Tag Archives: burnt malt

Boris Russian Imperial Stout Cellared 1+ Year – Strange Fellows Brewing

by Mike

From Strange Fellows Brewing Company in East Vancouver comes their “Boris Russian Imperial Stout” the first ever bottled release from the brewery.  This beer was a collaboration with Brasserie Trois Dames from Switzerland brewed November 2014 and held in bourbon barrels until March 2016.  This bottle I opened in January 2017 which makes it 1 year and 2 months old since its bottling date.  The beer pours a black opaque colour with a brown head.  The aroma consists of roasted malts, ash, chocolate, toffee, vanilla and oak.  The flavour is of ash, burnt malts, roasted coffee, chocolate, toffee, vanilla, oak, bitterness and some alcohol.  The alcohol content comes in at 9.5%.  If you can find a bottle of this beer I would recommend picking it up as it is tasting really good right now.

Commercial Description:  Swift & Silent, owl glides through the dark, his screech believed to portend death & misfortune.  Some revere him as a messenger of the spirit world, an oracle of secret knowledge.  Inspired by owl’s omniscience this barrel-aged stout penetrates the inky depths of the soul, illuminating unseen truths.  A collaboration with Brasserie Trois Dams in Nov 2014, this was one of our very frist brews & has aged in Bourbon barrels ever since, developing a deep, dark, rich smoothness & leathery aroma.

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Kindling Breakfast Stout – Cannery Brewing

by Mike

From Cannery Brewing out of Penticton BC comes the “Kindling Breakfast Stout”.  Thanks to Chelsea of Brewtiful BC for trading me this bottle.  The beer pours an opaque black colour with a brown head.  The aroma consists of roasted malts, burnt coffee, chocolate, creamy notes and some ash.  The flavour is of roasted coffee, burnt malts, ash, chocolate, caramel, toffee, earth and bitterness.  The alcohol content comes in at 8% with an IBU of 60.  I think I would personally recommend this beer for brunch not breakfast but other than that this stuff is very solid!  This one will be on my shopping list for sure.

Commercial Description: Kindling is a Breakfast Stout and this is the latest beer in our Artisan Creations line. Small beginnings. An even smaller spark. Growing…. glowing, to light the soul, to warm the heart, to strengthen the hand. From small things, great things come.  Kindling is brewed with Red Beard Coffee, bittersweet chocolate and oats. It is available in 650ml bottles and on tap at select restaurants, in our taproom and for Growler fills. Design and illustration by Skyler Luke Punnett.

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Black Rye IPA – Bridge Brewing Company

by Mike

From Bridge Brewing out of North Vancouver comes their “Black Rye IPA”.  The beer pours a black opaque colour with a deep brown head.  The aroma consists of roasted malts, mild toasted rye and floral hops.  The flavour is of burnt malts, roasted coffee, rye, earth, resin, hint of fruit and a good hit of hops bitterness.  The alcohol content comes in at 5.8% with an IBU of 68.  This beer hits all the notes you would expect in a black IPA and would be a great choice for anyone looking for a Cascadian Dark Ale.

Commercial Description:  Bold, intense, roasty, bitter, huge citrus & pine notes.

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Darkness Russian Imperial Stout 2014 (Aged 1 Year) – Surly Brewing Co

by Mike

From Brooklyn Center Minnesota’s Surly Brewing Co comes their “Darkness” Russian Imperial Stout 2014.  The 2014 edition was barrel aged in High West Rye Whiskey barrels for 4-6 months.  To acquire a bottle of this beer you have to either attend the breweries event Darkness Days or be lucky enough to trade for a bottle (and I have never been to Minnesota)!  The beer poured an opaque black colour with a brown head.  The aroma consisted of chocolate, caramel, toffee, vanilla, oak, whiskey, sweetness and alcohol.  The flavour is of toffee, creamy milk chocolate, caramel, vanilla, burnt malts, earth, coffee, brown sugar, oak, whiskey with a boozy finish.  The alcohol content comes in at 10.3%.  The beer is worth the hype!  If I had the money and the time off I would have loved to go to Minnesota for the Darkness days this year on October 24th, 2015.  This is one huge beer in flavour and in alcohol content and I would love to drink it again if somehow possible.

Commercial Description:  The legendary Harpy tortured unwary travelers by stealing their precious food and drink.  This year’s cruel creature defends her cauldron of Darkness with razor claws and a dead stare of malevolence.  Don’t mess with her Darkness.  She’s hoarding this massively opaque barrel aged Stout screaming with notes of chocolate, coffee, dried tart cherries, vanilla, rye Whisky and raisins.  The thick body of this Russian Imperial Stout finishes sweet, with a piney resinous hop character.  Dar if you will to open this bottle and steal from the imagination of our 2014 Darkness artist, Erica Williams.

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Photo from Erica Williams website

Video From Surly Brewing on Darkness Days

Skye Black – Isle of Skye Brewing

by Mike

From the Isle of Skye Brewing Co in Scotland comes their “Skye Black” a scottish ale. The beer pours a deep brown with ruby tinges and a tan head. The aroma is of roasty malts, coffee, sweetness and a hint of earth. The flavour is of burnt malts, coffee, chocolate, mild ash, some fruit notes, honey and a hint of bitterness. The alcohol content comes in at 4.5% with an IBU of 18. This was a very enjoyable beer and I was glad my Mom brought it back for the UK.

Commercial Description:  The colour comes from dark roasted barley, balanced with just the right amount of sweet, rolled oatmeal. We mill both right here in the brewery, giving us complete control over flavour and freshness. The true taste of malt shines through, balanced by the sweetness of pure Scottish heather honey.

Food pairing as per brewery:  Smoked Meats, Venison, Game, Oysters, Mussels, Chocolate/Coffee Desserts; Cheese – Soft, Creamy, Crowdie, Brie

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