8 Wired C4 Double Coffee Brown Ale

8 Wired C4 Double Coffee Brown Ale

In my opinion, coffee rivals beer for the title of "greatest beverage in the world". I often say that I would rather give up beer than coffee. So it is only natural that we would attempt to make a beverage that incorporates both. If we were to succeed, surely this would then become the greatest beverage in the world? After years of research and trials in the garage, I have come up with what I think is the perfect marriage of coffee and beer: A hoppy double brown ale, that compliments both the roasty and fruity aspects of the coffee without putting up too much of a fight. The coffee was selected in collaboration with the Christchurch institution C4 Coffee and consists mainly of lightly roasted, delicate and floral, Ethiopian beans. Worlds are colliding and, in my humble opinion, greatness is achieved on the other side.



HOPS: Pacific Jade, NZ Cascade and Pacifica



MALT: Gladfield Pale, Crystal, Munich, Caramalt, Chocolate, Oats



YEAST: Wyeast 1272 - American Ale II
3.7
242 reviews
Warkworth, New Zealand

Community reviews

4.0 Bottle thanks to Stuu666. Appearance - dark brown with a nice fawn head. Nose - dark chocolate dominates coffee. Taste - creamy milk chocolate with just a hint of coffee. Palate - medium bodied with a creamy texture and a long dry balanced finish. Overall - lovely beer.
4.0 Bottle thanks to Stuu. Pours murky brown. Nose is toffee, coffee, milk chocolate. Tastes coffee, sweet caramel and toffee, fruits. Very good, has sth else than coffee as well.
3.5 From bottle. Pours cloudy brown. Aromas of coffee, milk chocolate, resin. Taste is pleasantly sticky, sweet and full bodied.
3.8 Bottle shared@Appellation Wines, Edinburgh - dark brown pour with beige head. Toasty roasty malty aroma and taste, some coffee, caramel, chocolate, nutty, lovely velvet mouthfeel, great stuff.
3.6 Bottle at Comely Bankers II. Pours hazy dark brown with a thin beige head. Aromas of coffee and chocolate. Taste is rich, velvet, chocolate. Dry, roasted finish.
3.3 Appearance: clear amber-brown with one finger of fluffy light beige head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: coffee, caramel, light vanilla, bready yeast, floral and peppery hops. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium body, lively to moderate carbonation, medium duration building bitter and light tart finish. (3/5) Again with the unexpected tartness in a coffee beer? I don’t know what they’re doing in New Zealand, but presumably it’s not an age issue, since they (Hallelujah! Finally!) put a BB date on the bottle. There is a small amount of hop profile present here, but it’s largely washed out by the coffee. Once again, I’m not all that thrilled with the coffee, though - it’s coming through as watered down and acrid, instead of smooth and rich (like e.g. Brunch Weasel). Somewhat surprisingly, it’s a bit better balanced than their coffee stout, but it’s still not what I would consider their best work. (13/20)
3.6 Clear brown pour with a beige head and light lacing .... Aroma of coffee, roasted malts, toffee and caramel malts .... Taste is of chewy caramel malts, toffee, roasted malts, coffee and light berries ... Has a brown sugar sweetness as well with a very light hop bite at the end ... Finish is dry, bitter with sweetness and roasted malts .... Solid brown ale
3.8 Thin, white head atop a deep caramel mahogany coloured body. Nose is toasty and coffee. Flavour is nicely malted... Good roastiness, I’m liking the brown ale and coffee mix instead of stouts.
3.7 Bottle to tulip Consummation: Slightly soured chilled coffee Adjunct: Chocolate, creamy, great balance.
3.8 It pours clear brown with a thin beige head. Toffee and vanilla in the nose and in its taste, which adds coffee (less than expected), roasted malts and something tart. Thin body, easy to drink and booze very well hidden. Decent.
3.7 Deep copper pour. Sweet to fee aroma with caramel, vanilla, coffee. Sweet males up front with a burnt coffee bitterness and lingering lightly smoky malt, coffee. Good.
3.9 Bottle from Kris Wines, Holloway. Brown pour with a beige head. Coffee, vanilla, caramel and toffee nose. Flavours of smoke, coffee, treacle toffee, nuts. Quite dry. Pleasant taste. Easy going brew, belies its strength. Nice.
3.9 Klar mørk amber farve med beige skum som avtar. Lukt av røstet malt, kaffe, sirup og frukt. Smak av røstet malt, kaffe, sirup, karamell og frukt. Søt maltavslutning. Vinmonopolet.
3.7 Bottle - Dark roast cold pressed coffee and lots of nice chocolate notes. Deep clear amber with a small light brown head. Coffee, nutty chocolate notes and bitterness. Light body though.
3.8 Bottle, shared with my brother in law. Beautiful clear mahogany hue, off white head. Bread and coffee, LOTS of coffee! Vegetal/peppery undertones, hints of dark fruits. I really liked it-- the coffee flavours dominate, but do not completely overwhelm the base beer. I like the fact that there isn’t any black malt in here, different (and very good).
4.1 Nice hoppy taste without being too bitter. Nice mix of floral Flavours balanced with coffee taste. All the Flavours are balanced and neither overwhelms each other. Has also a slightly malty taste, though it lesser than the other Flavours
3.7 500ml bottle. Pours a clear, dark reddish brown with an average, creamy head that laces. Roasted malt aroma with coffee, caramel and dark chocolate. Sweet flavour of roasted malt, dark chocolate and caramel with a dry, bitter, coffee finish. Medium body with an oily texture and soft carbonation. Not bad.
3.8 500 ml bottle. Pours a clear dark mahogany with moderate head. Aromas of fresh coffee grounds, with a little caramel and toasted malts. Flavors of pine, citrus, nuts, raisins and sweet malts with a bit of bitter coffee. Nice.
3.9 12-OCT-2015, bottle @Morten, from Kihoskh. Hazy dark amber with a huge, fluffy, lasting, lacing, tan head. Aroma is mostly coffee. Taste is coffee, roast, caramel, bread. Huge carbonation. For a Brown ale this is one of the best.
3.8 500mL bottle from SLowbeer. BB 14/15/16 Pours a deep amber body off-white head. Aroma is good; lovely floral, citrusy, woody hops, throw some dark caramel, biscuity, nutty malts, good hit of coffee in the works. Palate is smooth, chewy, plenty of weight, low carbonation. Lovely body - quite rich dark caramel/treacley malts, nutty, biscuity undertones, touch of coffee grinds, with a good hit of woody, tropical hops lend a firm bitterness to a long finish. Very good brown ale indeed!
3.8 Clear amber with beige head. Coffee, herbal, caramel and ripe citrus fruit. Sweet, round, hoppy and spicy finish. Overall: Very nice. Something different!
4.1 Bottle. Pours a deep clear amber-hued nut brown body with a small off-white head. Nose is caramel, nougat, mocha, coffee, maple syryp and hints of brown bread, biscuits and hazelnuts. Quite lovely. Taste is caramel, burnt sugar, coffee, nougat, hazelnuts, grains, brown bread, biscuits and hints of maple syrup, herbs and pine. Medium to full body, medium carbonation. A lovely autumn beer concept, this brown ale with coffee. Almost weird that so few breweries seem to have come up with the idea, at least around these parts of the woods (Norway). Very tasty indeed, perhaps the best from 8 Wired so far for me.
3.8 great coffee nose - deep and rich. Flavor is pretty sweet, not overly so, but lacking a little depth. Definitely an enjoyable brew if you love coffee.
3.5 Pours a clear dark amber with a tan head. Caramel, toffee, and coffee nose. Soft mouth feel that becomes slightly astringent at the finish. A lot more coffee in the flavor than is observed in the nose. Some caramel and toffee underneath.
3.3 Bottle. shared at Ale House, Chelmsford. A cheddar and smokey aroma. Quite malty. Hazelnut, chestnut brown. I will have to try this one again. I think it had too much Crystal and Pacific Jade is my least favourite New Zealand hop.
3.7 Stor fet krona, inte hel vit, grumlig, dumle färg, kaffe & choklad, doft, mycket fin kaffe karamell, kaffe bitter finish
3.5 Rich, coffee and espresso notes, light bitterness. Pours a dark, opaque brown with a thick beige head that dies to a thin cap leaving some splotchy lacing. The nose is rich, roasty and nutty with a light toffee malt. Coffee and french roast espresso. Complex but well balanced with light bitterness, mild sweetness.
3.5 500ml bottle pours a deep amber color with a generous light beige head that leaves some decent lacing on the glass. Aroma is coffee and roasted grains with some chocolate notes. Taste is a coffee and roasted grain bitterness with a chocolate malty sweetness. Medium bodied with decent carbonation. Overall, a well crafted brew with a nice balance of bitter and sweet. Recommended.
3.9 Medium brown hue. Burnt toffee nose with molasses. Sweet with plenty of chocolate & a hint of coffee. Quite a bitter end too. Lovely. Rated by BrewTom
4.6 Poured from bottle. Pours like a typical brown ale. Doesn’t retain a lot of head. Smell - Loads of coffee! I really like the smell of the coffee, you can tell its gonna be good. Taste - wow! Who would have thought a coffee brown ale, could have as much depth as a stout. This is a great beer. Taste follows the nose beautifully. It’s a little thin on the palate, but it’s a brown ale, not a stout, so that’s expected. If you’re a coffee lover, you’ll love this. I put this right up there with some of the top coffee stouts. So well balanced. You would never guess this is 8%, the alcohol is extremely well hidden. Highly recommend.