hints of dark fruits and there is a spike of hop bitterness right in the middle that is very pleasant. finishes dry until some time after there is another spike of bitterness. - wish it hadn’t lost its carbonation. other than that and the aroma mentioned above no other signs of negative aging were present. will have to pull out another to see...
Dec 02, 2016
Photo of Andrewharemza
Reviewed by Andrewharemza from Australia

3.52/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
From bottle, pours a black colour with pretty much no head at all. Aroma dark stonefruit, smoke, caramel. Taste ham, bacon, caramel, chocolate. Not to bad more smokey when warm. Not my favourite style but worth trying.
Jul 01, 2016
 
Rated: 4.06 by mdagnew from Northern Ireland

Apr 06, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by Cath from New York

Feb 24, 2016
 
Rated: 3.94 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

Feb 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.59 by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

Jan 09, 2016
 
Rated: 4.53 by Vylo from New Jersey

Oct 02, 2015
The Big Smoke from 8 Wired Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 158 ratings