Unity Brew 2014
Banff Ave. Brewing Co.

 

 

20oz pint at Wunderbar - nice to see these old-school glasses still serving awesome Alberta beer, at very reasonable prices. This is the 2014 Unity Brew, a collaboration of nearly all of Alberta's craft brewers, and this year, a Russian Imperial Stout.

This beer appears a solid black, no highlights, no how, even when pressed into the early evening light just outside the dark interior of the bar, with one limp finger of loosely foamy, and generally bubbly tan head, which leaves a decent array of approaching storm system lace around the glass as things slowly ebb away.

It smells of lightly charred bready caramel malt, bittersweet cocoa, day-old coffee, raisins and dried plum fruitiness, black licorice, earthy, leafy hops, and a minor alcohol warmth. The taste is semi-sweet roasted caramel/toffee malt, licorice-laced coffee, milk chocolate, subtle wet ash, muted orange and lemon hop notes, and more earthy, leafy, and slightly perfumed bitters.

The bubbles are fairly active and well in play - beyond yer average RIS, at least - the body medium-heavy in weight, and pretty smooth, with a deft stab at creaminess. It finishes on the sweet side, the caramel malt, cocoa, and understated dark fruitiness carrying the day, a small prickly business arising as things progress.

For a 'too many chefs spoil the broth' sort of potential situation, this seems to have turned out all right. Big and malty, toasty, in both its sweetness and alcohol rendering, and easier to drink than it should be, by rights. Hard to come by - not so strangely, yet - but well worthy if you do get a chance to enjoy such collective efforts of Wild Rose country's best.