Mara

Mara is a weird one. It’s a 9% alcohol bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout brewed with salted peanuts. Born in Toronto and sold in 500mL bottles, Mara is the brainchild of Blood Brothers Brewing. It’s a dark brown ale that pours murkily and with a thin tan head.

To my beak, Mara had a salty, slightly smoky aroma that incorporated a lot of its peanut pedigree. The flavour is honestly pretty wild—it has nuttiness and saltiness, but these notes are played against heavy chocolate elements, coffee, booze, and a woody sweetness. The beer tastes strong, but not 9% strong. And the back end is sweet, with a bourbon streak.

Mara is a weird one. It’s salty, smoky, and strong. It’s sweet, yet savoury. It’s good and interesting, but at $12 a bottle, I’m unlikely to reach for it again. It’s a bit more novelty than truly excellent beer, but there is some flair.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.