Big Rock Brewery Birch Bark Canadian Imperial Stout Russian Imperial Stout at 8.5% ABV (C$6.99 at South Trail Calgary Co-Op, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)
Appearance: hazy deep brown with a little particulate, one finger of medium dense light tan head, good retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: dark roasty malt, slightly milky chocolate, nutty, woody, light floral and citrus. (6/10) Taste: moderately strong sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Full body tending a little to the thin, moderate carbonation, moderately bitter warming finish. (3/5)
I initially waffled on this one – is there a solvent edge or not? First I thought I smelled a little something, but it didn’t come through on the taste. But as it warmed, something odd happened: the edge got more pronounced, both on the nose and the tongue. I usually find RIS’s go in the other direction: any imperfections eventually get hidden by the numbing effects of the high ABV. Perhaps this is because this one is “only” 8.5%, and so barely a “real” RIS at all? Or perhaps it’s the birch. Actually, yeah, I think it’s the birch. I actually had a birch wine, once… (shudder) This isn’t bad, mind you – there’s actually a little not-unwelcome floral and citrus hop character, which is a pleasant departure from the norm. A decent enough first try at the style, I guess, and an interesting flavour variation, but not one for the ages. (12/20)
6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
