Russian Gun Imperial Stout - Grand River Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Cambridge)

Russian Gun Imperial Stout - Grand River Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Cambridge) 8.5%

Dark brown in a glass with a veritable explosion of mocha coloured foam that leaves behind highly impressive lacing and a iceberg like cap of foam on the beer. A bit of alcohol, earthy yeast, dark chocolate, subtle red and dark fruit tones, brown sugar, some wood tones and maybe a touch of leather in the very pleasant aroma.

The taste has, in my mind, the perfect amount of alcoholic bite for a Russian Imperial Stout. The flavour is comprised of hearty umami, brown bread, dried fruit a touch of espresso, smoky wood tones, earthy, chocolate, a bit of a hops edge too - like pine needles which also fits my concept of the style.

I really like this Russian Imperial Stout, I'm very fond of the taste. It also seems to drink a bit higher in alcohol than 8.5%, good times.

104th Regiment - Picaroons (Canada - New Brunswick - Fredericton)

104th Regiment - Picaroons (Canada - New Brunswick - Fredericton) 4.2%

A clear brown colour in a glass with a head of off-white foam. Roasty, biscuit, caramel and brown sugar aroma.

A watery mouthfeel and quite carbonated (a bit of a more aggressive pour would have dealt with that though, I think). Biscuit and roasty, not quite coffee, sweet with caramel and brown sugar. Drinkable and pub appropriate if a bit sweet for a brown ale. Quite nice and I think it may be even better on tap.

Rickard's Oakhouse - Molson Coors (Canada)

Rickard's Oakhouse - Molson-Coors (Canada) 5.5%

A really nice, light vanilla, brown sugar sweetness and slightly spicy oak aroma to this beer which pours a brass colour in a glass. Lots of oak in the taste with that same malty brown sugar-like sweetness, and some baking spices mixed in there for good measure. However, after the initial drink, much of the sweetness fades and is a touch overpowered by the oak. The oakiness, which can be a touch on the tangy side naturally, mixes with the hops to form a slightly sour taste.

The beer I immediately think of when I think of oak done right is Innis and Gunn's line of barrel aged brews. Each of them are much sweeter, higher in alcohol than Oakhouse and are ales rather than a lager. The sweeter and more robust malt flavours in an Innis and Gunn balance the barrel tones; and the body of an ale seems better suited to carrying those wood flavours than the thinner, less robust body of a lager.

I have very much enjoyed some other Rickard's seasonals produced by Molson-Coors but while this one delivers on the promised oak flavour, the rest of the beer simply does not have the legs to carry these pronounced oak tones.