Bend Brewing Co Canadian Coldfront

**Aroma:** “Cinnamon, cayenne, ashy roast, dark and milk chocolate, and yes, tobacco. The ash is a little unpleasant, but everything else works well together. Moderate mint, with cinnamon and light chile pepper. Deep richness, with notes of tobacco and leather. Chocolate, with a hint of mole spice, and some fruity notes of cherry, as well as chile powder, earth, and maybe a touch of Brett.” **Flavor:** “More chocolate that other Mexican chocolate stouts, with the cinnamon and cayenne being fairly subdued up front. The flavors grow the longer the beer sits on the palate. Chocolate mint, with cinnamon, vanilla, and just a hint of vanilla spice. A rich, creamy mouthfeel reminiscent of oats or lactose in the grain bill. The capsaicin and alcohol heat hits, then fades into the aftertaste, leaving a vague Thin Mints finish, along with more heat. A very balanced finish.” **Overall:** “Love the body of this beer, mainly because it is so chewy, but then it finishes dry and hot, making you want more. So much complexity, which is typical of the style, but it blends together better than most. It’s quite smooth for a beer with chile spice—nicely subdued, but still present enough to add an interesting background. It’s a nice mix of sweet, chocolate, spice, and roast.”

__Aroma:__ “Intense aroma of plums and currants with some fig, and as it warms, more fruity flavors or chocolate-covered raisins and dark stone fruit emerge. Slight roasted character comes through, with dark chocolate, coffee, and a slight creamy sweetness that’s evident in the back. A bit of charred marshmallow. Very welcoming.” __Flavor:__ “Fruit esters come through on the flavor, with well-rounded plum and date flavors. Great milk chocolate and malt sweetness with slight toffee in the back. From start to finish, it rides the line between sweet and bitter roast, and no one flavor dominates—they start and finish together. Lots of warmth on the mouthfeel—it’s really amazing, creamy, and smooth as it carries the flavors.” __Overall:__ “This is a really great beer. The fruity esters and flavor provide an interesting complexity in a style that is often so dominated by roast that it’s difficult to find other flavors. A definition of a balanced yet big stout, with hefty amounts of roast and sweetness in almost equal parts.”

Resinous pine aroma is almost a little sticky. The flavor expands on this, with orange, grape, and a bit of green pepper. The bitterness blooms on your tongue but never overpowers the rest of the flavor. The bitter resin finish stays with you as a pleasant reminder. Strong malt balance supports the beer.