Beer O'Clock: It's a Stout

I should have never opened my first can when my kid was in the kitchen, making chocolate pudding.

I should have known that the intoxicating aromas of sweet chocolate would interfere with my senses as I tried to discern the bouquet of my glass of stout that was infused with roasted cocoa nibs. But man, did those two aromas ever mix well.

As the winter months draw near, I tend to move from lighter, fruitier beer to those with more body and depth—not that an IPA can't have that and still quench my thirst on a hot summer's day. But I tend to go with darker, malty brews in colder weather.

This week, with Ottawa's first snowfall of the season (yes, it's still autumn), was the perfect time to dig into a new stout. And while I had my first can of this stout when Kid 1 was making that rich chocolate pudding, before the snow, I had my second sampling of it yesterday, with no other aromas to interfere.

Some of my initial observations, regardless of the pudding's interference, still hold true.

Let's take a look at this stout in detail.

It's a Stout (5.8% ABV)
Kensington Brewing Company
Toronto ON

Appearance: dark walnut, like black coffee, with a foamy, crème brulée head that settles to a creamy, thin, taupe cap that clings to the side of your glass as you tilt it forward to drink.

Nose: the first time that I stuck my nose into my glass and took a sip, I detected a rich, roasted coffee and perfectly contrasting milk chocolate, but that was the pudding interfering with my senses. The second glass, a day later, still gave me the espresso notes but they were backed by more pronounced cocoa and hints of malt. Still intoxicating.

Palate: the coffee comes first and foremost, a product of the roasted malts. The cocoa is there but is not as strong on the tongue as it is in the nostrils. The cocoa comes more into play with the dry finish that includes a bit of tobacco.

Overall impression: this is a beauty of a stout, and it's no wonder. It took the gold medal at both the 2021 and 2022 Canadian Brewing Awards. It reminds me of a classic, dry Irish stout, with the added flavour of cocoa.

It went perfectly with the pudding, by the way.

If Kensington Brewing doesn't mind, I'd like to quote their label, as it really did strike a chord with me and summed up my thoughts as well:

Face it, summer's over. Get ready for another 5 months of getting up in the dark and coming home in the dark. Do you like wet feet, frozen fingers, and salt stained shoes? SURE HOPE SO! Look, we didn't ask for this either, but we've got something that'll do the trick.

I agree. Kensington's It's a Stout is the perfect brew for the upcoming winter, when we tend to spend our evenings in the warmth of the indoors, hopefully with friends and loved ones. If you love stout, you'll love this one.

Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺🍺

You can pick this brew up at select grocery stores or your friendly neighbourhood LCBO. Of course, it's also available for online orders directly from the brewery.

Cheers!