The weather is changing, and beer drinkers everywhere are foregoing their usual summer beers for hardier brews. No exception to that rule, I picked up Railway City Brewing Co.’s Black Coal Stout this week. Stouts, like most beers, are still great on summer days but some are a bit too thick for the really hot ones. So, I prefer the stick-to-your-bones quality of stouts on cool days. Today hasn’t exactly been cool, but the humidity is starting to pass, and I look forward to sweating less in the coming week. But enough about the weather and my overactive sweat glands, I thought this was a beer review!
Railway City Brewing Company – The Brewery
Since my last review of a Railway City Brewing Company beer, their website has been updated. Before, it primarily offered information about their hometown, St. Thomas. Now, though, Railway City Brewing’s website highlights some of their brewing practices on the homepage. Along with some technical information about their 20-hectoliter system, their homepage ensures visitors that they brew handcrafted beers locally without the use of artificial ingredients or preservatives. I picked up a couple of 473 mL tall cans at my local LCBO.
Railway City Brewing Company: Black Coal Stout – First Sip
Black Coal Stout pours a dark, dark brown. I poured this foamy brew in two stages. If I hadn’t, it would’ve overflowed my pint glass. I smell coffee, and chocolate as I take my first sip. This stout tastes just like it smells. Its bittersweet dark chocolate taste fades a bit, but it definitely lingers, providing a relatively static flavour from start to finish. As I predicted, this is a thick stout. With its high level of carbonation, this brew provides a fizzier mouthfeel than other stouts that tend to be more watery.
Railway City Brewing Company: Black Coal Stout – Last Sip
I don’t really like drinking coffee, but I love stouts and porters. Black Coal Stout has a strong bitter flavour while still retaining some sweet malty notes. I especially like the hints of dark chocolate, but because of its heaviness this isn’t a beer I’d want to have more than a couple of in one sitting. With 6% ABV, though, you probably shouldn’t have too many anyway. This is a great beer to start the night off if you’re planning on having a few, or if you’re only planning on having one or two.
I’m sure you know better, but please enjoy this beer from a glass. No, there’s no widget inside. But, if you drink Black Coal Stout from the can you’ll miss half of the experience of drinking it.
