Browns and Blacks: a new batch of beers

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How about another addition of #Beersaturday.

Its a new month since my last post (not really, but close) and that means it's time for a new batch of beers to showcase. This time around we have a new flavor profile as well - exciting!

Fall is my kind of season for beer. In the summer there were a lot of golden lagers on the store shelves but not a lot of dark beers. The fall season has brought out all of the Stouts and English Browns though and that is great for me because I love a good Stout. So let's take a look at a few beers I found on my recent trip to the beer store, starting with my favorite of the lot...

St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout


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Brewery: Mcauslan Brewing Co.
Origin: Quebec Canada
Style: Oatmeal Stout
Hops: Cascade, Willamette, Golding
Abv: 5.0%
IBU: 45

Marketing: Black and red colored can. Simple classic looking brand logo.

Color: Ink black beer with a hearty mocha colored head that lasts.

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Nose: Roasted notes. Cocoa. Mild smoke in the background.

Taste Dry with a Pronounced bitterness. Mild tanginess. Cocoa. Smoke. Dark chocolate. Subtle dark fruit (prune).

Texture: Sharp bubbles. Hearty carbonation. Full bodied with a weightiness on the tongue. Smooth an velvety mouthfeel underneath the carbonation.

Impression: I've had this beer many times before and it has always been one of my favorite stouts. It tends to come out around this time of year, in the fall and into winter. I always try and snag a few cans from the store while its out. I believe that the brewery smokes the grains to give it its distinct smoky aroma and taste. The smoke isn't overpowering though as some smoked beers can be. It's a very bitter beer so if that's not your thing then you likely wouldn't enjoy it but it's complex and very enjoyable to me. It one of those beers that changes as you drink it as well. More aromas and flavors come out as it warms to room temperature. It's a great beer all around.

10W30


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Brewery: Neustadt Springs Brewery
Style: English Brown Ale
Origin: Ontario Canada
Abv: 5.5%

Marketing: Engine oil name with a can design to mimick and oil can. Clever in its branding.

Color: Dark brown almost black, with a thin flimsy tan colored head that dissipated quickly.

Nose: Malty sweet aroma. There was a fruitiness that came through as the beer reached room temperature.

Taste: Starts sweet and finishes bitter. Slight metalic taste to it.

Texture: Sharp bubbles, medium bodied.

Impression: This beer was okay. That strange metallic taste coming through was unpleasant to me. Metal is a new taste that I'm noticing in just a few beers. I'm not sure what the cause is but I noticed it in a can of Newcastle Brown a little while ago as well. I didn't care for that beer either.

Nut Brown Ale


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Brewery: Silversmith Brewing Co.
Origin: Ontario Canada
Style: English/American Brown
Abv: 5.0%
IBU: 24

Marketing: Brown can with contrasting turquoise coloring, Squirrel images nod to the nutty aspect of this Nut Brown Ale. Similar can branding to the brewery's other beers.

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Color: Rich dark brown coloring with a flimsy head of bubbles that dissipated quickly.

Nose: Malty aroma. Very pleasant.

At first I got the distasteful smell of stale beer like what you get when drinking a lot of premium domestic brands, but I think it was from the can itself. I didn't notice it in the glass when I moved it away from the can. Perhaps another beer exploded in store and the can was sprayed?

Taste: Mildly sweet in the begining gently fading into a mild dry bitterness. Very well balanced. Fresh tasting.

Texture: Small sharp bubbles on the tongue. Nicely carbonated. Medium bodied mouthfeel.

Impression: Excellent beer. Every beer that I try from this Brewery has been excellent so far. I'm to the point where I would try any beer that they produce. They tend to be very fresh tasting, flavorful and well balanced and this one is no exception. I would definitely buy it again.

Charcoal Porter


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Notice my attempt at a new background to showcase the beer - a wooden cutting board to hold the beer with another turned on its edge to create a wood background...

Brewery: Innocente Brewery Co.
Origin: Ontario Canada
Abv: 5.1%

Marketing: Simple color scheme with simple imagery. Not exciting nor boring. Canadian Brewing Award Gold Medal showcased on the back of the can.

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Color: Opaque ink black liquid with a mocha colored head.

Nose: Roasted notes, chocolate, coffee.

Taste: Roasted malt, cocoa, and a strong bitter finish that lasts and lasts.

Texture: Micro-bubble texture and smooth underneath.

Impression: Quite good. Tasted like a decent Stout beer, which I like. Didn't stand out as anything special but I would buy it again.

Well thats it for this #Beersaturday beer review. Which beer sounded best to you? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for stopping by. Until next time, Cheers everyone!



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10 comments
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What a professional review, makes my look like kindergarten stuff 😁

To me, they all sound about the same as I don't really drink beer, but one thing that piqued my interest is a post from @article61 yesterday where he dunks chocolate into stout. Have you tried that before?

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I liked your post! I thought it was great 👍

Yeah for the most part they do all sound the same lol. I guess there is only so much you can say about a beer really, and when all of the styles are the same they are going to all have very similar qualities/characteristics.

I've never dunked chocolate into Stout before. Interesting. I'll have to try that.

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The oatmeal stout is appealing and lately, my husband gives me a sip of his stout since I can't drink an entire one.
The nut brown ale's logo is interesting.
I like your professional review, and you inspire e to do a beer tasting:)
Happy Sunday!

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Stouts are great and are very similar to coffee- in a way, because of the roasted notes. You could do similar style reviews to anything really - coffee, tea, wine... whatever you like to drink.

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Hey another Canadian #beerologist? Those are some familiar breweries and some I haven't heard of a while from this province!

Neustadt Dead Elephant always tasted a little dirty to me so maybe it is just the brewery? Haven't seen Silversmith in a while so maybe I should hunt some of that down again.

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Followed you as hosers gotta stick together eh?

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Good to know about Neustadt. Silversmith has become my favorite Brewery recently. I said this already but, I have really liked every beer that I've tried from them. I've been very impressed. They always have a lot of flavor and taste very fresh to me.

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I love this
I have never tasted any of them though and I'm sure that we don't have them here
They look good

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Yeah these are pretty local for the most part. I doubt they have many outside Canada, though I don't know for sure.

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The one that sounded strange to me is

St-Ambrose stout. Why is it given the name?

You made a good review of beers. Keep it up

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St Ambrose is the name of the Brewery and Oatmeal is one of the grains they use in the brewing process.

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