Black Coal Stout Railway City

Beer # 223 Black Coal Stout

Railway City Brewery

St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada
Independent Microbrewery
Imperial IPA 
6.0 % ABV Aluminum Can 473 ml.
$3.15 (Canadian) At the LCBO

Twitter: @railwaycity

Down to St. Thomas again and Railway City. After not liking their first few brews I kept hoping I would find some beers that I would like... and I finally did with their Double Dead Elephant IIPA that came out this past summer. Now I must add this beer to the list. I believe this was originally a Christmas seasonal (as it has this slogan on the back of the can...).

But I found one in the local LCBO, It had only been available in gift packs around here before so I was happy to find a few singles.

Onto the coals...


Pours a deep dark chocolate brown with a dark tan head made up of small to medium bubbles. The aroma is earthy, woody, leather, chocolate, and dark malt. First sip is refreshingly light yet deeply malty. Notes of coffee, chocolate, cocoa powder, English toffee and light aromas of herbal hops. Aeration brings out a slight fruitiness, with some toast and a dark chocolate finish.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

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

Final Thoughts:

A very nice seasonal and a great take on a nice light bodied stout. Very flavourful, and not overpowering. Makes me hope for some coal in my stocking next year!



Cheers


CJT



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Beer # 160 Double Dead Elephant Railway City

Double Dead Elephant Imperial IPA

Railway City Brewery

Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Imperial IPA 7.5 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml.
$10.95 (Canadian) At the LCBO
Twitter: @railwaycity

This takes me back to my first post. I started my blog way back in 2010 in November with Railway City's Dead Elephant ale. Here it is, four years later and I am getting around to posting about it's stronger brother the Double Dead Elephant... Sadly I have had bad experiences with Railway City... I have not found any beer of theirs I really liked, and for a time I have avoided them. That has changed now.  I tried this beer a couple of weeks ago and I was happily surprised to find a well rounded good tasting beer. The beer still references the long ago incident where Jumbo the elephant of the Barnum and Bailey Circus, was killed on a railway track outside of St. Thomas, Ontario where the brewery is now located. I detail the full story in my older blog post about Dead Elephant here. 

Without further monkeying around, if you will direct your attention to the centre ring, I give you tonight's tasting...

Dark gold in colour with hints of brown. Fluffy off white head made up of mostly small bubbles. Aroma is spicy light malt and caramel, and a hint of fruit. First sip is malt and raisin. The middle is chock full of green and bitter herbs, leaving a tart and tangy feeling on the tongue. Citrus zest and some orange pith. Grassy, some hay, touch of spice and some caramel, and vanilla. Aeration brings out the alcohol and malty sugars.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

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

Final Thoughts:

A good solid beer from Railway city and certainly the best I have had from them. Lots of flavour and good complexity while still being balanced and not being overly hot from the extra alcohol. Get it while it is still on the shelves.

Cheers


CJT



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Beer # 103 Railway City Sham Bock

Sham Bock

Railway City Brewery

St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Maple Bock 6.8 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 650 ml.
$6.95 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @railwaycity

Well I haven't had good luck with Railway city in the past. I had not been able to find one that I liked... until recently. I tried their Woodworth And Edwards Honey Bee'Lixir and I was pleasantly surprised, and then for my St. Patrick's themed beers I pick up today's offering and I must say, I am pleasantly surprised again. Hopefully this trend continues, because I love being surprised, and I love having another good source of craft beers in my home province.

Onto tonight's surprise:

Dark brown or chestnut in colour with a light coloured tan head comprised of small bubbles. Sweet grainy, wheaty aroma, some molasses, and a hint of wood and maple. First sip is smooth malty and sweet, which builds into a deep dark roasty malt flavour. There it transitions into a burnt sugar taste while being backed up with deep roasted malt and some fresh cut maple wood. Very light bodied and quite refreshing. Alcohol is slightly evident but not overwhelming, most notably in a light rum aftertaste. Aeration accentuates the alcohol giving it almost a brandy note, and a bit of a wet grain flavour.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 4/6 PASS
Re-Order:  3/6 SO-SO
Experience:  4/6 PASS

Final Thoughts:

This is one of Railway City's most balanced and flavourful beers so far. there are still a few flaws, some bitterness, a little sharpness on the finish, but overall a good beer. The heaviness of the burnt sugar and dark malt would lead me to only drink one of these, and at 6.85% abv you would probably want to share with a friend anyway. I like this beer for what it symbolises more than anything. I see a young brewery making it's first steps out into the world. I see them growing and maturing and improving with every bottle they put out. In this bottle I see Railway City hitting it's groove and finding it's "Flavour." I would continue to expect great things from them. Keep up the good work guys!


Cheers

CJT


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Beer # 70 Iron Spike Blonde

Iron Spike Blonde Ale


Railway City Brewery
St. Thomas Ontario, Canada
Independent
Blonde Ale 4.3% ABV Tall Boy Can 473 ml.
$2.40 (Canadian) At LCBO.

Back to the brewery I started with in November of 2010. The first Beer I tasted for the blog was Dead Elephant Ale By Railway City Brewing, out of St. Thomas Ontario. Continuing with their railway theme (Dead Elephant refers to Jumbo the Elephant of the famous Barnum and Bailey Circus that was struck and killed by a train in St. Thomas in 1885) Iron spike refers to the large nail used to hold the rails of the train tracks to the wooden sleepers buried in the rail bed. Million of these nails were struck into the sleepers by hand to link Canada from shore to shore in the 1800's. Even today repairs on the rails are almost continuous across the nation with each of the spikes still being driven in by hand. The imagery is excellent as St. was such an important part of Canada's rail history,(at one time 26 railways passed through St. Thomas) and any rail worker would immediately identify with this ubiquitous symbol of the rail-line.

Onto the tasting:


Light gold in colour  with an off-white head made up of medium sized bubbles that disperse quickly. Roasty malt and herbal nose. First sip is clean and light with mild hints of honey. Malt intensity builds through the middle culminating in a slightly musty wet grain flavour. Finish is black tea and damp hay. Very unbalanced, the beer is almost wishy-washy to start and holds back until the aftertaste which it releases with a vengeance.



Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional                         


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 4/6 PASS
Re-Order:  2/6 SO-SO  
Experience:   3/6  SO-SO


Final Thoughts:


I really hate to knock an Ontario brewery, especially one trying as hard as Railway City. However, of the two beers I have tried from them, I am impressed with neither. Far from me to say stay away from this brewery... By all means seek them out and try their beers. I remind you my opinion is my own and I cannot dictate what you should like or will find pleasing. I look forward to trying more of Railway City's brews, perhaps they have a stellar offering on the horizon for me.


Cheers


CJT

Beer # 1 Dead Elephant Ale, Railway City Brewing Co. Ontario

Well to start the whole thing off I go to St. Thomas Ontario, with a brewery I have only just heard of recently. Railway City Brewing Company. www.railwaycitybrewing.com

The first thing I notice of course is the label. It looks like something off of a Grateful Dead album cover (which to me seems like a great start!). It's a 500ml bottle of "Golden Pale Ale" according to the website. A slightly buzzy 6.5% ABV. I pour a half of a glass worth below...

Good colour, faint copper tinge very white head but it doesn't last nor does it give me the "spider-web lacing" promised by the website. A swirl and a sniff reveal a very sweet fruity and malt nose. Screams sugar, almost candy-like. First sip, notice the 6.5% alcohol right away, with a little bit of heat on the throat. Fruitiness continues through the attack, dissolving into bready notes on the finish. Aeration in the mouth gives a burst of alcohol with a grapey almost winey feel. Hopping is very mild. Website claims an IBU of 46.6, while hops are noticeable, they get lost in the sweetness.

Overall results: (Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional)

Taste: So-so
Cost: Pass ($3.50 at selected LCBO)
Drnkability: So-so
Colour: Pass
Beer Style: Fail
Re-order: Fail
Experience: Fail



Sorry Railway City This offering is a Fail... sad to start the blog off on a bad note. They have several more products that I am looking forward to reviewing hopefully they will be better.

CJT