The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2019 Day: 19 Aurora Heart Chocolate Raspberry Stout

Beer # 519 Aurora Heart Chocolate Raspberry Stout

Brewery: Flying Monkeys Brewing Company


Type: Independent Microbrewery    Est.:  2004

Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Flavoured Milk Stout

ABV: 7.1%      IBU: N/A

Forma: Brown Glass Bottle  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $4.95 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

theflyingmonkeys

    @flyingmonkeys

I haven't done too many Flying Monkey's beers, and honestly, I don't know why that is. Their beers are more often than not quite good, and checking out the incredible boxes and stories on their packaging is as much as a treat as the beer itself.

Tonight's beer is Aurora Heart a Flavoured milk stout loaded with chocolate and raspberries.

Onto our beer...

Pours a translucent dark chocolate brown with an off-tan head made of small bubbles. The aroma is deep and rich chocolate with hints of sweet milk. Raspberries smell fresh and ripe. The first sip is dessert in a glass. Framboise truffles filled with unctuous ganache. Chocolate syrup and whisky round out the major flavours. Aeration brings out the super-ripe raspberries and cream.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Colour: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Experience: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Christmas Cheer 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL


Final Thoughts:


Fantastic beer! It really makes me think of a raspberry chocolate truffle. So much so I had to make some raspberry truffles for Christmas. Perfect for the holidays or Tuesdays... you should pick one up.

Cheers

CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2019 Day: 11 Chocolate Blossom Chocolate Cherry Stout Mill Street

Beer # 511 Chocolate Blossom Chocolate Cherry Stout

Brewery: Mil Street Brewery


Type: Wholly-owned Subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch Inbev  Est.:  2002

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Flavoured Stout

ABV: 6.8%      IBU: 15

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $3.95 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

millstreetbrew

    @millstreetbrew

I remember when Mill street first opened and they were not much more than a set of fridges pouring samples in a near-empty building in the Distillery District in Toronto. It was at the beginning of the revitalisation of the old Gooderham and Worts Distillery and the project had two tenants at the time: Mill Street, and a coffee shop called Balzac's. Now the distillery area is a tourism destination with the Mill Street Beerhall as a centre point. I love going there still because they have my favourite chocolate shop SOMA the olive oil truffle is outrageous!

Mill Street was an early champion of the craft and organic scene in Ontario, so it was a particular gut-punch when it was purchased by Labatt Canada, which is in turn owned by multi-national conglomerate  AB InBev, in 2015. I think I have subconsciously avoided tasting Mill Street since then. I'm pretty sure I did their Tank house Ale and Organic Lager, years ago, before the purchase. But haven't done much since. However, I shall lift this unconscious ban for the holiday season and try one of their newer releases.

Onto our beer...

Pours a dark brown with hints of red. The head is a dark tan with hints of red made up of small bubbles. The aroma is strangely potato chips, chocolate, and cherries. The first sip is dark malty and full of cocoa powder. The beer is very sticky on the lips. The middle is a little sugary. As the beer warms, the cherry becomes more evident feeling like cherry brandy. I was expecting more of a chocolate-covered cherry feel, but it is more chocolate and then cherry. Aeration is a bit of dark chocolate

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS
Experience: 5/6 PASS
Christmas Cheer 5/6 PASS


Final Thoughts:

A good but average offering. I couldn't ever have counted myself as a Mill Street Fan but I did appreciate what they were doing before the buyout. I hope I haven't let my disappointment tinge this tasting, but it is hard not to be sad when I think how far this brewery came just to sell out. I guess we only go into business to make money, so I can't blame them. It is a decent beer and worthy of a spot on the list. Grab one and try it.

Cheers

CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2019 Day: 8 Kveik Chocolate and Orange Muskoka Brewery

Beer # 508 Kveik Chocolate and Orange

Collaboration with Quidi Vidi Brewing Company


Brewery: Muskoka Brewing Company


Type: Independent Brewery    Est.:  1998

Location: Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada

Brewery: Quidi Vidi Brewing Company

Type: Independent Brewery    Est.:  1996

Location: Quidi Vidi St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada

Beer Style: Flavoured Farmhouse Ale

ABV: 8.0%      IBU: 30

Format: Brown Glass Bottle  Size: 750  ml

Cost: $10.95 CAD     Purchased At: The Brewery

muskokabrewery                quidividibeer

    @muskokabrewery             @QuidiVidiBeer

Tonight's offering is the Community Ventures Collaboration between Muskoka Brewery of Bracebridge Ontario and Quidi Vidi Brewing Company from just outside St. John's Newfoundland.  The beer is a flavoured Farmhouse ale with chocolate and orange. I was looking forward to this I thought chocolate and orange are great for the holidays... but sadly, something went wrong with this beer...

Onto our tasting...

Pours a medium-dark chestnut with an off-tan head Aroma is very medicinal with hints of molasses and old citrus. The overwhelming smell of polyphenols, especially when the beer is just poured. There is something just "off" about the taste of the beer. Chocolate is minimal and extremely bitter. Orange is very faint, tastes old, and is backed up by bitter green leaves. Aeration is stale orange juice.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 2/6 SO-So
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 0/6 FAIL
Re-Order:  0/6 FAIL
Experience: 1/6 FAIL
Christmas Cheer 1/6 FAIL


Final Thoughts:

This beer skirted the edge of being a #DrainAward. There was something wrong with this beer, something did not go right at all. Very disappointing as I usually am a big fan of everything Muskoka brewery does. Well, they can't all be rockstars. Avoid.

Cheers

CJT

 

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Beer # 483 Black Raspberry Thunder Milkshake IPA

Beer # 483 Black Raspberry Thunder Milkshake IPA

Brewery: Muskoka Brewing Company


Type: Independent Microbrewery    Est.:  1996

Location: Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada 

Beer Style: Flavoured Milkshake IPA

ABV: 6.0%      IBU: 18

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $3.65 CAD     Purchased At: Sobey's

muskokabrewery

    @muskokabrewery

Tonight's offering is the second collaboration between Muskoka Brewery and Kawartha Dairy. The brewery created a beer inspired by one of Kawartha Dairy's ice cream flavours. Last yeas was a salted caramel truffle and this year was the ever-popular Black Raspberry Thunder. Created in a milkshake IPA style, in case you don't know, this quite popular style is an IPA that has added lactose in the ferment. The yeast eats this sugar as well as the maltose and leaves a creamy slightly sweet taste in the final beer. I may do another post about it later because the science is quite interesting. As a similar fermentation style is used in the making of some wine (Malo-Lactic Fermentation).  Into this mix is added black raspberry and chocolate and you have an ice cream inspired beer.

So... I like ice cream, I like beer.... let's see how well they go together.

Onto my milkshake IPA brings all the blogs to the yard...

Pours a reddish-purple with a short creamy head with a pinkish hue. Aroma is piney and milky with hints of fresh fruit, berries and peaches. First sip is smooth and creamy with notes of chocolate and black cherry soda. The smooth creamy lactose mimics the feeling of an ice cream float. The beer is lightly effervescent aeration brings out some chocolate light sediment very fun.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  3/6 SO-SO
Experience: 5/6 PASS


Final Thoughts:

So I've been having trouble with the Milkshake style. I have been finding it is just an excuse to stuff a lot of fruit into a beer and take advantage of a (possibly) flash in the pan style of beer which is popular right now. While it is fun and different I'm finding very few of them are interesting enough to drink more than once. While this one is a fun drink, I would be hard-pressed to ever want another.

Cheers
CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 3: Midnight Kissed My Cow Big Rig Brewery and Kitchen

Beer # 302 Midnight Kissed my cow

Brewery: Big Rig Brewery and Kitchen

Type: Independent Microbrewery and Brewpub     Est.: 2012

Location: Ottawa/Kanata, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Flavoured Milk Stout

ABV: 5.6%      IBU: 14

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $2.95 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

Twitter: @BigRigBrewery


Haven't had a Big Rig beer for quite some time and this one looked like a lot of fun in the store. I really do enjoy good labelling and beer is supposed to be about fun, so why have boring packaging? I love stouts especially complex ones. I really do enjoy sitting and letting a deep flavourful beer wash over my tongue and tell me a story through its flavours. Milk stouts a wonderful in the fact that they add another dimension to the brew. By the addition of lactose or milk sugar the brewer can achieve a roundness, a creaminess, a subtle sweetness, that complements the darker malts, roasted coffee, and chocolate notes. Needless to say I drink all of these I can while they are around.

Let's try one now...

Pours an inky dark brown with a fluffy tan head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is fresh roasted coffee and chocolate and some minute hints of wood. First sip is very creamy, tastes like a milk chocolate bar. Body is quite light even with the creamy mouthfeel. Hints of fruity hops and some dried berries underlie the main coffee/chocolate extravaganza. The texture is soft and inviting like a good milk stout should be. Finish is coffee and chocolate with lingering notes of milk sugars and cream. Aeration brings out some raisin, some whiskey, tangy hops and touches of sour cream. The lips are left a little sticky. The final notes remind me of Vietnamese coffee with sweetened condensed milk.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Colour: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  5/6  PASS
Experience: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Christmas Cheer: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:

This beer was almost a perfect score. I loved this beer. there was only one thing I felt detracted from the final tally. As the beer warmed I got a touch of sour cream, it snapped me out of my reverie and took away from the flavours. Other than that this beer is amazing, lovely mix of flavours, judicious use of cocoa and lactose. A good all around product that is perfect for a winter's night. Definitely a must have for this Christmas season, put one in your stocking while you still can.
Cheers

CJT

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Beer # 194 The Chocolate Manifesto Flying Monkeys

The Chocolate Manifesto Triple Chocolate Milk Stout

Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery

Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Flavoured Milk Stout 10.0% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml.
$10.40 (Canadian) At the Brewery

Twitter: @FlyingMonkeys

Ever entertaining, The Flying Monkeys are always good for some quirky humour especially when it comes to their packaging. Sadly it will be hard to read in the above pictures (Dammit Jim I'm a farm boy... not a photographer...) But suffice it to say there is some interesting reading on the box. Chock full of sage advice, off-beat humour, good tasting notes and a pretty intensive description of the making of this beer, the box has a lot to offer... And we haven't even made it into the beer yet! 

The chocolate for this beer was provided by Chocosol Traders Twitter here. They are a fascinating chocolate trader and purveyor who just made my list of places to visit on my next trip to Toronto. The chocolate that went into this brew was shade grown cocoa nibs, whole roasted cocoa powder, and chocolate malt. Hence the triple chocolate. What we are left with is an intense celebration of chocolate and beer.

Well I'm excited... Let's taste...

Pours very dark brown almost black with a good sized chocolate brown head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is chocolate liquor, sweetness, and a hint of cocoa powder. First sip makes me think I'm drinking an alcoholic chocolate bar. When they said triple chocolate they were not joking. Sweet and creamy gives way to dark chocolate, a roasty, toasty, boozy, chocolate sauce. Finish is very milky with that lingering sweetness of a cold glass of chocolate milk. Aeration gives us dark bitter chocolate and tobacco.

 Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Colour: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL 
Experience:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL


Final Thoughts:

This is the best example of a chocolate milk stout I have tried. Period. The Chocolate flavour is well rounded and all encompassing. Strong but supple. The alcohol is very present... I was aware of the full 10 % but it seemed to be mitigated by the creamy chocolate deliciousness. At points in the beer I felt like it was a chocolate cocktail, reminiscent of creme de cocoa. There are a few of these left around... if you can find them grab them and drink them. I do believe they have stopped production of this beer. Hopefully not for long...


Cheers


CJT

P.S. I feel like I need to say chocolate a few more times... 


chocolate chocolate chocolate...

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