CHERRY CHOCOLATE STOUT ~ STACK

6.9% from Sudbury, Ontario

This stout is brewed with organic cocao nibs and cherries Sampled on draught this stour poured almost black with a generous beige head. The aroma had notes of dark chocolate, charred malts, and cherry. The flavour was slightly tart with lots of dark roasted malts, chocolate and cherry. The finish had a bitter charred quality to it. Unlike other chocolate fruit stouts, this one retains more of its stout qualities. The mouthfeel was medium and the carbonation was quite soft. Nicely balanced, not over done, very pleasant.

RASPBEERY COCO LAIT ~ MUSKOKA

4.5% from Bracebridge, Ontario 25 IBU

Raspbeery Coco Lait the Moonlight Kettle offering for Febrewary. It is milk stout with chocolate and raspberry. Sampled on draught the stout poured an opaque deep brown black pour with a creamy beige head and some nice lacing. The aroma contained notes of raspberry, roasted malts, and chocolate. The taste was beautiful, the raspberries make an appearance but the brew still retains its ‘stoutness.’ Notes of raspberry and chocolate provides a nice contrast to the roasted malts. The carbonation is soft, providing a creamy mouth feel. I think this is nicely balanced stout, best drunk after dinner in lieu of a dessert. Well done Muskoka!

DEAD STICK STOUT ~ BARNSTORMER

5.9% from Barrie, Ontario 24 IBU

Dead Stick is a milk stout. Sampled on draught the beer poured an opaque brown-black pour, with a lasting creamy dense beige head. Lacing was on the thin side. The nose was a melange of roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, fruit and some sweetness. The flavour followed suit, with lactic sweetness, coffee, chocolate, roasted malts and a little hop bitterness at the end. The body was medium with a creamy mouthfeel and low carbonation. A smooth stout. Quite drinkable, I would order this again.

EVENT HORIZEN ~ HALO

This interesting brew is a Stout with Sarsaparilla, one of the main flavours of root beer. Sampled on draught, the beer poured an opaque very dark ebony with a thin mocha beige head. The nose had notes of chocolate, sweet sarsaparilla, dark malts , and perhaps a bit of vanilla. Chocolate, caramel sweetness, herbal sarsaparilla, roasted malts and coffee round out the taste. It is like drinking a creamy root beer. I prefer this to the ‘hard’ root beers that I have sampled. I will admit, root beer is my guilty pleasure, so I really liked this one, but sparingly. It has a medium to full body, and average carbonation. This is a whimsical brew, recommended to root beer lovers.
Malts: Maris Otter, Flaked Barley, Roasted Barley, Chocolate, Flaked Oats, Crystal Dark, Black
Hops: Northern Brewer, Willamette
Yeast: London III Ale
6% from Toronto, Ontario 30 IBU

Photo courtesy of Halo Brewing

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHERRY STOUT ~ BLACK OAK

5.8% from Toronto (Etobicoke), Ontario

Sampled on draught, this stout poured an opaque black-brown with a small-beige head, that didn’t stick around, but did recede into a cap and collar and left impressive lacing. The nose contained notes of chocolate, roasted malts, sweetness, smoke and a tiny bit of tart fresh cherry. The flavour has lots of cocoa and chocolate along with roasted malts, lactic sweetness and a hint of cherry and smoke. The finish has some hop bitterness along with more of the cherry.The stout is medium bodied, with medium-soft carbonation, and a smooth creamy mouthfeel. This stout is not too heavy, or too bitter, or too sweet or too fruity - just enough of everything. A very pleasant after dinner sipper.

PB & C STOUT ~ MUSKOKA

PB and C stout is the last Moonlight Kettle of the 2016 series. It is billed as having a Rich chocolate in the body with real peanut powder added, and a slight roasted coffee finish. Sampled on draught, the beer poured a very dark brown with a thin beige head. The nose contained notes of dark chocolate, roasted malts, coffee and the slightest hint of peanut butter. The flavour followed, mostly coffee with dark chocolate. The peanut butter flavour was very buried, and I was really looking forward to the Peanut butter. There was a nice balance of sweetness with bitterness of the coffee and dark chocolate. The body was light and the mouthfeel was a little on the thin side. A pleasant stout, but left me wanting more peanut butter.

5.5% from Bracebridge, Ontario  31 IBU

MILK RUN COFFEE STOUT ~ NORTHWINDS

Milk Run is a beautiful Coffee-milk stout, using local Collingwood roasters, Ashanti Coffee Estate. Sampled on draught the beer poured an opaque almost black with a generous tan head. The aroma has notes of coffee, chocolate, cocoa and roasted malts. The flavour is follows the nose with lots of coffee, chocolate notes with a touch of vanilla, lactic sweetness and dark fruit. The body is medium to full, the carbonation is soft and the mouthfeel is creamy. A beautifully crafted milk stout, a perfect way to end an evening.
5.6% from Collingwood, Ontario IBU 29
Malts: 2-Row, Maris Otter, Oats, Chocolate Malt, Carafa, Roasted Barley
Other ingredients: Ashanti Coffee, Lactose Sugar
Hops: Fuggles

100 STEPS STOUT ~ ROYAL CITY

100 Step Stout is a dry Irish style stout and is named for a local landmark (you guessed a 100 step outdoor staircase in Guelph, Ontario). Sampled on draught, the beer was an opaque brown-black with a loose, foamy brown-beige head. The aroma contained roasted malts, coffee, cocoa, smoke and a touch of dark fruits. The flavour followed the nose with notes of cocoa, slightly bitter roast, coffee, a subtle caramel malt sweetness, nuttinesss, touch of smoke and a hint of plums and dried currants. The body was medium light, carbonation was lazy and the mouthfeel was slightly creamy. A pleasant stout, serviceable and tasty.
5.2% from Guelph, Ontario 20 IBU.

FIEBRE DE CALABAZA ~ SAWDUST CITY 

Fiebre De Calabaza is one crazy brew! It is a sour Bourbon barrel fermented oatmeal stout with Mexican spices and pumpkin on nitro. Sampled on draught at Sawdust City’s Annual tap takeover, this stout poured a deep mahogany brown-black with a generous pillowy beige head. The nose contains a plethora of smells: sour, spice, smoke, pumpkin, fruit, roasted malts, chocolate…. The taste is as complex. The beer’s first impression is that of a sour stout, with vinous dark fruit. This is followed by roasted malts, chocolate and cocoa and woody notes from the barrel aging and then finishes with heat from the Mexican spices and habanero at the back of your throat. The body is medium and the carbonation was average to light. There is a lot going on here, this is definitely a beer for the adventurous. Interesting but I could not have more than one.
6.5% from Gravenhurst, Ontario 35 IBU

BLOOD OF CTHULHU (2016) ~ SAWDUST CITY BREWING

This season brew is a monster! Blood of Cthulhu has been rereleased for 2016 and is better than I remembered. The brew is an imperial stout that has been brewed with raspberries, cranberries and tart cherries, along with a ton of malt. Sampled from a pint on draught, this beer poured a deep ebony with a generous creamy dark tan head. The head had great retention and left beautiful lacing as it settled into a cap. The nose has lots of wasted and toasted malts, along with dark chocolate, and red berries. This beer was like a Black forest cake for adults, lots of chocolate and berry flavour, especially from the cherries. Mid palette the beer has a slightly acidic bite but finishes with a roasted bitterness and dark chocolate.. The body was medium full and the stout had a creamy thick mouthfeel. The carbonation was medium to soft. Be careful he 9% can creep up on you! A beautiful cold weather treat.

9.5% from Gravenhurst, Ontario

SWEETBACK’S ~ RAINHARD BREWING CO.

Sweetback’s is sweet milk stout that was awarded a Gold at the Ontario Brewing Awards 2016. Milk stouts (aka sweet stouts) got their name from the use of lactose in the brew (lactose is an unfermentable sugar). Sampled on draught they brew poured a, opaque black with hints of deep brown and a moderate beige head. The head had good retention before receding into a thick foamy cap and leaving nice lacing. The nose has notes of roasted malts, coffee, lactic sweetness and a touch of chocolate and smokiness. The taste was quite mild and sweet. There were notes of coffee, roasted malts and chocolate, complemented by creamy lactic sweetness. The mouthfeel was medium and creamy and the carbonation was soft. This was very approachable, nicely balanced milk stout. Not overly complex, but a lovely way to end an evening.
5.25% from Toronto, Ontario 25 IBU

GUINNESS DRAUGHT ~ GUINNESS

The first time I ever had Guinness (a very long time ago) I did not like it and avoided stouts for many years. It wasn’t until I had Dieu de Ciel!’s Aphrodisiaque that a new appreciation of the style began to develop. Sampled from a tin with a widget, (imported from Ireland) on a hot afternoon, the beer poured a dark brown-black, with a classic pillowy creamy beige head. The nose was quite mild with roasted barley/lightly charred toast, perhaps a little coffee, and a touch of malt. The taste was much lighter than I had remembered and followed the nose closely (mostly roasted malted barley and light hop bitterness). The beer is smooth and creamy, thanks to the nitro, but I still found it thin and watery. One of the best-known beers in the world – certainly not unpleasant, but doesn’t knock my socks off either.
4.2% from Dublin, Ireland

BLACK SOW’R STOUT ~ OAST HOUSE

This is a bit of a crazy and daring brew…I have never had anything quite like this before. This beer is a sour stout aged in red wine barrels! Sampled on draught the beer poured a very dark brown –black with almost no head. The nose had quite a lot of complexity: roasted malts, red wine, wood, tart acidity, and dark fruits. The taste is really busy with tons going on. The first sip was very sour – a really tart sour. Dark fruits, currants, raisins, chocolate, caramel, licorice and coffee then follow the sourness. The finish returns to tart. The sourness from the first sip fades a little and the complexity of flavours emerges as the beer warms. The carbonation is soft and the body is on the thin side. A very interesting and innovative brew, but I would not want more than one. I think I would like this more if accompanied by food, perhaps some creamy blue cheese or Brie.

5.5% from Niagara on the Lake, Ontario

UNDERCOVER BROTHER ~ BROTHERS AND BRIMSTONE BREWING

Undercover Brother is a collaboration between Ridgeway and Brothers brewing, it is a Golden Stout. It has a unique flavour and is definitely worth a try. The beer has been brewed with coffee, chai spice, lactose and chocolate. Sampled on draught the beer has an unfiltered golden blonde appearance with a small head. The nose contained hints of coffee, malts and chocolate and the UNEXPLAINABLE SMELL (I will mention later). I found this beer had really interesting flavours that morphed and changed as the pint disappeared. Chocolate and a rich earthiness were the first flavours I came across. Chai spice and caramel make an appearance, as does some tropical fruit near the end. The lactose lends a sweetness that lasts throughout. The finish is drying with hints of piny hops and warm tobacco. A truly unique brew, worth a try – and I have gone back for more.
6 % from Ridgeway, Ontario IBU 23

MYSTERY SMELL – Help – The finish of this beer has a unique taste. I have experienced this taste in a Black IPA and found it overpowering (and described as dusty garbage and rubber on second thought it may have a vegetable quality to it - possibly root vegetable like turnip?) This beer also contains hints of that flavour - what would a Golden stout and a Black IPA have in common? Any light anyone could share would be appreciated.

MIDNIGHT KISSED THE COW ~ BIG RIG

Midnight Kissed the Cow is a double chocolate milk stout out of our Nation’s capital. Sampled on draught the stout poured a very dark mahogany colour with mocha coloured head that left lovely lacing. The nose contained sweet chocolate, roasted malts, lactose, subtle coffee, vanilla and light hops. Chocolate was the dominant taste, with creamy notes (the beer is made with Belgian cocoa and sweet milk sugar). Light coffee, roasted malts and vanilla were also evident. Low bitterness and creamy mouthfeel finished the beer. A very pleasant full-bodied brew.

5.6% from Ottawa, Ontario 40 IBU

DÉESSE NOCTURNE ~ DIEU DE CIEL!

STOUT WEEK -
Déesse Nocturne (translates to 'night goddess') is a lesser known stout from Brassiere Dieu De Ciel. (Makers of Aphrodisiaque and Péché Mortel) Sampled on draught with nitro, the beer poured almost black with a dense off white head. Nice lacing was left as the foam receded. The aroma was intense blend dark roasted malt with hints of chocolate and a touch of coffee and smoke. There is no obvious bitterness on the nose. The stout is a dry (very similar to an Irish Stout) with little sweetness, lots of coffee, unsweetened cocoa and dark malts abound. A nice hop bitterness and tastes of burnt toast finish this quaff. The mouth feel is silky and smooth; the nitro gives it a compact head, but offers littler effervescence throughout. Another very drinkable, delicious offering from Dieu de Ciel.

5% from Montreal, Quebec

SWEET JESUS MOCHA MARSHMALLOW STOUT ~ LEFT FIELD BREWERY

STOUT WEEK - Sweet Jesus Mocha Marshmallow Stout is the newest offering from Left Field Brewery. It is brewed as a one-off and only available in the bottle store at the brewery and at select bars on cask. It is collaboration with dessert and coffee café, ‘Sweet Jesus.’ The beer was developed from a sweet stout recipe, with cocoa nibs and Brazilian coffee beans (from Sweet Jesus). The marshmallow was replicated by adding lactose during the process. Sampled from a bottle the beer poured a very deep brown with a cap of foam with good retention. Chocolate and coffee and roasted malts were dominant on the nose, and in the taste. The lactose was evident but not over done, giving it a sweet creaminess – but nowhere as sweet as the name may suggest. Notes of earthiness, smoke, and roasted malts were also evident. The marshmallow was very understated. Both the carbonation and the body were both squarely in the middle. Beautifully crafted and balanced, I would check this one out if you can.

6.5% from Toronto (east side), Ontario 30 IBU.

photo: Left Field Brewery

NOX AETERNA ~ BLACK OAK

STOUT WEEK - Nox Aeterna, which is Latin for ‘eternal light’, is a Smoked Oatmeal-breakfast stout. (though I know few who could 7% for breakfast) It is a limited release. Sampled on draught, the beer poured almost black. It let very little light through, and had only the slightest of ruby highlights. It had a moderate tan head., with good retention. A ring of foam lasted throughout the drink, leaving lacing down the glass. Carbonation was very hard to see due to the darkness of the brew. The bold aroma has smoke, coffee, roasted malts and chocolate notes. The stout was smooth and flavourful: coffee (hand roasted beans from Sense Appeal were used), smoke (from smoked malts), and chocolate played the dominant roles. The finish was dry with a little hop bitterness. The carbonation was moderate and the flavour was full bodied. Nicely balanced, quite delicious.

7.2% from Toronto (Etobicoke), Ontario

MIDNIGHT MASS CHICORY OATMEAL STOUT ~ BRIMSTONE 

STOUT WEEK - Brimstone is a small brewery in the Niagara region of Ontario and has done some pretty good beer in the past year. The brewery is in a church that had long lost its congregation; hence many of the beer names have a religious overtone. Sampled on draught this beer poured almost black with a deep khaki/dark tan head. The nose was dark roasted malts, fresh hops, and oatmeal, with hints of coffee, dried fruit and dark chocolate. The stout is quite full flavoured: coffee/chicory, chocolate, smoke all play their parts. The beer had a creamy texture and finished with a bitter dryness.

6.6% from Ridgeway, Ontario 35 IBU

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY STOUT ~ MUSKOKA

STOUT WEEK - This imperial stout was a seasonal offering from Muskoka. I love Muskoka’s Chocolate Cranberry Stout, it seem like they are expanding their fruit stout repertoire.
Sampled hand-pulled on cask. This beer poured an opaque almost black with ruby highlights. There was a small beige bubbly head that fades. Raspberry and chocolate danced on a boozy sherry like nose. The flavour had raspberry notes, with dark roosted malts, and chocolate. The beer was neither hoppy nor grainy. It was a beautiful dessert in a glass without being sweet or cloying. The beer had a smooth mouthfeel and was average bodied. A beautiful way to end the night.
8% from Collingwood, Ontario  25 IBU