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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Beer # 154 The Blood of CTHULHU Sawdust City Brewery

The Blood of CTHULHU
Collaboration with  Bar Hop Bar

Sawdust City Brewery

Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Flavoured Imperial Stout 9.5 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 650 ml.
$9.95 (Canadian) At the Brewery
Twitter: @SawdustCityBeer
                @barhopbar

Something deliciously evil rose from the depths of the Sawdust City Brewery on Halloween night. Which is when I actually intended to post this blog, but... trick or treating and a candy coma got in the way. So here it is now! The blood of CTHULHU is about as dark and mysterious as it's name is hard to pronounce. The Demi-god in question, the hideous Cthulhu, is a creation of the twisted genius of H.P. Lovecraft. First appearing in the Call of Cthulhu in 1928 it is described as a cross between a man, an octopus, and a dragon that lives in a sunken city called R'lyeh in the South Pacific. And if you are like me you are quick to notice that he was more than likely some inspiration for Bill Nighy's Character of Davy Jones in the Pirates of the Caribbean Movies.

Davy Jones, Cthulhu's long lost brother

Oh, back to that pronunciation... Cthulhu is pronounced according to its creator as "Kuh-lull-heloo" with a heavy emphasis on the first Kuh. In more modern times, the pronunciation has morphed to "Kuh-thoo-loo" (thankfully). The most difficult thing, is that no matter how you wish to pronounce it, after a bottle of tonight's offering at 9.5 % abv, I can barely pronounce my own name (please drink and worship Cthulhu responsibly).

Tonight's beer is an Imperial stout with a whopping 9.5% ABV that has been flavoured with fresh raspberries, cranberries, and sour cherries.

Onto the Sacrifice, I mean Tasting...


Pours an inky dark brown/black with a light skiff of a dark tan head. First sniff gives us dark roasted malts with lots of burnt/caramelised sugars. There is a underlying fruitiness in the nose of  bright red berries. In the first sip caremelised sugar is predominant. With lots of smoky earthy malts with some turbinado sugars, licorice, and dark molasses. Through the middle the beers goes creamy and softens as the fruits act on the tongue. the tangy dark malts yield to the soft red fruits. Raspberry sour cherry and cranberries all come out to play at the finish, like emerging from a long dark tunnel into the sunlight. Alcohol is evident, but warming, not hot and in your face. slightly sticky on the lips. Aeration gives us a huge burst of raspberry and alcohol.

 Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS (Get it while you can and beg them to make more!)
Experience:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL


Final Thoughts:

It is not often you get a chance to slake your thirst with the blood of a demi-god... So I would suggest you get to the brewery or one of the many pubs pouring this dark delight before it is gone.

Cheers


CJT



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