Reunion Tour
Sawdust City Brewing Co.

473 ml can served cold into a pint glass. Another new one from the Impulse Buy pack. Cost was about $4.25 CDN. Canned September 2, 2021

Appearance - Dark chestnut brown in color, black in the glass. Capped with two fingers of loose tan head. Outstanding staying power. Spidery lacing left behind.

Smell - Piney and resinous, a splash of orange and dark , roasty aromas all mixed in one. Those aromas come across the nose in about that order too.

Taste - Some piney resin bits, orange and melon for a bit with surprising sweetness then the roasty flavors break through and finish it up. More tropical than expected especially given the appearance.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, leaning on the heavy side, a touch sticky with a prickly astringent carbonation.

Overall - A solid Black IPA, good aromas and flavors and a welcome addition to a style I personally love but has really fallen out of favor in the past few years. Given that I've seen a few more of these in mixed packs, hopefully the style can make a resurgence and while it will never match up with West Coast IPA's or NEw England STyle IPA's, hopefully it can at least be a regular in the rotation.

 

473 mL can from the LCBO, one of two new brews included in Sawdust City's Impulse Buy IPA mixed pack; dated Sep 2 2021 and served barely chilled.

Pours a dark black-brown cola colour; not quite opaque, as it takes on more of a chestnut bronze hue when held to a bright light. It's crowned with nearly an inch of smooth, foamy, light tan-coloured head that collapses within several minutes' time, caking the glass with a messy curtain of lace in the process; a thin, creamy collar also remains - looks great. Roasted malts and cocoa on the nose, with hints of coffee and earthy, dirty, resiny hops; maybe a touch of orange, licorice and cinnamon spiciness.

Not bad at all - I'm getting burnt sugars and toasted malts, with hints of dark chocolate and coffee, as well as suggestions of grapefruit, orange peel/oils and something berry-like. Hints of tropical fruit and licorice, concluding with earthy, dirty hops and pine resin that linger into a bittersweet aftertaste with touches of citrus peel and coffee grounds. Medium-full in body, with middling carbonation levels that give a little bit of a bite to this brew's smooth, fulfilling mouthfeel. Good drinkability - not something I'd want to stick with all night, but I could've gone for another glass.

Final Grade: 3.96, a B+. Sawdust City's Reunion Tour didn't really blow me away or anything, but black IPAs are an underrepresented style that I have an affinity for, so I'm sure I'd end up buying this semi-regularly if it were sold as a single. Not sure how to improve this one - the roastiness is nice, but I feel like a little more citrus character might've helped. Nonetheless, it's a worthy inclusion in this sampler pack, and I'd recommend it to BAs with an appreciation for the style.