I have two very different dark beers to review for this week's #Beersaturday. I hope you enjoy!
Wellington Imperial Stout
Brewery: Wellington Brewery, est 1985
Origin: Guelph ON Canada
Style: Imperial Stout
Abv: 8.0%
IBU: Unknown
SRM: Unknown
Marketing: The can is an amber color with white lettering and the Wellington Brewery brand logo dominating the front and center.
The front and back of the can are the same and three Ontario Brewing Awards are displayed subtly (a silver and two bronze for the imperial stout and American porter categories respectively).
Color: The beer poured as back as an ink, thick and murky with no light able to penetrate it. A robust head of mocha colored foam rests on top with a thin layer remaining for duration of consumption.
Nose: Strong aroma of chocolate and dark fruit. Roasted notes as well.
Taste: Quite sweet and tangy at first followed by a strong strong bitter finish to balance it all out. The finish coats the tongue and is long lasting. The taste of alcohol is present, which is almost expected from an 8%. Roasted notes, dark bitter chocolate and dark fruit - prunes and maybe some subtle grape must.
Texture: Strong carbonation with a velvety feel underneath. A weighty, full bodied mouthfeel.
Impression: This is a beer that I drink maybe once per year around this time. Its a winter beer through and through. Its "rich, dark and complex" just as the can suggests. Like most imperial stouts, I like this one in moderation. It would be too much to drink more than one in a single sitting, but damn good as a single. I'm now satisfied for this year, and will revisit again next winter.
Lagershed Dark
Brewery: Shawn and Ed Brewing Co
Origin: Dundas ON Canada
Style: Dark Lager
Abv: 5.5%
IBU: Unknown
SRM: Unknown
Marketing: Black and white banner color scheme with red accents. Bold typeface and no real image in the design. The back does actually have an anvil, so I suppose that counts.
Also, the blurb on the back of the can tells the brief tale about how the brewery came to be. Incorporating the name SHED into the name of the beer is clever - Shawn + Ed = SHED. I find the can to be pretty boring actually but I did like the effect of it having an opposite reverse appearance to the beer when it's sitting next to it. The can had a white bottom and black top whereas the beer had a black bottom and tan top.
Color: The beer poured a dark chestnut brown color with a thick tan colored foam on top. The liquid was clear and filtered with a brown hue around the edges where the light penetrates the glass.
Nose: The aroma is equally malty and hoppy but smells more like a golden lager than anything else. I got grassy notes and a distinct toasted aroma, maybe biscuit and toffee. No strong roasted notes despite the color of the beer which was somewhat surprising.
Taste: A surprisingly large punch of flavor on first sip. Mildly sweet and tart upfront with a good amount of bitterness in the finish to balance it. I'd actually say that its more bitter than anything else but not over powering by any means.
Texture: Small bubbles give the beer a smooth and soft mouthfeel. It felt light to maybe medium bodied to me.
Impression: This was a pretty good beer overall. I liked it quite a bit. It wasn't like a stout by any means but I thought that it had a lot of flavor. I would do this one again.