Cauld Reekie
Stewart Brewing Ltd

 

 

 

From Stewart Brewing of Edinburgh, Scotland through the LCBO, Bucky bought a 500 ml bottle of Cauld Reekie Stout. 6.2% ABV with a ‘best before’ date of August 2017 printed on the back label.

Cauld Reekie poured an opaque near-black colour, with cola coloured edges when backlit. Pouring produced about ½” of beige head that slowly faded away over the next 4-5 minutes, leaving a collar and thin film of foam that left some sporadic lacing down the far side of the glass. Its aroma was a mix of caramel, chocolate milk, dark-roast coffee and vanilla…tempting stuff. The taste was sweet up front with caramel, milk chocolate and a touch of vanilla coming through, finishing with a mild dark-roast coffee bitterness. The dark-roast bitterness lingered on the palate for a few seconds, but then was gone. Cauld Reekie had a soft and silky mouthfeel with a nearly non-existent carbonation level that works well for the beer, and is medium bodied. Bucky’s first venture into the beers of Stewart Brewing, and based on Cauld Reekie he looks forward to sampling another of their beers. Selling for $4.90 per 500 ml bottle at the time of writing.

 

Bottle: Poured a black color stout with a large nice light brown foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of light roasted malt with sweet liquorice notes is quite pleasant. Taste is also a mix of sweet liquorice notes with some light roasted malt notes and sweet chocolate notes. Body is about average with good carbonation. Enjoyable stout though on the sweeter side of the style.

 

 

 

 

 

 

500 mL bottle from the LCBO; best before Aug 2017 and served slightly chilled.

Pours a murky, deep brown cola colour - not quite black, but certainly opaque. It is topped off with nearly two fingers of loose, beige-coloured head that gradually seeps away over the next five minutes or so, eventually leaving behind a wide, bubbly collar and a thin cap. Uneven patches of lace are scattered around the inner circumference of the glass. Somewhat fruity on the nose, with notes of red licorice, prunes and cherries surprisingly manage to outdo the more traditionally "stouty" features, such as molasses sweetness and cocoa. Subtle hints of vanilla and anise also rise to the surface as it warms.

Not a bad stout, though the roasted malts come off quite muted compared to most other examples. Rather, it is sweet notes of molasses and treacle that are allowed to dominate, overlapping fruity undertones of plum and black cherry. Dark chocolate and vanilla are minor contributors, showing up only during the finish, which also features some earthy, herbal hop bitterness. Ends with a touch of blunted licorice spice and roasted malt; hints of coffee ground slowly percolate on the palate, only showing up a few moments after each sip has been swallowed. Medium-bodied, with light carbonation levels and a soft, silky-smooth feel on the palate. Highly drinkable for the abv - the alcohol does not quite cross the perceptibility threshold, and this stout's excellent balance makes it hard to stop sipping.

Final Grade: 3.78, a B+. Stewart Brewing's Cauld Reekie is a pretty good stout, but "superior" might be a bit too superlative. I was expecting a much more roasted malt-heavy experience, but truthfully this stout has very little of that - and by my personal tastes, that's a bit of a bummer. While it may not be particularly tailored towards my preferences, or worth going out your way for, it's still quite well-made, with flavours that harmonize nicely. A solid way to celebrate Stout Day 2015.

 

 

 

500 ml bottle served fairly cold into a Guinness shaker pint. Purchased for about $5 CDN from the LCBO.

Appearance - very very dark cola brown beer poured, nearly black. Nice finger or so of head on top, minimal retention and no lacing.

Smell - aromatic, plenty of dark fruits like plums and prunes, a hint of Lear for good measure. Some sweet chocolate and maybe a hint of liquorice, but the fruit is the star.

Taste - pretty yummy with the flavours not quite as bold as I would've expected. Still equal parts dark fruit, bittersweet chocolate, black liquorice, and coffee make for a tasty brew. Improves considerably as it warms.

Mouthfeel - smooth and slick with a bit of an oily characteristic, but simultaneously the body is a little thin. Would have loved this to be a bit chewier.

Overall - almost a superior stout. Cauld Reekie has plenty of flavor and interesting mix of aromas and is just a very good stout all around. With a more intense flavor profile, I could probably call it one of my favourite stouts but the body seems just a touch thin for something that could be packing so much punch.