Got down a half pint at the Dominion on Queen yesterday. Rich, well-flavoured stout with something fruity in the background but not obviously "flavoured". Good bitterness and roasty qualities too. I didn't get anything Belgian in it, which is all to the good for this style of beer IMO.
Classic British-style stout, I wouldn't change a thing.
Gary
Looking for the original Bar Towel blog? You can find it at www.thebartowel.com.
We have a trivia question in order to register to prevent bots. If you have any issues with answering, contact us at cass@bartowel.com for help.
Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!
We have a trivia question in order to register to prevent bots. If you have any issues with answering, contact us at cass@bartowel.com for help.
Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!
Spearhead Belgian Stout
-
G.M. Gillman
- Seasoned Drinker
- Posts: 1486
- Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:24 pm
Spearhead Belgian Stout
Gary Gillman
Subject: Spearhead Belgian Stout
G.M. Gillman wrote:Classic British-style stout
-
G.M. Gillman
- Seasoned Drinker
- Posts: 1486
- Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:24 pm
I would think the Belgian moniker referred either to yeast character or the spice and orange additions but having recognized neither in the beer, it struck me as square in the U.K. tradition of stout, due also to its ABV, and perhaps on the sweet end of the spectrum.
Anyway, names are only general pointers and indicators in the beer world, at the end of the day one must decide if it pleases the palate and that's all.
Speaking of sweet stout, I noticed Mackeson Stout 6 packs at Summerhill on the weekend, I didn't buy any yet but will soon. It is 4.9% ABV and brewed in the Caribbean, I think on a French island. Old Macky is here and that's good because it is an old-established name in English stout albeit it has been brewed in different parts of the world in the last few decades. It will be interesting to compare it to beers like Spearhead's stout and various examples of a soft or milk stout we've seen in these parts recently.
Gary
Anyway, names are only general pointers and indicators in the beer world, at the end of the day one must decide if it pleases the palate and that's all.
Speaking of sweet stout, I noticed Mackeson Stout 6 packs at Summerhill on the weekend, I didn't buy any yet but will soon. It is 4.9% ABV and brewed in the Caribbean, I think on a French island. Old Macky is here and that's good because it is an old-established name in English stout albeit it has been brewed in different parts of the world in the last few decades. It will be interesting to compare it to beers like Spearhead's stout and various examples of a soft or milk stout we've seen in these parts recently.
Gary
Gary Gillman
just saw the mackeson stout this weekend as well, didnt grab a sixer but i plan to in the near futureG.M. Gillman wrote:I would think the Belgian moniker referred either to yeast character or the spice and orange additions but having recognized neither in the beer, it struck me as square in the U.K. tradition of stout, due also to its ABV, and perhaps on the sweet end of the spectrum.
Anyway, names are only general pointers and indicators in the beer world, at the end of the day one must decide if it pleases the palate and that's all.
Speaking of sweet stout, I noticed Mackeson Stout 6 packs at Summerhill on the weekend, I didn't buy any yet but will soon. It is 4.9% ABV and brewed in the Caribbean, I think on a French island. Old Macky is here and that's good because it is an old-established name in English stout albeit it has been brewed in different parts of the world in the last few decades. It will be interesting to compare it to beers like Spearhead's stout and various examples of a soft or milk stout we've seen in these parts recently.
Gary
-
toweringpine
- Posts: 329
- Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:20 pm
- Location: Etobicoke
I tasted the Spearhead Belgian Stout a few weeks ago at the Victory. I picked up some flavours that I assumed to come from the Belgian yeast. I am not a fan of Belgian styles and find the flavours from those yeasts quite distinctive. I enjoyed a couple pints of Barley Days Workingman Stout that evening and much preferred it to the Spearhead.
I hadn't heard of Mackeson but saw a couple fellows at Crossroads Friday night buying a shopping cart full of it. I was going to ask them about it but they had some seriously bloodshot eyes and a powerful funky aroma coming off them and I decided not to begin a discussion with them. I wondered if the beer was that good or if they were throwing a homecoming party of some sort. I'll have to try it out based on the fact these guys were buying a cart full of it and with Gary's recommendation.
Crossroads is open until 11pm every night but Sunday. They have several police walking around on Friday and Saturday nights at least. What a collection of customers they attract late at night! If you've never been there late on a weekend evening it is quite an experience. I've never had a problem there and wouldn't say the clientelle is anything but upstanding but it is always entertaining!
I hadn't heard of Mackeson but saw a couple fellows at Crossroads Friday night buying a shopping cart full of it. I was going to ask them about it but they had some seriously bloodshot eyes and a powerful funky aroma coming off them and I decided not to begin a discussion with them. I wondered if the beer was that good or if they were throwing a homecoming party of some sort. I'll have to try it out based on the fact these guys were buying a cart full of it and with Gary's recommendation.
Crossroads is open until 11pm every night but Sunday. They have several police walking around on Friday and Saturday nights at least. What a collection of customers they attract late at night! If you've never been there late on a weekend evening it is quite an experience. I've never had a problem there and wouldn't say the clientelle is anything but upstanding but it is always entertaining!
Had this at The Only - have to say it is kinda 'meh'. There's some Belgian yeast characteristics in the nose (along with a touch of solvent), a bit of orange in the flavour (particularly in the finish), and a gentle roastiness. My biggest complaints are the lack of depth in flavour (it comes across as one dimensional and simple) and an astringency I'm not really digging. The mouthfeel is a little thin and overall this just doesn't seem to come together in a cohesive way. It's not terrible but it's not something I would put up as representative of the best this province can brew.
-
G.M. Gillman
- Seasoned Drinker
- Posts: 1486
- Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:24 pm
-
G.M. Gillman
- Seasoned Drinker
- Posts: 1486
- Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:24 pm
Had it again tonight, at Bar Hop on the way home after work.
I must say it impressed me less this time. I don't know if this was the particular barrel, the carbonation difference in two establishments, or something else. It seemed thinner than the first time although I still didn't get any orange or Belgian ale character.
I'd call it, with the historical prism I can't help using, more an 1800's porter than a stout, i.e., it is relatively light-bodied, which porter was, about 6% ABV which it was ditto, roasty and well-flavoured. A stout as such in my terms would be heavier in body and more bitter and also stronger, 7-7.5 %. It reminded me tonight of Anchor Porter draft in California for example, which is a compliment!
Still an excellent beer in other words, refreshing and well-made.
Gary
I must say it impressed me less this time. I don't know if this was the particular barrel, the carbonation difference in two establishments, or something else. It seemed thinner than the first time although I still didn't get any orange or Belgian ale character.
I'd call it, with the historical prism I can't help using, more an 1800's porter than a stout, i.e., it is relatively light-bodied, which porter was, about 6% ABV which it was ditto, roasty and well-flavoured. A stout as such in my terms would be heavier in body and more bitter and also stronger, 7-7.5 %. It reminded me tonight of Anchor Porter draft in California for example, which is a compliment!
Still an excellent beer in other words, refreshing and well-made.
Gary
Gary Gillman
-
G.M. Gillman
- Seasoned Drinker
- Posts: 1486
- Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:24 pm
Tried this again tonight, at C'est What. This time I got a huge Belgian yeast character, almost Leffe-like. No orange. Every time I've had it it's different (seemingly), but always interesting. I ended up making a "three threads" by combining two parts this beer with one of Durham's Black Eye (cask) and one of Sawdust City's imperial stout stored in a whiskey cask (bourbon, they said). The blend was really nice and rather trumped the components, IMO.
Gary
Gary
Gary Gillman