Cooler weather means it’s time for toastier beers

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This article was published 24/09/2022 (1131 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With this weekend’s return of the Winnipeg Wine Festival public tastings for the first time since 2019, it would be easy to overlook the timely and welcome return of heartier, more robust beers popping up at breweries, Liquor Marts and beer vendors. As the mercury drops and the leaves change colour, it’s the perfect time to switch from the crisp, refreshing pilsners, lagers, radlers and such that help beat the summer heat to brews that bring richer fall flavours.

While summer beers tend to have herbal, citrus and hoppier notes, fall brews focus deliver a more malt-forward flavour profile, typically with more depth and body.

There are plenty of new and returning local beers that will help cope with the chill of fall. The Nonsuch Altbier (Winnipeg — $4.50/473ml can, brewery, Liquor Marts, vendors), for example, is deep copper in colour and clear, bringing fresh malt, caramel, dried fruit and a very subtle herbal note. It’s medium-bodied and oh-so-malty, managing to avoid excess sweetness that comes with those and the dried fruit flavours and finishing with a nice bitterness to keep things lively. The 5.4 per cent alcohol seems just right — very good stuff. 4.5/5

Practically identical in colour in the glass is the Half Pints Brewing Co. Oktoberfest Marzen (Winnipeg — $4.49/473ml cans, brewery, Liquor Marts, beer vendors), a longtime local staple of the fall beer season. Aromatically it picks up plenty of malty notes as well, with underlying Tootsie Roll and chocolate notes that are appealing. On the light-plus-bodied palate the 6.2 per cent alcohol brings a bit of heat (in a good way) with the malt and toffee notes, and there’s a hint of bitterness that lingers on the finish. Very well done, once again. 4/5

Deep chestnut brown and slightly hazy, the Stone Angel Brewing Co. Northern Brown (Winnipeg — $4.29/473ml can, brewery, beer vendors) is a new addition to the fall beer lineup. It brings loads of roasted malt as well as toasted nut, biscuit and caramel notes on the nose. It’s light-plus-bodied and just off-dry, and the malt, nut and caramel flavours come together nicely, with next to no bitterness and a modest 4.5 per cent alcohol, making for a short but pleasant finish. 3.5/5

Another returning fall fave is the Trans Canada Brewing Co. Sidewiender Vienna Lager (Winnipeg — $3.74/473ml can, brewery, Liquor Marts, beer vendors). It’s the lightest in colour of this bunch, showing medium gold and clear in appearance. Aromatically there’s more of an emphasis on herbal, floral and spice notes, with the malty component playing a supporting role. It’s light-plus-bodied and dry, with floral, toasted oat, spice and malt flavours making for a refreshing lager, albeit one with enough depth for autumn drinking. 3.5/5

The Sookram’s Brewing Co. Occult Classic Dark Lager (Winnipeg — $4.09/473ml cans, brewery, beer vendors) is a twist on the brewery’s popular Cult Classic Pilsner, a summer fave. It’s deep cola brown in colour with an off-white head, while aromatically there’s a sharp, almost-smoky note that comes with the dark roasted malt, espresso and herbal notes. It’s medium-bodied and dry, with that slightly smoky flavour doing a decent job with the espresso, dark malt and slightly hoppy note. The five per cent alcohol seems just right on this devilish brew to enjoy before Halloween. 4/5

Stoke the campfire — even darker and richer is the Kilter Brewing Co. S’More Scout S’mores Stout (Winnipeg — $4.50/473ml can, brewery, beer vendors), which is black-coffee brown with a beige head and offers up hot chocolate, marshmallow, spice and vanilla aromas thanks to the addition of (deep breath) cocoa, graham crumbs, toasted marshmallow, smoked malt, milk sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. It’s full-bodied and medium-sweet, with the vanilla and chocolate notes front and centre, the marshmallow flavours showing up on the mid-palate and the spice and malty notes lingering on the long, warm finish (it’s 7.5 per cent alcohol). Enjoy around the fire over ghost stories. (For another darker brew from Kilter, check out its Black IPA, released in conjunction with tonight’s Nuit Blanche festivities.) 4.5/5

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