Burnt Rock: Hurry! Hurry Hard!
Brewed in collaboration with Patrick Boisvenue of Members of Barleyment, this vanilla porter from Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company in Vankleek Hill, Ontario is opaque black with a spongy, light beige head that settles as a thick film without leaving much lace. Burnt Rock smells of vanilla, molasses, waffle cone, toasted grain and a light red berry jam.
This Sweet Porter is Great with Pastries
The taste of Burnt Rock also has an overarching berry flavour and is rather sweet overall. Flavours of lightly roasted malts, mild coffee, dark toffee and vanilla are also present. This spiced porter is very thin bodied with a moderate carbonation, making for a creamy mouthfeel. The finish has tartness and sees the berry flavour move back to the fore, while the aftertaste is mildly bitter with a burnt coffee note.
Nightmare on Mill Street Pumpkin Ale: Never Sleep Again
Nightmare on Mill Street Pumpkin Ale from Mill Street Brewery in Toronto, Ontario pours a hazy and warm ruby-amber colour with a moderate light beige head that leaves spotty lacing and gets retained as a thin collar. This wheat-based pumpkin ale smells of grain, sweet malts, pumpkin and spices such as clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. A bitter chocolate-coffee aroma becomes apparent after warming.
Nobody Should be Scared of this Quaffable Pumpkin Ale
Spices are at the forefront of the taste of Nightmare on Mill Street Pumpkin Ale and create a crisp bite, with a sweet pumpkin flavour behind that and an earthy and grainy backing. Vanilla comes through on the tongue and coupled with the spice blend reminds me somewhat of Dr. Pepper for a moment.
Nightmare on Mill Street Pumpkin Ale is fairly thin, but wheat character and fine carbonation give it a nice, lively body. There is a surprising mild sourness in the finish before going dry. Vanilla, pumpkin and spice all remain prevalent in the aftertaste, along with a mild syrupy feeling.