Tamarack Stout
Grain Bin Brewing Company

 

650ml bottle - no indication as to what kind of stout this is on the label, so I guess we have to do this the old-fashioned way.

This beer pours a solid black abyss, with subtle amber basal edges, and three zaftig fingers of puffy, rocky, and well-bubbly brown head, which leaves some splendid frilly and webbed lace around the glass as it slowly sinks away.

It smells of roasted caramel malt, bittersweet cocoa powder, some muddled dark orchard fruitiness, and very tame leafy, earthy, and weedy green hop bitters. The taste is bready and doughy caramel malt, some free-range char, medium-dark chocolate, a hint of anise spice, some red berry fruitiness, and more leafy, mildly citrusy, and piney verdant hoppiness.

The carbonation is fairly laid-back in its workaday frothiness, the body a solid middleweight, and mostly smooth, just a bit of weird woodsy ashiness getting stuck in my upper palate. It finishes off-dry, the caramel, cocoa, fruit, and somewhat askew smokiness ruling the lingering day.

Overall, this is an enjoyable and strangely compelling offering, with lots of robust flavours abounding. The roasted character is interesting, yet I can't say exactly why. Whatever, just drink this one up, and imagine that the brewer used the smoked wood from the titular tree to infuse things here with a touch of whimsy.