Singularity - Driftwood Brewery

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

650ml bomber poured into tulip 27/6/11

A nearly black but has some dark cola at the edges, dark tan two finger head falls fast leaving little in the way of lace, looks pretty basic

S nose is smokey vanilla, woody booze and some coffee, all fairly strong and the effect from the barrels isn't over the top but pretty hard to miss

T thankfully the flavor mimics the smell quite well, a little more bourbon with some chocolate covered raisins but that's not a bad thing, the booze could be better concealed but that's my only complaint

M thick, slick and oily, just enough carbonation to give it some life, feels very nice just a little booze burn keeping it from perfection

O this is a great brew for sure and one of the better beers I've had from Canada, very well rounded and no flaws other then booze feel and that's to be expected at nearly 12%

could use some aging for sure but that can be done thanks to chickenm and EskimoDave because they were both nice enough to send me bottles of the stuff. this ones worth looking for and buying a few extra for aging

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 01:25:55 | More by wordemupg

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Notes from 4/8/11
Thanks to korguy123 for this bottle!
Served in Founder's tulip glass @ 45F.

A - Black with one finger of espresso coloured head that left some good lacing behind in the glass.

S - Heavy bourbon scent up front with oak. Not much else comes through on the nose.

T - Bourbon and oak are the predominant flavours, but without being overwhelming. Some sweet molasses, vanilla and light roasted malt notes come through. This beer is somewhat one dimensional with the bourbon barrel flavours dominating the palate (bourbon, oak, vanilla). It would be nice if more of the roasted malt flavours were present. That said, the bourbon barrel flavours that come through are spectacular. So it is hard to be too critical of this beer.

M - Medium to full body. Light carbonation.

O - An excellent example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 21:00:22 | More by TheSevenDuffs

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Notes from 03/06/2011
Into DFH Snifter

A- A totally black pour, cola colored around the edges when held to light. Tight bubbles form a thin dark khaki head. Lacing is decent.

S- Dark chocolate and mild coffee notes. Slight vanilla and brown sugar. Slight smokiness to it. Bourbon and oak are both there and round everything out well.

T- Bourbon right off the bat, dark chocolate and bitter roasted coffee. Vanilla and brown sugar ass a sweetness in the back end. Slight alcohol burn on the way down with a slight bitter aftertaste.

M- Medium to full bodied. Warming alcohol and slight carbonation prickle.

O- Good representation, great overall. Needed a little time to mellow out a bit.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 01:31:00 | More by korguy123

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Near black, minimal tan head that hangs around the edge of the glass, some spots of lace show up. Big bourbon presence in the nose, roast malt comes through, nice oaky notes, coffee, bittersweet chocolate, the oak is really impressive here. Taste is of bourbon, oak, vanilla bean, nice roasty notes, alcohol is present and at times a little high, coffee comes through in the finish, well balanced. Full body, nice dense weight, light to medium carbonation, syrupy at points. Solid brew, one of the tastiest bourbon barrel stouts from Canada for sure I wish I had a bottle to put away for a year or so.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2011 16:27:30 | More by peensteen

ritzkiss

Ontario (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Blind tasting of RIS, about 20 of the highest ranked on this site - and this one won out. Thanks to EskimoDave who sent it my way.

Black pour, finger of light khaki head. Ok retention. Nose reveals this is heavy on the barrel - loads of vanilla, bourbon, brown sugar, huge roasted malt notes, chocolate.

Loads of barrel in the taste as well, almost overwhelming the base which comes off as a little thin in comparison. Vanilla, roasted malt, chocolate, loads of brown sugar, a sort of cinnamon toast crunch character, sweet and rich, smooth and silky. Could perhaps use some more balance and complexity in the base, though I love all the barrel coming through in so many ways; neat character. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 01:08:09 | More by ritzkiss

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottled sampled at Volo, presented in a tulip. Bottle is labelled as being LCBO lab tested at 13.8% ABV. Yowzers.

Poured pitch black, not a ray of light getting through this. Thin collar of retention, and minimal head. Mild lacing, but this is a huge stout. Nose is bourbon right off the bat, some oak and vanilla as well. Digging way deeper I get a sense of some dark roasted coffee and a hint of the alcohol. Well hidden, although the barrel dominates the nostrils here. Taste is predominantly bourbon and oak, until midway through the palate some silky milk chocolate and vanilla comes through. Some sweetness and finishes with a coffee-like roastiness. Great, silky mouthfeel and real bourbon-y. Lots of the bourbon 'flavour' without burning like straight bourbon. Oak and some vanilla notes begin to almost overtake the bourbon as it reaches room temperature; two different beasts in this one. A great RIS overall, and we agreed that this would be awesome to have a bottle to sit on and see how it develops. Awesome.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2011 16:13:40 | More by liamt07

Weebay

Ontario (Canada)

4.9/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Completely black, with a small black tan head.

Smell: Chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, coffee. An amazing smelling beer.

Taste: Coffee, Chocolate, Bourbon, with a little vanilla.

Mouth feel: Viscous, but not overly so.

Drinkability: Dangerous. This beer is full of flavour, but not overly so. You can savour each sip and pick out something different every time.

Overall: I have to agree with a previous review, this beer is like the Bourbon County Stout only a much more drinkable enjoyable version. I did really like the BCS, only I found it to be a little too strong/syrupy like. This beer has all the great characteristics of the BCS and none of the qualities I didn't like.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 23:25:56 | More by Weebay

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I love the BA guys out West, love their reviews. Ok, a rare bottled West beer they didn't send out to me already that's good. Volo:$46 with tax and tip, sharing with Jason. Its black and almost no head. Way too cold, half an hour into it as it warms I get a cask head, some trace of lace condensation on the side of the glass. A little boozy and chocolate aroma, and some strange spice in the finish that seems sour.Its closer to room temperature, and its very bourbon, some oak, carbonation is there.Smooth, buttery, as warmer and there is more coffee and coconut. 14% alcohol as rated by LCBO. Bourbon takes over as the smell. Chocolate in the sediment.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 05:11:24 | More by northyorksammy

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Black with a tan head, thin ring of retention, leaves a bit of lace.

S: Alcohol & oak are readily apparent, brown sugar, molasses, great fruity esters, toffee, light spicing.

T: Caramelized raisins, piny hops, black-strap molasses, licorice, sponge toffee, bourbon & oak, roasted nut, candy floss, burnt caramel, assertive bitterness, alcohol on the cusp of becoming harsh.

M: Highly attenuated, light acidity and a strong, drying alcohol finish.

D: A sensational sipper.

I was expecting more west-coast hopping, but this one's actually leaning towards a historic British brew (minus the bourbon).

It's not harsh, but it'll be interesting to see how it cellars & mellows.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2011 22:20:01 | More by Derek

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4.63/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer looks like the goods with its all black label and silver foil plus the way cool name. Luckily the beer is world class ( well worth the $12) in that is delivers a barrel aged RIS that is muscular and complex but becomes focused and very drinkable as it warms up. Yes, this beer needs a few years in the cellar to truly meet its full potential but already this is amazing stuff that tastes of the wood but never forgets what makes a RIS so special. One of the best beers made in BC? Yes, and expect this release to be hyped in future as the reputation of Singularity increases

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 18:48:25 | More by canucklehead

BDTyre

British Columbia (Canada)

4.68/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Amazing. Driftwood have never disappointed, and this is one more in a series of hits.

Black with a thin, frothy head. Very clingy.

Chocolate, wine, bourbon and sweet, candied fruits fill the nose. Dark chocolate and oak-aged bourbon abound in the taste. Very rich, very well-balanced. Even at 11.8% the alcohol is just a hint.

Smooth, creamy with low carbonation. Very nice to drink. An RIS in the classical sense, but taken up a notch (or several). I've been waiting for Driftwood to do a stout and they've really come through on this.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2011 06:24:33 | More by BDTyre

Hornet2003

British Columbia (Canada)

4.53/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Completely black. Chocolate-coloured head with creamy, small bubbles that linger.

Smell: Chocolate, vanilla, whiskey, coffee. This beer is quite exceptionally complex. Lots of dark flavours and the whiskey gives a slight alcohol aroma.

Taste: A punch in the face of whiskey and coffee. The malt is sweet and the whiskey lends a nice vanilla flavour. The chocolate is a lot more subdued in the flavour.

Mouthfeel: Extremely smooth and creamy. Slight prickliness from the alcohol burn.

Drinkability: As high as it can be with a ridiculous 11.8% alc/vol. No more than 1 per night, otherwise this would catch up with you. Great sipping beer on a cool/wet Vancouver evening.

Overall: This beer reminds me a lot of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. This is a slightly less intense interpretation. But in my book, that is a good thing as the Goose Island was so overpowering that it was borderline undrinkable beyond <6 oz samples. The Driftwood is definitely easier to drink and an extremely enjoyable Imperial Stout. Honestly, it's hard to find a bad Driftwood beer. These guys/gals are just so damned consistent in an incredibly varied portfolio of ale styles.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2011 22:52:54 | More by Hornet2003

ericj551

British Columbia (Canada)

4.78/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

This is a brand new release from Driftwood. According to their website it is aged in bourbon barrels for 4 months prior to bottling. Oddly enough it came in a standard bomber, and not the custom Driftwood bottle.

The beer pours a thick inky black with a fairly dark brown head that lingers in a viscous layer. Chocolate coffee and dark malt dominate the aroma at first, giving way to a ton of sweet bourbon. The flavor is rich and sweet upfront with plenty of dark chocolate, as well as some nice coffee and carmel notes. Dry oaky vanilla flavor creeps into the finish, which quickly becomes dominated by tons of sweet charred bourbon flavor. Astringency lingers in the aftertaste, and although there's no hiding the alcohol in a beer like this, it's fairly subdued for the strength.

At $12 a bottle, this is way out of my normal price range, but for a beer that's spent 4 months in oak, I think the price is fairly well justified.

Update for 2013 bottle: Even better than the last few years. Less oak, really well balanced and just a bit hot.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2011 05:43:45 | More by ericj551