Once More With Feeling

Every villain deserves a chance at redemption.  Ebenezer Scrooge got his, and look how that turned out.  Hell, even the child-slaying, planet-destroying, chokin'-a-bitch Sith Lord Darth Vader was cleared of his wrong-doings in the end.  It's fitting, then, that the evil-doers of the craft beer world be offered up their chance to balance their misdeeds with a dollop of righteous heroism.  Granville Island Brewing, would you please stand up?

It's no secret to the world that Granville Island and I do not see eye-to-eye.  On more than one occasion, their name has been spat upon within the hallowed pages of this blog.  Why?  They play the part of the progressive, forward-thinking craft brewery, all the while diverting attention away from the collar at their necks, and the leash being held by the Dark Lord Molson.  Generally speaking, this partnership results in a slew of remarkably average and yawn-inducing beer, though every once in a while, something of noteworthy quality accidentally slips through off the end of the production lines at GIB.  One such example may well be their Imperial Chocolate stout, made with Vancouver's own Rogers Chocolate, no less.

Now, at this point, you are no doubt expecting me to race to the nearest mountain top, plant my flag for microbrew domination, and shout the declaration of my infallible accuracy in branding all Granville Island beers as traitors to the cause.  However, in the interest of journalistic integrity (on Beer Cruise?  Yes, do try to contain your shock and awe), I will approach this beer as if the words 'Granville', 'Island', or 'Megagiant Producer of Fizzy Yellow Water' (see: Molson) appear nowhere on the label or thorough background checks.

So, that nonsensical and extremist rhetoric out of the way, what exactly do I think about this particular fusion of all things chocolate, malt and alcoholic?  Well, it's certainly not terrible.

Review over!  Congratulations on making a non-terrible beer Granville Island!

Ahem.  No, no I shall solider on.  "But wait," you say, "you gave your previous Granville Island beer a pretty decent review!"  You're right; I did, in fact, give their pumpkin ale a 7.5/10, not a score to scoff at.  The thing you have to consider about it is that first of all, this was the first pumpkin ale of the season that my mouth had laid lips upon, and therefore I was overly willing to surrender the goods and deliver upon it a level of praise not indicative of its actual quality.  Second...well, truth be told, there is no real second point; after trying the offerings from the likes of Howe Sound, Red Racer, Phillips and Tree Brewing, GIB's attempt at a pumpkin ale came off as potent and flavourful as a bar of soap garnished with plain jelly beans.

So their pumpkin ale was more than forgettable.  This chocolate stout, however, is not on that level of dismissive quality.  However, it's also not exactly what I would like it to be.  The chocolate is extremely, and I do mean extremely, forward and punctual, assaulting your senses like an angry honey badger.  Unfortunately, that's about where the magic ends.  The stout sadly falls flat after the first few seconds, not lingering or challenging your taste buds.  It just does not have that savoury, expansive, reaching-every-corner-of-your-mouth flavour to it.  For the absolutely intense level of aroma it offers, and the initial slam of chocolate firepower landed on your tongue, what follows can only be described as somewhat disappointing, and I'd even go so far as to say a bit boring.

But mistake me not; this is far from a bad beer.  It just lacks that level of complexity one expects from a good, high percentage imperial stout.  It's a far cry from, say, Brooklyn's Black Chocolate stout, or Young's Double Chocolate, among others.  It's not something I'd recommend outright, but I also would certainly not deter anyone from giving it a try, especially if they enjoy a nice piece of chocolate with their brew of choice.

So does this beer provide the redemption so desperately sought after by Granville Island?  Well, kinda sorta, to put it plainly.  It would be a bit like Darth Vader carrying the Emperor off towards the conveniently placed infinitely deep shaft, then at the last minute plonking him down gently and requesting that the Emperor make the jump himself because he just can't be bothered.  The intent is there, but the execution?  Hmmm.

WHELP....  Looks like I can keep on hatin' on GIB. 

Taste:  Delicious Roger's Chocolate fused with 8.4% of alcohol and sprinkled with malt and a (very slight) touch of hops.  But where's the complex flavours?  Where's that thick, rich goodness one expects from a stout of lordly caliber?

Aroma:  Again, like the taste, pretty damn shocking.  It's like your Christmas stocking, Easter basket and Valentine's day box-o-chocolates all smashed into one container.

Aftertaste:  No.  ...What are you waiting around for?  Just no, there is no aftertaste.  It falls flat on its face after a few seconds.  Aftertaste can be bad, yes, but it also allows for complexity and longevity in heftier beers such as these...and having no aftertaste at all is not the answer.

Recommended?:  Are you a chocoholic and/or a fan of stouts?  Give it a shot.  If not, give this one a pass.

Verdict:  I did actually want to like this a lot.  Yes, Granville Island and I have a history of (literary) bad blood, but come now; an imperial chocolate stout?  Why would I not want to prance through the streets proclaiming its greatness, and shamelessly bathe naked in its glory?  ...Erm...uh...yeah, why not?

Score:  7 mugs out of 10.

Speaking of Darth Vader...if you haven't seen this video your life is incomplete.