Monday 5 December 2016

The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 4: Shinnicked Stout Muskoka Brewery

Beer # 303 Shinnicked Stout


Brewery: Muskoka Brewery

Type: Independent Microbrewery     Est.: 1996
Location: Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada
Beer Style: Coffee Stout
ABV: 5.2%      IBU: 19
Format: Aluminium Can   Size: 473 ml
Cost: $3.15 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

Twitter: @MuskokaBrewery @MuskokaRoastery

Back Up the road again tonight to the Muskoka Brewery, Still celebrating their 20'th anniversary they released a new stout for this holiday season. "Shinnicked Stout" gets its name from, and I quote, "...that numbing gasp-for-breath feeling when you plunge into a Muskoka lake for a chilly late night dip." I hope they plan on handing these out to the poor souls who try the polar bear dip every year up here on January 1st. Shinnicked is brewed with coffee from one of our local roasteries. Muskoka Roastery in fact. They roast and package their coffee up in Huntsville a little ways north of Bracebridge on Highway 11. I will admit they do make some fine coffee there. Coffee and stout are a natural and lovely pairing. The coffee plays nicely with the nutty, chocolate, and molasses aromas of the deeper malts.

Onto our beer...


Pours an inky dark brown/black with a deep tan head made up of small bubbles. The aroma is dark and complex malt with molasses and coffee. The first sip is malty molasses and herbal greens, coffee follows closely behind as does a warming brandy/whisky burn in the back of the throat. Complex dark caramel mixed with some light licorice and very light vanilla compliment the roasted coffee notes. Hints of nutty chocolate pop up briefly now and then to add another layer of depth to the taste profile. Mouthfeel as light and refreshing. Aeration bring out toasted bread to play with the coffee and a nice long nutty finish.


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: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Christmas Cheer: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:


A great beer for the holidays. I really like the name, it suits it. It really is something I would like to drink in front of a late fall fire pit, or wrapped in a blanket in front of a roaring fire, getting warm after the aforementioned late night dip. The deliciousness of the coffee shines through this beer, just making all the other components hum. A great beer to put under the tree this year... Don't forget to ask Santa for one, or 12.



Cheers


CJT


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