Jail Fire Raichbier

 

I’ve had very few Ontario-born rauchbiers, but I ordered a bunch of Jail Fire Raichbiers from Muddy York Brewing Co. for my brother as part of his Christmas gift and couldn’t resist snagging one for myself. The 6%, 25 IBU beer from Toronto comes in 355mL cans. The name pays homage to an 1862 fire that nearly disrupted construction of Toronto’s notorious Don Jail. The beer is flavoured with beech-smoked malt. It’s a clear ale with a handsome copper colour and a short-lived off-white foam.

Jail Fire has an undeniably smokey and malt-driven aroma, though it isn’t nearly as robust as some other rauchbiers on the market. The flavour is significantly smokier, though still not outrageous. Alongside the campfire vibes, there are burnt caramel notes and just a touch of spicy bitterness.

I liked Jail Fire a fair bit, though I’d have liked a bit more bombast. When I crack a rauchbier, I want to be overwhelmed by beechwood smoke; this one merely “whelmed” me.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Clair-obscur

Clair-obscur, from Archibald Microbrasserie in Quebec City, is a schwarzbier, a German-style smoked dark lager. It’s a 5.5% brew sold in 473mL cans. It’s a black, cola-coloured lager with a thin layer of short-lived, off-white head.

With its powerful smoky aroma, Clair-obscur has loads roasty malt notes. The flavour is smokier still, with serious campfire energy, along with a bold, slightly sweet malty vibes. The finish remains persistently smoky, with just a hint of bitterness.

I love a nice schwarzbier, and Clair-obscur gets the job done with aplomb. It has a nice strength (honestly, it tastes stronger than 5.5%) and a lovely flavour, though I’d like a touch more back-end bitterness.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.