Moose Knuckle Beamer's Coffee Stout
The Grizzly Paw Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

On-tap at Grizzly Paws Brewpub, in Canmore.

Despite being brewed with coffee, this stout doesn't quite look convincingly stout-ish. What I mean to say is that, sure, it's black but if you look a little closer you'll see that it's not opaque but teeming with highlights. Likewise its head, despite being the weaver of some impressively intricate and durable lacing, is hardly the big, bulky froth it should be.

The aroma, however, is proudly boastful of its stoutiness (if I may make the word up). It is bittersweet and brimful with roasted malts. Plus, it has the added benefit of a quality, fresh and locally roasted coffee to accent it. Neither the beer nor the coffee is overwhelming or brash; its characterful but modest and strikes me as a well flavoured pint.

As for the taste, the coffee starts things off and the roasted malts finish it. Both flavours are well represented although I find I'm tasting the coffee a little more so (this, perhaps, is due to the nature of its strong espresso-like roast and astringency). It isn't too much, however, to squish all the light nuttiness and subtle caramel flavours of the malts.

As its appearance suggested, this is almost more of a porter than a stout (a distinction which can, admittedly, sometimes be like splitting hairs). One major different between the two is body: porters are not so thick and bulky and, well, stout. This mouthfeel is definitely softer, sweeter and lacking (just a little) of that necessary roasted barley character.

But it's still a stout (and a darn fine one!) It's my opinion that every brewpub should offer a sessionable stout - especially in places of cold climate as is the case in Canmore, at the foot of the Canadian Rockies. My brain can't compute how many of these I'd drink over the course of a winter if I lived there; coffee or no coffee, this would keep my spirits up.