Black Oak Double Chocolate Cherry Stout

How many opportunities do you get to taste 4 versions of a rare & seasonal specialty beer side by side? Well last night Ralph of Cafe Volo offered another exciting session of lateral tastings. Available last night were the cask-conditioned, 2006 draught, 2005 draught and bottled versions. Black Oak Brewery (http://www.blackoakbeer.com/) make their dark Double Chocolate Cherry Stout with cocoa and juices extracted from real fruit grown by a local cherry farmer, explained Arian Popowycz, head brewer. It's always a treat when you can chat up the experts. He spoke in detail about the brewing process.

Although some of the technical details were difficult for me to follow, what I got out of it was this: making beer consistently is a science where many variables come into play with every batch; making good beer requires a crazy, almost obsessive attention to detail & it demands high quality ingredients. Adrian tastes every ingredient, the hops, the wort, the water. He spoke of the how important the timing & exact temperature are to the process. He said even if everything goes perfectly and the batch is just right, if the gods are not looking favourably on you on bottling day, there is the potential to spoil the product. All the hard work is really a labour of love. Like many small operations of any business, the people couldn't do it unless they had a real passion for what they do.

Opinions varied but I thought that the cask version was lightest in body & chocolate flavour but had the strongest aroma. The bottled version was more carbonated. The chocolate & sour cherry notes came through more strongly. The third 2006 draught version was very close to the bottle. I didn't get to the 2005 draught, but there's always today...

Midnight Sun Espresso Stout

This lovely, black stout is from Yukon Brewing Company of Whitehorse. This impressive 1 liter bottle was purchased on an adventure last summer to Banff, Alberta. It was put away upon return from the trip until it could be shared with Beer Friends (one of whom is a particular fan of stouts and porters). We thought, "This should be right up her alley." We paired it with the 'intense dark' Espresso Escape cacao chocolate bar from Ghirardelli of San Francisco.

In a tasting seminar Bier Goddess attended a year or two ago, it was suggested that all food pairings should either be a compliment or a contrast to the beer being drunk. This pairing was a near perfect compliment - the dark, velvetly dry flavour of the stout was enhanced by the bitter, espresso chocolate. Although the stout had 6.2% alcohol, the low carbonation made it go down smoothly, effortlessly and far too quickly. It was enjoyed as the dessert after a lovely dinner. It wasn't so long ago that it would have been inconceivable to think of eating dessert matched with a beer. But Bier Goddess has learned that just like with wine, there can be great pairings with all kinds of food. It's a matter of investigating suggestions from others and experimenting on your own.

Written on the label was the following:

Hearty northern people love a hearty stout beer. We've teamed up with Yukon's famous Midnight Sun Coffee Roaster to create this special blend. Originally developed for "Bean Queen" Zola Dore in a small batch kettle system by Yukoner Mitt Stehelin, we've retained the artisan qualities of this unique, unfiltered brew.

The robust taste of this hearty stout starts with the smooth glide of real espresso and finishes with a dry, chocolately malt flavour. Why the big bottle? You'll love it so much, you'll want to share it with a friend, or not!