Cranky Reviews

Lonely Howells?

An extra stout*, well isn’t that special. Or is it? And a Lonely Howl no less. I immediately thought of Thurston Howell III and Lovey, stranded on Gilligan’s Island. They must have been lonely Howells** being the only rich people stranded on the island.

Whoever invented unsalted pistachios should have known better. About the only thing they are good for is your health. I guess I can’t complain*** though because I bought them. Don’t you hate that when you pick up something then you get home and it’s not what you wanted. Your first thought is that those crafty grocers, or was it the malevolent marketing mavens, tricked you into buying something you didn’t want. Then you slowly come to realize that it was your own screw up. The path from righteous indignation to personal accountability is one I travel quickly and often.

This New Ontario brew comes with some extra extra head, tan foam frothing at the rim.  Dark and stout like in colour. A strong rrrrroasted malt aroma, no doubt it’s a stout.  A foamy first quaff mouth feel didn’t reveal it’s true nature, I have to work my way through the soap to get to the suds. There we go. Lots of roasted malt with a bit of a harsh bitter (coffee?) finish, strong and rough. I am hoping for something to evolve. The bitter abates a bit and a touch of sweet surfaces a good trend for this extra. But the sweet had no staying power and the harsh maintains its presence throughout.  The watery mouthfeel is supposed to be a hallmark of extra stouts so it checked that box.

A challenging stout experience, for extra stout lovers only. Definitely not for the novice.