Big Rock McNallys Extra

Brewed by Big Rock Brewery
Style: Irish Ale
Calgary, Canada

Serve in English pint

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Nice frothy head with a light amber color. Inviting aroma strongly rooted in malts but if found some floral hints. Great flavor to offset the high ABV. I didn’t get the "buttery" aspect of this beer as per the commercial description as I found it to be more of a sour hop flavor and an earthy finish. One of my favorate big rock offerings.

Bottle, Big Rock mix pack from Beer Store. Dark chestnut brown, very little head. Aroma is decent - lots of nutty malt and lots of alcohol. Taste - not bad at all. Lots of malt over a surprisingly medium to thin body giving way to restrained but present alcohol and a nice lingering bitterness. Even longer is a slow alcohol burn. Quite well balanced. Will not knock your socks off in terms of flavour, but this is a well constructed strong ale (Irish ale category seems..odd). Nice work Big Rock, glad I picked up this mix pack for the improved IPA and this.

Purchased at The Beer Store in a Big Rock Brewmaster’s Selection 12-pack (with the Traditional Ale, IPA and Grasshopper - 3 bottles of each). Pours a dark amber colour with an off-white head, average retention and not much lace. Grainy malt aromas with nice sweet butter, nuts, toffee which all makes me think of beer nuts. Medium-bodied and kind of silky, but a bit dry in the finish. A little warming from the alcohol, with flavours of roasted malts, butterscotch, caramel and the hop showing in the aftertaste, reminding me of apples. The first sips did nothing for me, but this one does get better and better as it breathes (BTW, it was room temperature to begin with, so that has not changed since the beginning). Probably Big Rock’s best brew.

Draft @ Korea Location: Poured a amber with off white head. Aroma is corny and grain. Taste is rusty nails along with caramel malt.

Finally got around to rating this one. Single bottle courtesy my uncle on 12/25/2011. Colour: Nice dark brown and light red mix...with ever so slight off-white head that disappeared quickly. Nose: Roasted hazelnut, heated toffee, dried figs. Quite delightful. Taste: Medium sweet, medium bitter, light sour. The caramelling is a bit high but there is some delicious toasted hops that provide a consistent bitterness from start to finish. A touch of celery too. Great stuff.

341 ml bottle in a mixed pack from TBS, served at cellar temperature in a tulip glass.

App.: Reddish-amber with a white rim. Aroma: Annoyingly dusty...hard to figure this out, perfumed, fruity, the dusty note is almost peppery, some nice caramel and toffee malts, toasted grains, a touch buttery, a bit of dark dried fruit, toast crust, has some good qualities. Palate: Medium body, very relaxed effervescence. Flav.: Earthier caramel/toffee, a bit green and herbal, much less fruity and dusty than the nose, still a little peppery zing, toasted grains, bread crust, a touch of butterscotch; dry with unexpected, persistent bitterness and a sweet malt, slightly fruity finish.

Bitterness was a pleasant surprise. The rest of the beer is better than other offerings by BR...the bar isn’t exactly high.

Bottle. Reddish colour. It’s a bit tart or sour, some hops. This is a decent beer.

341mL bottle poured a deep amber to brown color with moderate off-white head and small lacing. Aroma is roasted malts and hops. Taste is nicely balanced with roasted malty sweetness and hoppy bitterness. The best that Big Rock currently offers in its lineup. Very enjoyable tasting experience.

Bottle, sampled at Viti, pours dark amber. Aroma and flavours of light toffee, caramel malt and a slight fruity sweetness. Decent amber.

Dark amber appearance with moderate head. Smell is sweet and grainy, slightly herbal but overall nothing overpowering. Taste is like very malty, almost tastes like coffee. Has a very good balance of hops with the malt. Has a light body, which is surprising for a beer this strong, with moderate carbonation. After taste is dry and spicy. Overall this beer stands out from the Big Rock offerings and is quite enjoyable.

Pours almost black with a thick creamy head. Strong malty aroma with some notes of alcohol. Flavour is great. Bold thick dark and malty with notes of fruit and roasted malts. Yhis is a great beer.