Rye Barrel Aged Blackburne
Left Field Brewery

355 mL can from the LCBO, one of three Blackburne variants included in their winter mixed pack. Dated Sept 21 2023 and served barely chilled.

Pours inky black with glints of crimson red when held to the light. Just over a finger of frothy brown head sits atop, whittled away within three minutes' time; a tight collar survives indefinitely, with minimal lace production. The aroma is fantastic - I'm getting rye whiskey booziness, caramel, wood and spicy, herbal notes, with lesser notes of vanilla, licorice, dark chocolate and coffee.

A splendid imperial stout with a flavour profile both varied and intense. Dark chocolate, chocolate fudge, caramelized sugars, treacle, coffee, oak and vanilla, with hints of roasted grains, spice and herbal licorice. The rich rye whiskey and barrel flavours really shine on the back end, continuing into a boozy aftertaste with lingering dark chocolate and spiciness. Full-bodied with weak carbonation; feels soft, smooth, slick and oily, but 'thick' or 'generous' are both a stretch. Very well-integrated alcohol - this'd be dangerous in a larger format.

Final Grade: 4.21, an A-. While my liquor-drinking days are long behind me, I always preferred rye over most other whiskeys, including bourbon. Naturally, I was pumped to try Left Field's Rye Barrel Aged Blackburne, having thoroughly enjoyed their original Blackburne, as well as a few of its other variants. This is possibly my favourite so far, with my only complaint being that it's a little thinner than I'd like out of a (nearly) 11% stout - a minor problem at worst, and it doesn't tarnish the experience much, if at all. Highly recommended; I really hope I have the opportunity to drink this again.

very well done, yes rye is distinctive on a very good imperial stout base. Small cans work just fine! above average aroma and mouthfeel contribute. Great three-pack.

355 ml can served cool into a tulip. Review from notes. From the Left Field Sampler pack.

Appearance - Near black in color with a dominating darkness. A finger of dense tan head rests on top and stays a while.

Smell - Dark roasty malts, some wood, a spicy note that makes this recognizable as rye, a light graininess with more wood filling things up.

Taste - Dark chocolate, wood some smoke and light grainy and spicy flavors. Smoothly integrated. Could be a little molasses in there too. Pretty yummy and the rye is very well integrated without dominating.

Mouthfeel - Full bodied with middling-low carbonation. Pretty easy to drink and a bit sticky but not overly so. Some warming in the back of the throat, but this brew doesn't bludgeon you with the ABV.

Overall - Well crafted and a beer that I was very much looking forward to and it didn't disappoint. While I think the Bourbon Barrel Aged variety was a little better, a little more intense and a little more cohesive, this is still a very well crafted ale and worth the price of admission.