Spiced Rum Imperial Stout
Waterloo Brewing

These guys are essentially working some sort of baseline beer and adding a dose of flavoured syrup. In this case a (another) porter, but they're following the same play with their radlers. Lazy brewing, but hey, just pick your favourite syrup and away you go. Looks okay, moderate head and simple on going lace. Sweet syrupy nose, boozy spice. Yeah, vaguely spicy to taste, but mostly an anonymous mess. Did not enjoy at all.

First brew from mixed seasonal pack. Going away gift from previous employer. Served cold into a pint glass. Imperial stout at 6.0% ABV? Ok.

Appearance - Dark brown, near black brew with two fingers of loose and fluffy light tan head. Pretty decent staying power.

Smell - Christmas spices, some cinnamon and maybe nutmeg, definitely a rum like aroma mixed in as well overlaying the light roasty notes underneath. Molasses could be in there too.

Taste - Way toned down spiced rum with some roasty notes. A little bit boozy and with some cinnamon.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, lightly carbonated and a touch watery.

Overall - It's not imperial strength that's for sure, but actually doesn't taste like you'd expect a watered down spiced rum porter to taste like. I wouldn't be shocked at the use of significant adjuncts, but even still this hits the spot and was a pretty good little tipple. Worthwhile and nice addition to the mixed pack.

473 mL can from the LCBO; one of three new beers included in their winter Signature Series pack. Coded Aug 7 2021 and served barely chilled.

Pours a deep mahogany brown colour with ruby red highlights; more than two fingers of foamy, billowing, khaki-coloured head erupts from the surface, then disappears within several minutes. A messy coat of sticky lace is splattered about in the process, which also leaves behind a frothy collar and thin cap. It leaves behind rings of lace as the level drops - looks fantastic in the glass. The nose is far from understated - a touch boozy, with notes of rum, molasses and caramelized malts, as well as nutmeg, cinnamon, star anise and vanilla. Just a touch of oak, too, but it's subtle; smells like a pumpkin spice stout crossed with root beer.

It's not bad at all, actually - hints of cinnamon right from the get go, joined by bready, nutty malts, milk chocolate and cocoa. Hints of rum and cola, with nutmeg and light suggestions of oak and vanilla towards the finish; it concludes with a modest boozy rum presence, with cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise and root beer echoing into a persistent aftertaste. Medium in body, with low carbonation and a smooth, kinda flat mouthfeel - it slides down the gullet easily enough, but lacks the generous, fulfilling mouthfeel I tend to expect of an imperial stout.

Final Grade: 3.71, a B grade. I was expecting Spiced Rum Imperial Stout to be my least favourite of the three beers in this Waterloo sampler, as I don't care for spiced rum... but it might actually turn out to be the best of the bunch. The vanilla bourbon beer was too sweet, and the chocolate hazelnut (which I've yet to review) also sounds too sugary for me. However, this brew counters its malt/rum sweetness effectively with its spices, which manage to provide some semblance of depth and balance - it's one of Waterloo's better seasonals, worth a try for sure. I think I'd buy this again as a single, the caveat being that I'd need to be in the mood for something spicy and a little sweet.