Whistler Chestnut Ale

Originally posted in The Brandon Sun, March 10, 2017

This week we’re checking out Chestnut Ale by Whistler Brewing out of Whistler, BC. Nearly two years back I reviewed Whistler Brewing’s Honey Lager and it turned out to be one of my most popular reviews I’ve ever written. I don’t recall writing about nut brown ales anytime recently and I really don’t even remember the last time I had a nutty brown ale at all!

Nut brown ales are one of my favourite winter appropriate styles alongside stouts, porters, barley wines and bocks. Whistler’s Chestnut Ale tops out at 5.0% ABV and is described as having nutty bold character complimented by deep brown amber hues and a little level of hops for a clean by crisp finish.

The Chestnut Ale pours a real nice ruby red ale with a very thick amount of frothy light beige foam on top. The aroma is pretty sweet to the nose as it is giving off the aroma of lightly burnt toffee, a rich nuttiness of chestnuts and creamy milk chocolate. To say that this is smelling like a desserty beer would be an understatement - everything about this beer just screams indulgence! The taste of the beer starts off mildly nutty from the chestnuts, followed by a rich, heavy flavour of toffee that coats the entirety of my mouth, a hint of vanilla, chocolate and a light amount of woodiness at the very end.

What surprised me about the beer is how sweet it was compared to your typical nut brown ale as the toffee seemed to pop out big time in this beer. I would put this in the same category as most Innis & Gunn beers and Muskoka’s Winter Beard Stout, beers that are incredibly sweet and best enjoyed by a roaring fire right before bed as you can hear the wind howling outside. You can find Whistler’s Chestnut Ale at the Corral Centre and South End Liquor Marts for $2.12 per 330mL bottle. Incredibly affordable for a nice barley dessert. 3.5/5 Pints

Beers on Clearance: Every few months Liquor Marts clears out old stock to make room for new products. Here’s a few beers I recommend picking up at your local Liquor Mart’s clearance rack before it’s gone for good!

Dunham Berliner Melon Weisse - Seeing this beer makes me sad, Dunham is easily one of the top 3 breweries in Canada but hey.. the beer has to go! This beer is a sour wheat ale with a hint of melon to it. Light floral and bitter hoppiness and full on flavour for a beer that’s only 3.5%. $7.40 per 750mL bottle

Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale - I remember trying this for the first time in 2011 when a friend brought a four-pack of this from Minot. If you are a fan of saisons like Dunham’s Saison Rustique, Half Pints’ Saison de la ceinture fléchée or Unibroue’s Blonde de Chambly, you will absolutely enjoy this beer. $3.47 per 355mL bottle

Fuggles & Warlock Personas West Coast Common - Fuggles & Warlock has my vote for BC’s best new brewery for 2016. Personas is a California-style amber lager brewed with a special yeast. It has a slight fruity flavour with a nice malty backing to it. Quite hoppy and tropical for a lager. $5.75 per 650mL bottle

http://www.whistlerbeer.com/beers/chestnut-ale/