About
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.
Part of the group
6.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6
(Bottle 34,1 cl) Clear, dark, reddish brown with a small, beige head. Aroma of roasted malt and coffee. Fairly light body with roasted malt, coffee and perhaps some chocolate. A dry finish without much bitterness. A bit bland perhaps, but high drinkability. Courtesy of presario. 120207
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Feb 2007
at 02:29
3.1/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 3
Flavor 3
Texture 4
Overall 2.5
A pale yellow lager with a thin white head. Pissy aroma with corn adjunct and light sulfur. In mouth, a chalky malt with faint hopping, mineral, a bit oily. Can. Bought in a non descript liquor store on Jasper Ave in Edmonton, for 2.50$....rip-off.
Tried
from Can
on 15 Feb 2007
at 16:41
5.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 6
A deep red beer with a thin brown head. The aroma is sweet with primary notes of roasted malt and caramel, but also light coffee notes. The flavor is sweet mlaty with notes of cappuchino and light notes of caramel - remind me of an ice cream dessert topping. The body is thin.
Tried
on 13 Feb 2007
at 08:21
5.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 6
Tap at my local.Deep brown, small tan head. Fizzy and thin.Light coffee nose. Lightly toasty dry malt profile, somewhat bland. However, the rep told me it was a Porter, not a stout
Tried
from Draft
on 13 Dec 2006
at 22:58
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
On tap at The Railway Club, Vancouver. Amber, thin beige head. Quite nice fruit on aroma. Closest thing to an English beer so far on this trip. Slight yeast, good malt, like a British best bitter on the aroma. Some caramel. Malty fruit in mouth is very pleasant.Hopevidenced on end balances the malt well. I like it. Uncomplicated bitter.
Tried
from Draft
on 15 Oct 2006
at 15:59
3/10
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Appearance 2
Aroma 3
Flavor 3
Texture 4
Overall 3
Hazy yellow colour. Slight uric aroma with creamed corn background. Very light palate, almost the marshmallowy sweetness of a weizen. Has some light corn and sugar notes, like the crust of a pastel de choclo. Finishes almost candyish. Surpringsly drinkable, considering.
Not sure which is more disagreeable...the can which is a direct ripoff of the Bowen Island cans (hey, Big Rock, you sold the brand and now you rip them off, wtf?) or the fact that they invent a brewery (Pine Creek?) rather than just admitting that this is a Big Rock beer. In fact, I’m probably more annoyed that our government lets them get away with it, that our government lets them flat-out lie to the public, than the fact that Big Rock does it.
Not sure which is more disagreeable...the can which is a direct ripoff of the Bowen Island cans (hey, Big Rock, you sold the brand and now you rip them off, wtf?) or the fact that they invent a brewery (Pine Creek?) rather than just admitting that this is a Big Rock beer. In fact, I’m probably more annoyed that our government lets them get away with it, that our government lets them flat-out lie to the public, than the fact that Big Rock does it.
Tried
from Can
on 03 Sep 2006
at 01:25
5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 5
Dark brown colour. Light chocolate and some lactic acid in the nose. Nutty, lightlyl fruity body. Fairly bland. Yeah, not much going on. Which means they’ve hit the mark of imitating Guinness.
Tried
on 27 Aug 2006
at 22:22
2.6/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 2
Flavor 3
Texture 2
Overall 2.5
Cloudy pale yellow. Light apple skin aroma with a wheaty flavour. Thin body. Hints of spice and some dirty diaper notes in the finish. I’m not a fan.
Tried
on 27 Aug 2006
at 22:20
5.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 6
Deep reddish amber ale with a thin off white head. Light aroma of roasted malts, and nuts. In mouth, the same roasted malted grains with light caramel, and rather light body. Quaffable. Bought in singles bin at LCBO. 1.50$.
Tried
on 23 May 2006
at 17:30
5.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 7
Texture 4
Overall 6.5
Golden wheat with a creamy white head. Malty aroma with grassy light mineral notes. In mouth, refreshing malt, cooling, biscuitty notes, medium bodied.
Tried
on 17 Apr 2006
at 15:31