Big Rock Brewery
Regional Brewery
in
Calgary,
Alberta,
Canada 🇨🇦
Associated with 3 Venues
Established in 1985
Contact
Subsidiaries
Description
Proud Early Bird of Craft Beer - The Big Rock Story
17,000 years ago, a glacier carried a huge rock onto the Alberta prairies where none like it had been before. This "big rock" is the glacial erratic we take our name from, as no doubt, our founder's notion of creating a craft brewery in 1985 was a bit erratic at the time.
The rooster represents our early arrival as craft brewers. It's also a bit of a nod to the "cock of the walk" bravura that Ed McNally had when he started Big Rock Brewery.
We craft our beer with our brewmasters’ skill and imagination, utilizing local ingredients and innovative processes, all rooted in Ed McNally's original passion for excellence and in doing things differently and better.
17,000 years ago, a glacier carried a huge rock onto the Alberta prairies where none like it had been before. This "big rock" is the glacial erratic we take our name from, as no doubt, our founder's notion of creating a craft brewery in 1985 was a bit erratic at the time.
The rooster represents our early arrival as craft brewers. It's also a bit of a nod to the "cock of the walk" bravura that Ed McNally had when he started Big Rock Brewery.
We craft our beer with our brewmasters’ skill and imagination, utilizing local ingredients and innovative processes, all rooted in Ed McNally's original passion for excellence and in doing things differently and better.
7.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Draught at the brewery
Cloudy blond colour, compact head. Fruity and spicy, strong hop character, but also bold malt base, with strong hop resins and quite astringent in the final. It goes back to the old style IPAs. Many elements here, rough, but good.
Cloudy blond colour, compact head. Fruity and spicy, strong hop character, but also bold malt base, with strong hop resins and quite astringent in the final. It goes back to the old style IPAs. Many elements here, rough, but good.
Tried
on 08 Feb 2019
at 17:24
6.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Draught at the brewery
Black colour, small creamy head. Mild dark ale with some caramel and some sugars; there is a light infection that adds a dimension, without the infection it would be terribly boring and in a short while this could be undrinkable, but today it's quite pleasant.
Black colour, small creamy head. Mild dark ale with some caramel and some sugars; there is a light infection that adds a dimension, without the infection it would be terribly boring and in a short while this could be undrinkable, but today it's quite pleasant.
Tried
on 08 Feb 2019
at 17:24
6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Malty and fruity notes. Clear copper with a decent white head. Caramel, toffee and a touch of wood.
Tried
on 03 Feb 2019
at 23:49
5.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 6
On tap. Darker medium brown clear body and a bit of foam. Lots of cardamom and cinnamon on the nose. Flavour is soft malt notes witb mellow cardamom. Finish is a little watery for a beer like this, could be fuller. A very middling winter ale.
Tried
from Draft
on 15 Jan 2019
at 00:41
6.2/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6
On tap at the brewpub. Has a medium clear gold body with minimal head. Aroma is lots of lemony grain. Flavour is bright grains and some soft hoppiness closer to a lager than a pilsner, but nonetheless okay. Medium mouthfeel. A standard style commercial brewpub drinker.
Tried
from Draft
on 15 Jan 2019
at 00:33
6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Clear copper brown body with a hint of foam on top. Very peachy on the nose. Flavour is muddy malts with oranginess on the aftertaste. Medium finish. Okay, rather fruity.
Tried
on 15 Jan 2019
at 00:21
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
On tap at the brewpub. Has a clear gold body and modest foam on top. Sweet hop aroma, well balances and appetizing. Flavour is sharp hops with some mellow peppery grain behind it. Dry finish. Quite nice though also rather heavy.
Tried
from Draft
on 15 Jan 2019
at 00:06
4.1/10
—
Appearance 2
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 2
Overall 4.5
355ml can. Pours crystal clear with a slight yellow-green hue and a very thin, fizzy, short lived, white head that fully dissipates. Sweet aroma of pear juice. Sweet flavour of pear juice overpowering apple juice with a dry finish. Light body with a thin, watery texture and lively carbonation. Too sweet for me.
Tried
from Can
on 28 Nov 2018
at 04:51
5/10
—
Appearance 4
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 5
355ml can. Pours a clear orange-amber with a very thin, fizzy, short lived, white head that fully dissipates. Sweet aroma of artificial peach (just like fuzzy peach candy) that overwhelms a mild apple note. Sweet flavour of fuzzy peach candy, sugar and apple juice with a dry, acidic finish. Light body with a sticky texture and lively carbonation. Too sweet and artificial for me. It's like someone dumped a peach soda into some apple juice.
Tried
from Can
on 23 Nov 2018
at 05:11
5.2/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 5
Can with a big Holiday Cheers in the middle of it, so looks like a new label this year. Clean deep amber colour with a big frothy, very light beige head, good retention and some wavy lace. Not liking the wet-sock smell from the yeast I will say. Overpowers the spices, and just not pleasant. The taste is more like it with the spices shining. Well, lets just say they are present. Everything seems a little too mild, watered-down. Wish the aromas were better and the taste, punchier.
Tried
from Can
on 23 Nov 2018
at 00:50