Tag Archives: chocolate

Strong Patrick – Beau’s All Natural Brewing

by Mike

From Beau’s All Natural Brewing in Vankleek Hill Ontario comes their “Strong Patrick” an Irish-style Red Ale.  The beer pours a deep copper colour with a beige head.  The aroma consists of mild roasted malts, caramel, hint of chocolate and sweetness.  The flavour is of chocolate, caramel, earth, mild roasted malts, hint of oak and whiskey and sweetness.  The alcohol content comes in at 6.7% with an IBU of 24.  Not all Irish-style Red Ales are made the same but this one is definitely a really enjoyable sipper.

Commercial Description:  Strong Patrick is a bold rendition of an Irish-style red ale. Brewed stronger than most, it is luscious and malty, with toasty caramel and coffee. A portion of the ale has been aged in Jameson® Irish Whiskey casks, then reintroduced to add a rich accent of wood and warmth to this year’s blend.

Food Pairing as per brewery:  Traditional style lamb stew, shepherd’s pie, firm goat cheese, warm corned beef with steamed root vegetables, gingerbread with applesauce, shortbread.

Mélange à Trois (Fellowship 2017) – Strange Fellows Brewing

by Mike

From Strange Fellows Brewing in Vancouver comes their fourth of four beer of 2017 in their Fellowship Club the “Mélange à Trois” a barrel aged Brett Bruin.  The beer pours a deep reddish brown with a tan head.  The aroma consists of brett funk, mild fruit, berries, malt, oak, chocolate and caramel.  The flavour is of brett funk, sour, caramel, toffee, chocolate, roasted malts, smoke, oak, leather, earth, bitterness and citrus rind.  The alcohol content comes in at 6.5%.  Not the standard Bruin but it is a really good brew and I look forward to the 2018 Fellowship.

Barrel Aged American Style Barley Wine – Main Street Brewing

by Mike

From Main Street Brewing in Vancouver comes their “Barrel Aged American Style Barley Wine” a Winter 2017 Vintage.  The beer pours a very murky brown colour with a white head.  The aroma consists of dark fruits, toffee, resin, sweetness and a floral finish.  The flavour is of roasted malts, caramel, toffee, chocolate, dark fruits, resin, earth, oak and bitterness.  The alcohol content comes in at 10.5% with an IBU of 80.  This Barely Wine seemed to be a bit of a hybrid style as the bitterness was to low to be an American Barley Wine.  It was not really what I was expecting but I did quite enjoy it none the less.

Wintervention (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Chocolate Imperial Stout) – Garrison Brewing

by Mike

From Halifax Nova Scotia’s Garrison Brewing comes their “Wintervention” a Bourbon Barrel-Aged Chocolate Imperial Stout.  The beer pours a black close to opaque with a brown head.  The aroma consists of chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, toffee and oak.  The flavour is of chocolate, toffee, treacle, coffee, vanilla, bourbon, oak, roasted malts, ash, bitterness and resin.  The alcohol content comes in at 11.5%.  Garrison Brewing does some amazing things and this one ranks up there with some of their best beer.

Commercial Description:  With 11 months in Bourbon barrels, we’re taking this Wintervention to the next level! The time spent in the Bourbon barrels give this brew a deliciously complex flavour. Rich bittersweet chocolate aromatics with cherry and vanilla underneath. Layers of chocolate fudge, coffee, malted milk balls and molasses flavours with a bittersweet chocolate finish.

Dark Side Russian Imperial Stout (Cellared 1 Year) – Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks

by Mike

From Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks in Richmond comes their “Dark Side Russian Imperial Stout” from the December 2016 Vintage a beer I have had in my cellar for a year.  The beer pours an opaque black with a brown head.  The aroma consists of roasted malts, chocolate, pine and some floral hops.  The flavour is of roasted malts, chocolate, earth, ash, caramel, toffee, pine, resin and alcohol with bitterness in the finish.  The alcohol content comes in at 9.9% with an IBU of 40.  I wish this was not my last bottle in my cellar as it was really tasty and had aged well loosing its almost Imperial Black IPA notes.