How about another addition of #Beersaturday.
Its a new month since my last post (not really, but close) and that means it's time for a new batch of beers to showcase. This time around we have a new flavor profile as well - exciting!
Fall is my kind of season for beer. In the summer there were a lot of golden lagers on the store shelves but not a lot of dark beers. The fall season has brought out all of the Stouts and English Browns though and that is great for me because I love a good Stout. So let's take a look at a few beers I found on my recent trip to the beer store, starting with my favorite of the lot...
St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
Brewery: Mcauslan Brewing Co.
Origin: Quebec Canada
Style: Oatmeal Stout
Hops: Cascade, Willamette, Golding
Abv: 5.0%
IBU: 45
Marketing: Black and red colored can. Simple classic looking brand logo.
Color: Ink black beer with a hearty mocha colored head that lasts.
Nose: Roasted notes. Cocoa. Mild smoke in the background.
Taste Dry with a Pronounced bitterness. Mild tanginess. Cocoa. Smoke. Dark chocolate. Subtle dark fruit (prune).
Texture: Sharp bubbles. Hearty carbonation. Full bodied with a weightiness on the tongue. Smooth an velvety mouthfeel underneath the carbonation.
Impression: I've had this beer many times before and it has always been one of my favorite stouts. It tends to come out around this time of year, in the fall and into winter. I always try and snag a few cans from the store while its out. I believe that the brewery smokes the grains to give it its distinct smoky aroma and taste. The smoke isn't overpowering though as some smoked beers can be. It's a very bitter beer so if that's not your thing then you likely wouldn't enjoy it but it's complex and very enjoyable to me. It one of those beers that changes as you drink it as well. More aromas and flavors come out as it warms to room temperature. It's a great beer all around.
10W30
Brewery: Neustadt Springs Brewery
Style: English Brown Ale
Origin: Ontario Canada
Abv: 5.5%
Marketing: Engine oil name with a can design to mimick and oil can. Clever in its branding.
Color: Dark brown almost black, with a thin flimsy tan colored head that dissipated quickly.
Nose: Malty sweet aroma. There was a fruitiness that came through as the beer reached room temperature.
Taste: Starts sweet and finishes bitter. Slight metalic taste to it.
Texture: Sharp bubbles, medium bodied.
Impression: This beer was okay. That strange metallic taste coming through was unpleasant to me. Metal is a new taste that I'm noticing in just a few beers. I'm not sure what the cause is but I noticed it in a can of Newcastle Brown a little while ago as well. I didn't care for that beer either.
Nut Brown Ale
Brewery: Silversmith Brewing Co.
Origin: Ontario Canada
Style: English/American Brown
Abv: 5.0%
IBU: 24
Marketing: Brown can with contrasting turquoise coloring, Squirrel images nod to the nutty aspect of this Nut Brown Ale. Similar can branding to the brewery's other beers.
Color: Rich dark brown coloring with a flimsy head of bubbles that dissipated quickly.
Nose: Malty aroma. Very pleasant.
At first I got the distasteful smell of stale beer like what you get when drinking a lot of premium domestic brands, but I think it was from the can itself. I didn't notice it in the glass when I moved it away from the can. Perhaps another beer exploded in store and the can was sprayed?
Taste: Mildly sweet in the begining gently fading into a mild dry bitterness. Very well balanced. Fresh tasting.
Texture: Small sharp bubbles on the tongue. Nicely carbonated. Medium bodied mouthfeel.
Impression: Excellent beer. Every beer that I try from this Brewery has been excellent so far. I'm to the point where I would try any beer that they produce. They tend to be very fresh tasting, flavorful and well balanced and this one is no exception. I would definitely buy it again.
Charcoal Porter
Notice my attempt at a new background to showcase the beer - a wooden cutting board to hold the beer with another turned on its edge to create a wood background...
Brewery: Innocente Brewery Co.
Origin: Ontario Canada
Abv: 5.1%
Marketing: Simple color scheme with simple imagery. Not exciting nor boring. Canadian Brewing Award Gold Medal showcased on the back of the can.
Color: Opaque ink black liquid with a mocha colored head.
Nose: Roasted notes, chocolate, coffee.
Taste: Roasted malt, cocoa, and a strong bitter finish that lasts and lasts.
Texture: Micro-bubble texture and smooth underneath.
Impression: Quite good. Tasted like a decent Stout beer, which I like. Didn't stand out as anything special but I would buy it again.