iStout (11th Anniversary Edition)
8 Wired Brewing Co.

11.2 ounce can, best before 01.07.2029 stamped on the bottom of the can. Big thanks to Brutaltruth for this! Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch tan head that stuck around a while. There's also a good amount of lacing. Aroma is nice, the brew smells like burnt/charred malt, dark chocolate, coffee, dark fruit and some earthiness. Taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of some dark bread, anise and molasses flavors. Doesn't taste nearly as boozy as I was expecting. Mouthfeel/body is full, it's coating and a bit syrupy with a moderate amount of carbonation. I thought this was a pretty good overall brew, wish I had another can of this one!

Pours a very dark brown, clear, looks black and opaque in the glass; initially a very thick light brown head, dense and creamy, resolves to a more modest height yet very long lasting. Lots of cocoa on the nose with some whiskey-like notes swimming in the background. The taste amps up the aroma while adding other notes; milk chocolate and cocoa; bigger whiskey presence; likely some vanilla bean; rich sweetness. Heavy body; thick and oily on the palate; nice boozy warmth offsetting the sweetness.

A stupendous beer! One of the best feeling bodies for such a big beer. Very rich, very flavorful, just wonderful all around.

Pouring temperature: 42 °F; canning info: BEST BEFORE 01.07.2029
Source: @micada (BA Barleywine / Stout BIF #1)

Pours black, with a thin caramel head. Aroma is roasted malt, chocolate and coffee, though there is no coffee in here. Taste is smooth, robust charcoal and roasted malt with lingering chocolate. Moderately bodied and moderately carbonated, this is a tasty brew.

 

 

First time with an 8 Wired. 2022 can poured cool to a tulip glass. Color is midnight black with a two-finger dark tan head. Nose is strong about a foot away, very reminiscent of a traditional RIS. That was unexpected as it’s not labeled as a RIS. Flavor is very much akin to the 2018 double black mash Amagher I had not long ago. It’s interesting in that there are no adjuncts, no barrel aging, but the flavor has hints of barrel and loads of chewy decadence. Theres is a definite RIS stone fruit vibe that brightens the middle. The 15% has the tiniest burn, which cuts the heaviness well. Is it worth $10/can? At least one time, yes. I don’t know that this is truly a double mashed beer, and I don’t see many double mashed beers around, but if you want that, this will fill that spot.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing opaque black in the glass with a quarter finger dark khaki head that dissipates to patches with light lacing. Aroma of dark toasted and dry biscuit malt, bakers chocolate, coffee and a little bit of dates; malty. Flavor is dark toasted malt, bakers chocolate, molasses, thick quality coffee, dates and nuts. Medium bodied with moderate creaminess. This tastes like it's presented: a rich Russian imperial stout on steroids. The coffee notes are off the charts and I would definitely sworn this was a coffee stout in a blind taste. Looks thick and black and the flavors fulfill the depth; complex and rich. Great smoky malt char. Absolutely in the Russian imperial stout style, but even deeper and luxurious. A bit boozy, but surprisingly drinkable at 15%. A gem.

great malty stout - don't getmany from new zealand alot of great malt taste

My first beer from New Zealand and it is a whopper. Pitch black with a mocha colored head. Unsurprisingly the aroma is full of dark malt. Notes of licorice, ash, dark chocolate, coffee, and alcohol. Flavor is sweet but not cloying as the alcohol cleanses the palate after each sip. The flavor is very one dimensional with little nuance. Just dark roasted malt permeates throughout. Medicinal and herbal as well. Might of benefited if they used an English yeast to add some esters or use more of those Southern Hemisphere hops that everyone is crazy for. Flavor wise this is like drinking a spirit (fernet or ouzo) rather than a beer. But as I further down the glass it is growing on me as I get more buzzed. Thick body with nice carbonation that gives it a smooth texture without being lifeless.

When you turn eleven years old, less does not mean more. More means more. So when 8 Wired Brewing has a birthday, they double down on one of their most acclaimed recipes- an imperial stout that's more imperial than ever.

iStout, the 11th Anniversary Edition, Double Imperial Stout pours ominously black with tarnish and tawny edges. With little in the way of froth, the largely still beer strikes the nose with the aromatic force of Turkish coffee, baker's chocolate, roasted walnut, dark fruit, pitted fruit and a near whisky-like spice. Sweeter though to start, the first sip reveals blackstrap molasses, dark chocolate, nutty brittle and a savory condensed fruit character of sherry wines.

With the sweetness holding onto attention, the beer invites complementary roast flavors of espresso, walnut, burnt toast, campfire and the burnt edges of baked brownies to all roll into the mix. Not-so-nuanced flavors of dark fruit carry a heavy grilled taste of blueberry, blackberry, cherry and grape to further reinforce a nearly brandy impression before the beer falls soilish, smoky and bitter to close.

Full bodied and off-cloying, the beer's spicy alcohol, bitter hops, hints of ash and roasted grains facilitate enough dryness and palatability to keep the beer from becoming too thick in the finish. Warm with whisky and coffee liqueur, the finish is spicy and roast with a long aftertaste of smoldering embers and brandy.