Much to my detriment, I missed last weeks #Beersaturday. This week I won't make that mistake though. I've got a review of two more Stout beers that I drank over the past few days. In my last beer post I also forgot to include a photo of a new batch of beers that I picked up at the liquor store (photo above). It was a good haul that day with a lot of new brews to try. It's always exciting when I see something different at the store that I've never tried. Let's check out what I had, shall we? Here we go.
Cobblestone Stout
Okay this one is not new. I've drank it many times before. Its a throw back, but a really good one. I can't drink a beer without posting about it. It's for Hive after all!
Brewery: Mill street Brewery
Origin: Toronto ON Canada
Style: Nitro Stout
Abv: 4.2%
IBU: Unknown
SRM: Unknown
Marketing: The can was black with bold white lettering and the red Mill Street Logo displayed prominantly. Earthy toned yellow and browns complete the color scheme of the can with a grain wagon design image.
It definitely has a agriculture farm vibe about it, which is common for beer can designs in Canada. It's either farming and agriculture or lake side cottage and forest for design choices. That's it - pretty much it seems. But I like it so it's fine.
Color: The beer poured black with a thick mocha colored head on top made up of tiny micro bubbles from the nitro. The liquid was solid opaque and did not let any light through.
Nose: Malty sour mash aroma with strong roasted notes - smoke, leather and coffee. Standard Stout aroma ✔️
Taste: Somewhat dry, mildly sour (not as sour as Guinness Draught) with a nice bitterness in the finish to round it all out. Great flavor. Fresh tasting.
Texture: Pleasant mouthfeel with fizzy micro bubbles and a smooth texture underneath. Medium bodied in my opinion.
Impression: This is a great nitro Stout and easily as good as Guinness, maybe even better in my opinion. Defintly close between the two brands. One day I'd like to do a side by side comparison to see which is better. A future post maybe? This one could be so good because it's more local and therefore maybe more fresh? Or maybe its the recipe. Nonetheless, this is a great nitro beer. I buy it regularly.
Péché Mortel
Brewery: Dieu Du Ciel Microbrasserie
Origin: Saint Jerome Quebec Canada
Style: Flavored Imperial Stout
Abv: 9.5%
IBU: Unknown
SRM: Unknown
Marketing: The can was bold and colorful. Contrasting red, yellow and green color scheme. Fire blowing snake wrapped around a chalice design image is almost biblical in a way. It's an intriguing looking can. I like it a lot.
Color: The beer poured as black as it comes, with a frothy bubbly head of mocha colored foam on top. Appetizing.
The head lasted quite a while and left some nice ribbons on the sides of the glass.
Nose: A strong sweet and fragrant aroma. Fruity. Roasted notes and coffee.
Taste: Strong lingering bitterness, dry, with some subtle tanginess as well. Notes of dark fruit, prunes, and roasted coffee. Very quintessential Imperial Stout taste but way over on the bitter side of the spectrum. Subtle alcohol taste which is not surprising given the high 9.5% abv.
Texture: Nice carbonation, small prickly micro bubbles and a silky texture underneath it all. A weighty, full-bodied mouthfeel.
Impression: This one was a little too much for me. It went a little too far into the bitter side of the spectrum to the point that it was too much. It actually almost turned my stomach in that sort of borderline way. I've had many other Imperial Stouts and often enjoy them quite a bit for their strong flavor. This one just wasn't balanced enough. It reminded me of this time when I was a kid and found unsweetened bakers chocolate in the cupboard. I thought that I had made a huge score that day only to find out that unsweetened bakers chocolate is basically inedible as is. In my opinion this beer needs a little sweetness, or something, just to round it out.