The Big Smoke by 8 Wired Brewing Company
When I think of New Zealand, I think of the great locations they used to film the Lord Of The Rings movies. I also think of Flight Of The Conchords, a very funny show that used to be on HBO. The main characters, Bret and Jemaine are from New Zealand. So when I saw my local beer store had a brew from New Zealand, I knew I just had to try it. I knew it was business time (Flight Of The Conchords reference)!
Beer #117 is that beer and it is named The Big Smoke. It is brewed by 8 Wired Brewing Company hailing from New Zealand in the style of a Smoked Beer. The ABV of this is 6.2%.
Black was the color, nonexistent was the head. The nose consisted of chocolate malts with a hint of smoke. I have to be honest, on smell alone my mouth was watering. The taste was strong roasted coffee and dark bitter chocolate with a really nice smokiness going on. The smokiness followed through in the aftertaste along with a nice chocolate flavor. It had a body that wasn’t light or medium but somewhere in between. It was nice and smooth with some moderate carbonation. Super drinkable to me, I could enjoy this all night long. I wish I had another bomber or three on hand.
It seems like it has been a long time since I have had a Kingly brew but I’m happy to say this beer was one indeed. This was a fantastic beer and a great way to finish off the week. The only thing that held it back slightly for me was that I wish it had a heavier smoky presence. Still, you can’t go wrong with this porter… it was absolutely delicious and a beer I think Bret and Jemaine of the Conchords would be proud of. Murray would also approve.
Rating: A
