8 Wired The Big Smoke
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.
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.
3.6
448 reviews
Warkworth, New Zealand
Community reviews
Rami Rami is drinking a Big Smoke by 8 Wired Brewing Co. at Mikkeller Bar Warsaw
Wedzonka ogniskowo-oscypkowa nie zaglusza porterowych nutek, czuc taka kawe mocno zaparzona i mocno palona, troszke owocow. Jest ok+, smukly, wytrawny
Bottle. This is a burly porter with loads of smoke on the nose. Tastes of wood smoke, jerky, and leather. Well done.
330 ml bottle from Ales & Lagers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Appearance is dark brown black, with a good two fingers of very persistent and dense, tan froth. Aroma is smoky, roasted malts, charred wood ... and some dried longans as well! Taste is dominated by the silliness and char of the Beechwood smoked malts, roasty, light bitter. Body is a bit medium to light, but the flavour carries it through well.
Lubie wedzonki i mozna to tez znalezc w tym piwie jednak ze nie podeszlo mi ono wogole. Jest w moim odczuciu cos co zabralo cala przyjemnosc z degustacji.
Smoke and roasted malt on the nose. Rich, malty and bitter taste with hints of coffee and liquorice. Bitter roasty aftertaste.
330ml bottle. Pours with a black body and a sparse tan head. Aroma-taste of coffee, chocolate, wood and smoke, with a balanced body and a bitter finish. Medium bodied with modest carbonation. Nice.
Bottle from Beer Hawk. Black and Tan with a chipotle aroma. Very smoky, chocolate and chipotle. A solid smoked porter.
Klares Rotbraun mit durchschnittlicher Schaumkrone. Malzig, rauchig, Speck, Röstaromen, dunkle Schokolade, holzig, sehr süffig.
I love a good rauchbier. I love a good porter. This was destined to go down well. Lots of smoke on the nose and in the taste. Not too much though. That goes well with the roasted coffee in the malt and then the dark chocolate too. Quite light in the mouth. Well done.
Bottle. Color: Almost black, light brown head. Taste: Smooth combination of roasted malt with a decent amount of smoke, notes of caramel, wood and hop. Hints of chocolate, red fruit and bacon. Medium body, soft carbonation. Nice smoky bittery finish. Could have had a little more body, but still a very enjoyable beer.
Tap @Wildbeer, Whapping Wharf, Bristol. Small off-white head, dark brown colour, clear. Aroma: smoked plums, oak, old timber. Lightly bitter, full body, long finish, average carbonation. Interesting and nicely balanced.
PREZENTACJA:
czarne, piana jest bardzo obfita, szybko się dziurawi, opada do warstewki z kołnierzykiem, oblepia szkło bogatą, misterną firanką;
AROMAT:
subtelnej wędzonce towarzyszy prawie tłumiąca ją dziwna metaliczność na kształt mokrej rdzy;
ODCZUCIE:
ciało średnie, nisko nasycone, leciutko ściągające;
SMAK:
szynkowo-serowa wędzonka, paloność, żelazo, czekoladowo-popiołowa goryczka, kakaowy posmak;
OGÓLNIE:
nie przemawia do mnie to piwo; wyraźna obecność metalu w aromacie i smaku bardzo negatywnie je piętnuje.
330ml bottle. Pours black, medium off-white head. Nice rauch aroma. Taste is crisp, smoky, lightly meaty, some choc, smooth. Tasty.
Pours black, nice off-white head, some lacing. Aroma of smoked malts, that reminds of bacon, chocolate. Tastes moderately bitter, with roasted dark malts, chocolate, smoke, bacon. Rich, smooth and very easy to drink, medium-light body, soft carbonation, long finish. Very good, made me crave for bacon!
Bottle. Poured a black color with an off white head. Smoked meat, chocolate, roast, and coffee in the finish.
330 ml bottle bought at YATA in YOHO Mall, Yuen Long.
Looks: Clear deep Cola brown colour; Half finger head with soapy beige foam which fades in 40 seconds; Very Good sticky lacing with zero carbonation.
Aroma: Fragrant smoked malt, with moderate bacon, light smoke, light ashes, milk chocolate, coffee, cream, caramel, sticky toffee, floral, icing sugar, spices, earth, bread, lemon and grass.
Taste: Close to medium sweet dark malt, with black coffee, dark chocolates, Cola, toast, caramel, toffee, floral, fair molasses, spices, strong herbs, earth, biscuits, lemon, mid to strong bitter hops and strawy grass.
Body: Medium body; Quite dry and slick palate.
Mouth Feel: Full dark maltyness in a solid, slightly oily background. Smokiness or toastyness is not apparent but has strong clack coffee and dark chocolates. Strong caramel and toffee with floral and fair sweetness. Strong herbal tea and earthy spices with lemon to round. Mild and okay.
Hoppiness: Floral, spices, earth, lemon and grass in nose, same in taste but with strong herbs; Bitterness is fairly strong for a lasting, close to high astringent bitter-sweet dark malty finish.
After Taste: Quite dry. Strong herbal and bitter to mouth.
Comments: This one isn't as strong as I expected, as the bacon aroma is timid, and its taste is typical Stout-like coffee and chocolate without much smokey and toasty characters, although the strong herbal hoppy ending saved the day. Very good as a Porter / Stout, but unimpressive as a smoked beer. Once is enough.
I got a hankering for smoked venison while drinking this. Big & bold, sit around a campfire with a plate of salami and chew on this
Bottle from beer shop. Dark brown, beige small head. Nice smoky flavor add to a lovely smooth porter. Nice
33cl bottle @Cimmeria, Oviedo. 03-08-2017.
BBD: 04-08-2018. Batch: 107.
In short: smoked porter.
Did I enjoy it: yes.
Pours black with nice tan head. Moderate head retention, some good lacing. Smoked nose, roasty. Medium body, average carbonation, slick texture. Taste is smoked, roasty, quite robust for the ABV stated. Very enjoyable.
Black pour with a thin light tan head. Nice interesting smokey nose that’s earthy and slightly meaty, like salami or something, with a hint of roasted cocoa and slight wood tones. Smooth flavor that’s got a gentle sweet cocoa tone with light smoke and roasty woody nuances. Dryish and roasty and flavorful without being too tobacco-ish or meaty.
Color negro con reflejos rojizos si le da la luz y capa de espuma marrón de tres dedos de grosor (burbujas amplias de rápida formación y no mucha retención). Carbonatación media. Textura oleosa. Aroma predominantemente ahumado, decir que huele poca es una insensatez. Malta torrefacta también presente, pero por debajo del potente ahumado. Sabor torrefacto y ahumado, con toques ligeros de cacao y final ahumado de larga duración. Unidimensional pero muy rica.
Cola black beer with beige coloured head on top, beige coloured head and it leaves beautiful lacing to the sides of the glass. Aroma has smoke, ham, roasted malts. Taste is oh noes so watery. Slight smoke, mostly roasted malts, and maybe coffee but way too light. Lightish body for a 6,2% beer. Medium carbonation. Smoke wasn’t evident until the end.
500ml bottle at restaurant. Black aroma with strong chocolate smell. Smoked flavour with mild bittness. Finish with coffee taste. A really good beer to try.
Schinken, Gott erhalts. Extrem verraucht und mit süffigen Gesamtkonzept. Solider Smoker :)... Probuierschluck for free. BREWDOG BERLIN: Fass.
500ml bottle from Trusts Liquor.
Black/dark brown aroma with sudsy tan head.
Aroma is that same artificial Elastoplast/plastic smoked character.
Also chocolate malt behind it.
Mild bitterness with more chocolate malt and smooth finish.
Good.
Very brown with rubin lights. Foam nice delicate.
Aroma: Sweet, roasted, raisins, wooden smoke. hoppy
Taste: Smokey, wooden in aftertaste also, litte sour. Little biterness 3,5/10. tannin, beacon, ashy. Nice mouthfeel, dry. No defects.
Very saison beer. Good for seafood.
Very dark brown color, almost black with a light tan head, good retention and nice lacework. Aroma is roasty with light smoky notes. In the mouth the smokiness has more presence, good maltiness, roasted notes as well with chocolate hints. Roasty final with dry mouthfeel.
Tap at DeWildeman, 16th February 16. Pours black, nice head, looks good. Aroma is cocoa, smoke, slight peat. Taste is smooth, milk and dark chocolate, smoke, slight peat, satisfying stuff.
Keg at Brewdog Shepherds Bush, London. A black coloured pour with a medium beige head on top. Aroma of smoke, malt and chocolate. Tastes rather similar, smoky, malty, chocolate, some dark fruit lurking too. Nice smoked number from 8 Wired.
Bottle. Darkest brown color with thin but stable beige head. Aroma is smoked, chalk, ash. Taste is smoked, ham, umami, a bit metallic, chocolate. Medium carbonation. Nice, but there’s better Smoked Porters.