Black Oak Nutcracker
Porter spiced with cinnamon. As of 2007, unfiltered.
3.6
172 reviews
Etobicoke, Canada
Community reviews
Bottle. Kind of lifeless deep brown pour. Malty cinnamon aroma, a bit sharp. Found it quite carbonated, almost soda-like, with some sweet cinnamon and spice notes, mild malt backing. Actually fairly drinkable, but it wasn’t a deep, satisfying after-meal, watch with the game on, type beer I was expecting (and hoping for). Perhaps a decent beer, but disappointing for the style? Eh, give it a shot.
5.8% smells like christmas cake chocolate and figg pudding and thats how it taste heavy bodied but the mild carbination makes it seem empty or something.
Nearly black pour with a finger of tan head. Roasted coffee and cinnamon on the nose. More cinnamon on the palate with some chocolate and coffee notes. There’s also a bit of earthiness. Medium bodied with a lengthy bitter and spicy finish.
What in the world this was doing on shelf in June, being a seasonal beer and all, I have no idea. So I bought it. Also worth a note I wish Gretzky made a beer, like he "makes" a wine, cause this is beer number 99 for me.
This beer pours a black, inkiness as dark as my outlook was on election night. With a barely a finger of dense tan head, or 100 fingers by Hudak’s math. Nose of smoky, medicinal black cardamom, molasses, and toasted malts. Nice smooth flavour on the first try, like those first few months of any politician’s rule, before the lies and broken promises become unbearable. Toasted malts, more of that black cardamom flavour, and mild molasses sweetness. Overall very drinkable.
Single bomber from the LCBO. Pours a real dark brown with very little highlights. The beige head is slightly creamy with decent retention and some good amount of lace. Beautiful mild aromas of coffee at first, but seems to go away quickly. Roasted malt, dark fruits and then, after breathing, the cinnamon and other spices come out. Smooth wet mouthfeel (oily a tad) with a medium-full body. Roasted malt flavours with again, mild dark fruits and the cinnamon showing in the finish. Even hints of berries and mint show up which makes this interesting. Just wish it was not as mild overall.
650 mL bottle. Black with a a layer of cream head that laces. Nuts, toffee, dark fruit, breakfast blend coffee and cocoa. Slightly sweet, but well rounded out with spices and bitter roast notes. Low carbonation, moderate to full body. Thick mouth feel. Well balanced and tasty.
This porter poured a deep black colour with a quickly dissipating, tan coloured head. Scents include smoke, oak?, leather, ripe fruit and a little cocoa. First swig had a thin mouthfeel to almost watery proportion. Flavours of smoke, caramel, cigarettes and roast. Finish is quite roasty with lite coffee flavours lingering.
Very solid porter. Pours black with a small beige head. Aroma is roasted malts and small coffee. Taste is nicely roasted malts that remind me of a crackling fire with some subtle coffee. It’s nice because I don’t like coffee and am not turned off by this.
650ml bottle. A good Christmas time brew. Pours with little head. Dark rich brown. No real aroma. Soft palate, nutty roasted taste. Subtle yet appreciable.
Pours a jet black, with a mahogany brown head. Aroma notes include chocolate, nutmeg, coffee, Vanilla, tannins, and a slight ginger aroma. Tasting notes include Chocolate and Coffee upfront, tannins and slight bitterness in the middle. The ginger only makes a presence at the back end of the palate. Not a bad porter! This is a good effort, and makes for a great drink beside a fireplace with a good book!
Pours darker than PM Harper’s robotic heart, with a slight cap that laces nicely. Aroma is intriguing; taste is confused. I get slight smoke, something that just might be cinnamon, & a vegetable after taste that makes me wonder. Not what I thought it could be. Intrigued by the bourbon barrel alternative I see listed.
Part of a 650 mL bottle from LCBO served cool in a tulip glass. Finally! Deep brown-black with a thin tan film. Starts smoky/peaty (surprising), inviting dark chocolate with a little coffee, a bit of cinnamon and a little dark dried fruit. Medium body, moderate carbonation, slightly powdery and astringent. Black coffee, a minute amount of dark chocolate, a hint of peaty smoke, light cinnamon, now campfire smoke, a little tang, interesting; dry with fair bitterness and a nice, complex finish that brings in the chocolate, coffee, smoke and cinnamon. Interesting.
On tap at Bar Hop. Black with lacing. Dry roasty aroma of coffee and spice. Taste is creamy and roasty with some light fruity notes and spice. The cinnamon is somewhat subtle, rather than slapping you in the face. Well done.
2009 bottle. Nice Black pour a bit thin with a fair bit of tan head. Wonderful aroma of coffee, spice and nuts. Taste is very smooth, nuts, coffee, nice warming roast. Great beer.
Bottle - Vintage 2009 - Chocolate, caramel, spices and nutty. Jet maroon and a thin brown head. Tastes just like it smells, which is a blessing. If you can find an old bottle go get one.
On tap at Barvolo. Pours completely opaque black with a touch of dark caramel around the brim, and a thin tan head that doesn’t fade at all. Aroma has notes of roasted malt, dark chocolate and a hint of spice.Taste is a touch sweet with notes of roasted malts and a hint of chocolate. A short, slightly bitter, roasted aftertaste ends it off. Medium-full body and with a low-medium carbonation. Very slightly watery in the mouth but still a rich and creamy. A nice porter for sure. Bottle is just as good!
Picked up from the brewery. Advance screening before it hits the LCBO shelves.
Aroma: Lovely deep roasted coffee notes. Dark bready/toasty aromas.
Appearance: Opaque and black. Nice tan head, creamy look and some nice lacing. No visible carbonation.
Flavour: Toasted pumpernickel bready flavour, with dominant coffee flavour. Some spice, cinnamon I think or some nutmeg. Very seasonal. Mild hop bitterness in the finish.
Mouthfeel: Smooth and creamy, fairly full bodied with not too much carbonation, some warming alcohol feeling in the finish (the 5.8% abv gives a nice winter warmth).
Overall: Gorgeous porter. Ken at Black Oak is a really solid brewer and this is one of his favorite seasonals (I inferred from how excited he seemed while telling me about it!).
From notes. 12oz bottle at Black Oak. Pours a very dark brown with a nice small tan head. Aroma is coffee and nuts, nice sweet malts and noticeable alcohol. Mouthfeel is thick and full bodied.
On tap, pours a deep dark brown with a tan head. Cinnamon & nutmeg on the nose with bitter hops. An enjoyable winter seasonal.
Cask at C’est What. Pours black with a tan head. Smells of nuts and cinnamon with heavy malt. Tastes a medium bitter with a strong sweetness and spices. Full bodied. Light carbonation. Finishes cloyingly.
550ml draught
5.8% ABV
I tried this beer on November 25, 2011 on tap at "C’est What?" in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The beer poured a solid dark brown with a 1" creamy brown head. The aroma was roasted malt, cinnamon, and chocolate. The mouthfeel was medium to full bodied with medium carbonation. The flavour was coffee, dark fruits, and some weak spices. Very enjoyable seasonal ale.
Roast coffee taste with a small hint of tree bark. There’s a bit of a sour aftertaste. Good thick palate, light carb.
On cask at Bar Volo. Pours dark chocolate brown. Frothy tan head. Aroma of chocolate, coffee, vanilla, cinnamon and maple. Lighter than expected. Up front it’s cocoa, burnt and a little bit malty sweet. Finishes a little bitter, with an almost mineral quality (iron?). Good but not as rich as I was hoping. Little bit of a let down.
drank at mondial 2011 in mtl. pours dark brown with a decent beige head. very nice roasted malts, some smoke, light acidity, no cinnamon here. light to medium body, fizzy carbonation - a tad too much.
341ml bottle. Pours a dark brown with a nice tan head. Aroma of roasted malts, some spices (couldn’t single out cinnamon though), bit of chocolate and coffee, and some hops. Nice taste - not overly sweet, well balanced, dry with a decent finish. A very smooth and full-bodied porter - wish they distributed this outside of the local area.
nice porter, courtesy of jb84. drinks very easy and smooth, dry but not too much, sweet but not too much. the cinnimon comes through a bit more in the aftertaste, nice stuff. well balanced, and while not mind blowing, is very solid and well rounded, no flaws really.
Draft. Pours a dark bruin body with an off white head. Chewy dry and roasted malt tones. Some sweeter caramel with a bitter spiciness and some lighter hints of spice clove and cinnamon like. Bitter and drying. Decent.
Old rate. Bottle from the brewery. Aroma is potent with chocolate, nuts and some Christmas spice in the nose. Taste is very syrupy, heavy and flavourful, with a long bitter finish. Some smoke and woodiness there as well. Decent.
On cask for Cask Days at Volo in Toronto. Served in an English pint glass. Pours red-black with a small, frothy tan head. The head mostly remains but does not lace. The nose has prominent fruity and spicy notes reminiscent of Christmas cake, along with molasses and roasted malts. Hops are apparent, but not prominent. The flavour is spicy throughout and begins moderately sweet, but this is replaced by a moderate bitterness towards the end. The finish is average in length, spicy and bitter. It is medium-full in body with a creamy texture and soft carbonation. Overall, this is a nice Winter beer with a pleasant spicy quality. It tastes like liquid Christmas cake; pleasant, but the spice is a bit much for more than one. 2010-10-29
341ml bottle
Appearance : Deep black, medium head, lots of lacing.
Aroma : Roasted malt, some cooked veggies, other weird stuff. Notes of orange or something.
Taste : Roasted malt, veggies, butterscotch.
Overall : Very faint carbonation. Too much butterscotch. Not bad at first but hafl way thru I had enough and I drained pour the rest.