Rush Moving Pictures
Henderson Brewing Company

 

Soooo excited to try this beer, July 2021
Pours a creamy frothy almost 1 finger tan head with good retention, sticky lacing, hazy cranberry red to chestnut color

Nose sweet candi sugar, toffee, caramel, candied apple, a bit of port-like red wine, wine candy like, nice fruity malt-derived esters as well, plum, cherry like, a bit of biscuity toffee, light perfumey smooth alcohol

Taste brings sweet candy and fruit, candied apple, sweet plum dessert, sweet red wine, rich sweet wine, candi sugar and a little caramel, sweet bread crust, toffee, light smooth alcohol, a little berry and various glog-like spices, little prune and fig, turning to a touch of bitterness, mild spicy hop late, a bit sticky finish with a bit more alcohol

Mouth is med to fuller bod, med-higher frothy carb, fair warming alcohol, a touch syrupy

Overall an interesting rich heavy full beer, def a winter sipper, not a late spring drinker, but fairly tasty

500 mL bottle from the LCBO; "brewed July 2021" on the label. Served barely chilled.

Pours a deep, foggy amber-bronze colour, capped with about one finger of smooth, foamy, cream-coloured head that settles off within five minutes or so. It leaves behind a thick, creamy collar encircling a frothy cap, with a few blotches of lacing flung about in the process; looks great to me, but the aroma is pretty straightforward. Hints of red wine and grape on the nose, mixed in with notes of raisin, fig and treacle; moderately boozy, though I'd still say it's well-masked for 14%.

This is a palatable dark ale, but not necessarily an outstanding strong, Belgian-style one. Quite sweet, with candi syrup, treacle, fig, baked apple, raisin and blackcurrant; grape must gives both a hint of tartness as well as some tannic astringency, joining a hint of herbal anise and woodiness towards the finish. Boozy, fruity aftertaste that starts sweet but concludes with grape skin dryness - a real chest-warmer, and a little too hot for my preferences, but I guess that comes with the double digit abv. Full in body, with moderately low carbonation that gently nudges the surface of the palate; feels quite smooth, and slightly tongue-numbing. Fair drinkability, but half a litre is more than enough for me.

Final Grade: 3.93, a B+. Henderson's / Rush Moving Pictures is an unabashedly big, boozy beer, but I suppose that's on point for a beer titled after one of the best Canadian albums (and bands) of all time. Don't get me wrong, I like the Hip, and Neil Young too, but c'mon. It doesn't match up to the Belgian equivalents (or even the Québécois equivalents, to be honest), but by Ontario standards it's a well-managed stab at a stronger than average Belgian dark ale. The grape must gives it a unique character, and it's an intense brew to experience, yet it lacks much of the complexity and depth that I have come to associate with this style. Pricey, but overall I'd say it's worth the tick whether you're a Rush fan or not.

Canadian Belgian. None truly succeeded thus far, perhaps Unibroue. Let's see how this goes. I am cognizant of the wine must, so it will be unique.
Pours beautiful dark copper. The nose is right, Belgian trappist, though slightly too much fig.
The taste is very interesting. The wine must steers it away from the abbey like style and into sour territory, though tolerable so. Very boozy.
I think I like it enough to enjoy. Surprisingly so. It's well balanced in what it's trying to do. Not something I would buy again (okay I didn't, it was a gift), but I expected worse.
The Rush label is a nice added gimmick. Certainly better than the Robinsons Brewery's usage of Iron Maiden.

14% abv brew 500 ml bottle served cold into a tulip. LCBO purchase for $14 Cdn. A suitable brew for my 2,250th and a grey cup Sunday featuring the local football team.

Appearance - dark amber with two fingers of off white head initially coalescing into a smaller half finger frothy cap. Minimal lacing but incredible staying power.

Smell- subdued nose when cold. Some caramel treacle and molasses with some yeasty aspects and suggestions of dark fruits. More quad like than anything else.

Taste-some fruity aspects, pear skin and other touches of orchard fruit with a white grape must. Elements of wood as well. There’s some sweetness and malt ones as in molasses and caramel but subdued. A lot going on but not necessarily cohesive. Booze is pretty well hidden in the flavour.

Mouthfeel - light carbonation, full bodied of course. Insanely dry and huge warming presence in the back of the throat.

Overall- a very unique brew, part Belgian with saison elements some English style things going on and the 14% abv is well hidden until it hits the back of your throat. With all that said, I’m not sure how cohesive it is and is a beer I’d prefer to split and am not in a hurry to get another.

The beer was served in a tulip glass at just below cellar temperature, 10°C / 50°F.

Looks:
The beer pours and presents beautifully in the glass. Very bright. The colour is a deep brown with reddish, copper tints with a lighter tan head but the voluminous head didn't persist.  Carbonation is acceptable.

Smell:
Now, As they say looks can be deceiving. The nose is very muted and doesn't imply a Belgian Dark Strong Ale. No appreciable bread , toast, caramel, spice, dark fruits as expected. Hops are out of the way as expected. There is a slight citrusy note. 

Taste:
Great Geddy Lee!!  Quaffers of dark, Belgian-styled brews expect the palate to reflect the nose and, like the nose, it does... it is also muted. I attribute that in part to the forward tartness present from the wine must, which throws it out of balance. This is supposed to be beer. Not a cooler. Not wine. Want wine? Go for a Norman Hardy or a Tawse Pinot Noir. But I get it. We are talking about RUSH here -  Iconoclasts and non-conformists. THAT is this beer!!

Feel:
The carbonation is decent and holds up through the session but I take big sips (no chugging!), which is typically how one should enjoy big Belgian beers. A generous swig allowed the carbonation to form a velvety mousse that covers the palate.

Overall: Is it a big Belgian Dark Strong Ale? We'll, it's dark and they may have used Belgian malts. Probably used a high-gravity, Trappist/Abbey yeast.  No question, it is well made in that brewing a high gravity beer can get out of hand and you can end up with a super hot, fusel alcohol laden, clove bomb. This isn't that.  Clearly the wine must is the prominent feature here which is why I have a hard time with the moniker of 'Belgian-styled' beer as represented. Perhaps they should have chosen a different base beer. Don't expect Aschel, or a Chimay Blue Cap or other Belgian Dark Strongs.  As a RUSH fan, I had to try it. I actually bought 3 ... I wonder why??  Two are in the cellar and I will revisit them next year to see if,  like the beer's namesake, they have stood the test of time or, is this the brew's time in the LIMELIGHT....yikes!...sorry about that.

If all the world's indeed a stage, then this beer is the sepia backdrop you've been looking for. With it's deep amber tone (as one might expect from an ale), it bears the sweet bouquet of a white wine that entices the palate with the piquant character of a red wine. This is a complex and intoxicating beer that would best be enjoyed by the fire with a loved one when it's -40c outside and a heavy snowfall warning is in effect. Ideal food to accompany: filet mignon seasoned with smoked paprika.