6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
On tap at Gigantic, pours a hazy yellow with a small white head. Aroma has subtle spicy citrusy hops, crisp biscuity malt, and some muddled notes. Flavour is a bit muddled, with the Riwaka coming through in not so clear a way, with an earthy palate. Not great structure, but the Riwaka is there a bit. Okay.
Tried
from Draft
at
Gigantic Brewing Company
on 19 Jun 2026
at 16:50
7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 7
Overall 8
Hazy, right orange amber colour with a small white head; aroma of toffee, brown sugar; rich, balanced flavor with a long, light bitter sweet finish, very nice
Tried
from Bottle
from
New Seasons Market - Fisher’s Landing
on 13 Jun 2026
at 06:14
6.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
500mL bottle, pours jet black with a small tan head. Aroma is full of intense scotch whiskey barrels, big roast, iodine, and a touch of dark sugars. Flavour has huge iodine from the scotch barrels, with medium roast, a touch of soy sauce, and big roast. A bit too much iodine and almost a tart soy sauce character, but has good malt depth and some nice barrel character.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Apr 2026
at 00:02
8.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 8.5
Texture 7
Overall 8
2024 bottle drunk 3/23/26.
Smells lovely. Sugar cane and warming spirit with rich cocoa-based maltiness. No sign of excessive sugar, nor hot alcohol. Just a bit of roast, appropriate. Light wood and lingering chocolate and rum seeming nicely homogenized.
Soy and vanilla in the mouth with chewy wood tannin and warming spirit. The rum is lovely; not too sharp and not too floral, but still providing light vegetal and sugar notes. Not a monster body, but not a light one, either, and it exhibits good chewiness with no sugar lingering. But importantly, it doesn't feel too dry/attenuated. You do have to like rum to drink a rum barrel RIS (shocking, I know), but if you do, this is a wonderful expression of rum. Even more importantly, I like the lack of syrup and sugar here, while also avoiding excessive roast or hop. A very nice compromise of traditional and contemporary imperial stout. As far as critique here, I COULD use a bit more malt depth.
Smells lovely. Sugar cane and warming spirit with rich cocoa-based maltiness. No sign of excessive sugar, nor hot alcohol. Just a bit of roast, appropriate. Light wood and lingering chocolate and rum seeming nicely homogenized.
Soy and vanilla in the mouth with chewy wood tannin and warming spirit. The rum is lovely; not too sharp and not too floral, but still providing light vegetal and sugar notes. Not a monster body, but not a light one, either, and it exhibits good chewiness with no sugar lingering. But importantly, it doesn't feel too dry/attenuated. You do have to like rum to drink a rum barrel RIS (shocking, I know), but if you do, this is a wonderful expression of rum. Even more importantly, I like the lack of syrup and sugar here, while also avoiding excessive roast or hop. A very nice compromise of traditional and contemporary imperial stout. As far as critique here, I COULD use a bit more malt depth.
Tried
from Bottle
from Tavour
on 23 Mar 2026
at 22:50
8.3/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 8.5
Texture 8
Overall 8
Reviewed from notes.
Bottle to snifter.
Appearance: black in color with a finger's worth of khaki foamy head which dissipated fairly quick to a good pace and didn't leave any lace
Aroma: dark chocolate, milk chocolate, vanilla, animal cracker sweetness, bourbon barrel/woody sweetness & it's subtle spiciness, coffee roastiness and dark fruits
Flavor: sweet and roasty up front through the prior noted aromas then some of the spiciness from the barrel slides in underneath; finishes sweet, roasty and spicy through the chocolate, dark fruits the barrel notes and coffee tones.
Texture: medium bodied, great sipper, some very good smoothness and an ever so slight dry tone in there
Overall: an absolutely awesome barrel aged RIS very worthy of my time.
Bottle to snifter.
Appearance: black in color with a finger's worth of khaki foamy head which dissipated fairly quick to a good pace and didn't leave any lace
Aroma: dark chocolate, milk chocolate, vanilla, animal cracker sweetness, bourbon barrel/woody sweetness & it's subtle spiciness, coffee roastiness and dark fruits
Flavor: sweet and roasty up front through the prior noted aromas then some of the spiciness from the barrel slides in underneath; finishes sweet, roasty and spicy through the chocolate, dark fruits the barrel notes and coffee tones.
Texture: medium bodied, great sipper, some very good smoothness and an ever so slight dry tone in there
Overall: an absolutely awesome barrel aged RIS very worthy of my time.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Feb 2026
at 18:51
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Reviewed from notes.
Bottle to stange glass.
Appearance: straw yellow color with some transparency about it; two finger white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: sweet grains, floral and grassy hops, light bready malts
Flavor: blends the prior noted aromas to a fine sweet and lightly hoppy quality; finishes sweet and malty
Texture: light bodied, sessionable, smooth along the tongue with an ever so slight dryness
Overall: a very nicely done Kolsch I would definitely have again.
Bottle to stange glass.
Appearance: straw yellow color with some transparency about it; two finger white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: sweet grains, floral and grassy hops, light bready malts
Flavor: blends the prior noted aromas to a fine sweet and lightly hoppy quality; finishes sweet and malty
Texture: light bodied, sessionable, smooth along the tongue with an ever so slight dryness
Overall: a very nicely done Kolsch I would definitely have again.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Feb 2026
at 18:37
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
0.50l bottle, shared with Ales. Aroma is tropical fruity, citrusy and malty with juniper note. Pours hazy amber brown color with large soapy off-white head and average sparkling
appearance. Taste starts refreshing tropical fruity and grassy, follows by juniper and tannins, mouthfeel is smooth, while finish is average bitter. Medium body, slick texture and average carbonation in palate. Gin gin ginnie…
appearance. Taste starts refreshing tropical fruity and grassy, follows by juniper and tannins, mouthfeel is smooth, while finish is average bitter. Medium body, slick texture and average carbonation in palate. Gin gin ginnie…
Tried
from Bottle
from Beer Republic
on 21 Feb 2026
at 18:48
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 7
Overall 7.5
500ml @ SF shared with Brian, Phill, and Ryan.
Aroma: American oak, some sweetness, noticeable barrel, a bit inky.
Taste: along the same lines, quite roasty, a lot of toasted barrel.
Overall: too aggressive toasted barrel here, I really prefer the whiskey variant.
Aroma: American oak, some sweetness, noticeable barrel, a bit inky.
Taste: along the same lines, quite roasty, a lot of toasted barrel.
Overall: too aggressive toasted barrel here, I really prefer the whiskey variant.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Feb 2026
at 06:26
8.3/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8.5
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
500ml @ SF shared with Brian, Phill, and Ryan. 2025 vintage.
Aroma: American oak, some sweetness and whiskey flavour.
Taste: along the same lines, moderately thick, a lot of whiskey notes, toasted barrel.
Overall: nice experience, first time I found this much of whiskey flavour with beer being boozy.
Aroma: American oak, some sweetness and whiskey flavour.
Taste: along the same lines, moderately thick, a lot of whiskey notes, toasted barrel.
Overall: nice experience, first time I found this much of whiskey flavour with beer being boozy.
Tried
from Bottle
at
Belmont Station
on 20 Feb 2026
at 06:05
7.3/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
Poured from 500mL bottle (2025 vintage, red label; 12% abv). Side by side with bourbon barrel variant. Very dark brown with minimal beige head. Slightly softer green wood note with a more robust bourbon underlay. Whiskey feature beer, prefer this over the bourbon variant just by a touch. Neither are especially complex.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Feb 2026
at 05:38