Every week we’ll be posting tasting notes from our Friday Staff Tasting, providing you with our take on all the latest craft beer arrivals. This week we have mostly big beers as befits the season. This is the time of year for hefty sippers like imperial stouts and barley wines. These are beers you can drink now or cellar for a year or two.
Main St Westminster Brown 6% 650ml (Vancouver)
Pours a deep mahogany red-brown colour. Notes of smoke, cocoa dust and a hint of fruit on the nose. Notes of charred marshmallow and smoke on the palate. Nice sweet/smoky balance with a substantial bitter finish. A unique-tasting brown ale.
Main St. Session IPA 4.8% 650ml (Vancouver)
Pours an orange-yellow colour. The nose is an exotic combination of cannabis, pine and tropical fruit notes. It’s very dry on the palate with notes of grapefruit seed, a little pineapple and cannabis. Very bitter on the finish. Dry, drinkable and light-bodied.
Hale’s Supergoose IPA 7% 650ml (Seattle)
Pours an orangish colour. Very malt heavy on the nose with some subtle notes of citrus and mint. A little sweet on the palate up front with with notes of fruit candy combined with a bitter finish. Nicely carbonated.
No-Li Wrecking Ball Imperial Stout 9.5% 650ml (Spokane)
Pours a deep dark chocolate brown colour. Robust notes of chocolate and fruit on the nose. It’s sweet, chocolatey and smoky on the palate with a heap of hops on the finish. Creamy mouthfeel, excellent carbonations.Two Rufus Paws Up from: Glenn, David, Paul and Ayja
4 Mile Bourbon Barrel-Aged English Strong Ale 9% (Victoria)
Pours a chestnut brown colour. Rich notes of booze, raisins, brown sugar and coconut on the nose. It’s somewhat wine-like on the palate with sweet notes of macerated cherries, coconut and marzipan. Perfect cold-weather sipper.
Persephone Barley Wine 11.9% 650ml (Gibsons)
Pours a deep mahogany red-brown colour. Nice luscious notes of banana, figs and dried fruit on the nose. Very similar on the palate, with sweet notes of coconut and booze, as well. It’s a little hot now, but should smooth out with some cellaring. Two Rufus Paws Up from: Megan and Adem