Hibernator 2021

Hibernator 2021 is a 10% bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout blend that includes cherries, ginger, orange peel, and vanilla beans. This bruiser comes from Toronto and the gang at Bandit Brewery. It’s sold in 750mL bottles which probably shouldn’t be consumed alone before dinner, but what are you, my mom? Back off! Sheesh.

The 2021 edition of Hibernator is a darkest black, with a dark brown head. The beer has a gargantuan aroma, built around sweet, wood, and booze. The fragrance is sorta like a boozy chocolate orange, supplemented with bourbon-y vanilla. The flavour is extremely sweet, with notes of orange, chocolate, and molasses. The barrel-aging gives the the beer a woody depth and some big bourbon heat. The vanilla comes through well, but I wasn’t able to really pick up much in the way of ginger and some cherry tartness might have taken some of the edge off.

I think I missed out on H:2020, but I definitely liked H:2021 better than H:2019, which I found to be too coconut-driven. Here, there was a bit better integration of the flavour elements, particularly the orange peel. In truth, though, I still found the 2021 iteration to be way too sweet.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Minutes to Midnight

Minutes to Midnight is a mighty 11.1% barrel aged imperial stout brewed with vanilla, cherries, and cocoa. Born in Toronto to Bellwoods Brewery, M2M comes in 500mL bottles. It has a powerful and wildly sweet aroma that is primarily woody with bourbon notes, along with some cherry elements. The flavour is extremely potent, with vanilla and chocolate leading the charge up front, with sour cherry waiting in reserve. Nestled among these flavours are notes of molasses and tobacco, as well as a huge crush of ol’ fashioned booze.

Another bulky edition to Bellwoods Brewery’s catalogue of strong ass stouts, M2M is a strong and flavour-packed ale. To my mind, it’s a touch too sweet and the cherry is a little to dominant at the back end, but the overall effect is still quite enjoyable.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.