Recently, I visited the Kichesippi Beer Company in their home in an old car dealership in Bells Corners. You'll find it on a section of the Trans Canada Trail that goes through the NCC Greenbelt.
You can drop by year-round to taste the beer in their spacious indoor taproom, and, during the summer, their dog-friendly outside beer garden that features local food trucks is a must-try. The brewery also hosts a variety of great events featuring local talent.
Kichesippi Beer Co. always has a variety of quality brews, both on-tap and available for takeaway from their bottle shop. I stopped in to grab a six-pack of assorted beers, including a can of their Three Little Birds Export Stout, a nod to Bob Marley and Jamaica, where this beer style is popular.
Strong, dark, and dry, this style of beer is one of my favourites. I was excited to get this home and eager for the best part of beer drinking—the pour!
After a perfect pour into a pint glass, you can’t help noticing that this beer is BLACK . . . very, very black. It doesn't even have the typical mahogany highlight you’d expect from a stout when held up to the light. It also has a thick rocky tan head that does not dissipate quickly.
Three Little Birds has the aroma of a dark roast coffee, with a touch of chocolate and caramel and a mild floral hoppiness.
It was finally time to drink. The flavour of this beer is much like the aroma, dark coffee (think espresso), and chocolate. It is dry but balanced with a nice caramel sweetness and a mild alcoholic warmness. The overall hop profile is quite mild and pairs well with the beer's dryness.
Three Little Birds is not for weak beer drinkers but for those who truly appreciate the work that goes into crafting the perfect pint of beer. It turns out that I love this beer; it is smooth, dry, and strong (7%).
Despite its caramel and chocolate taste, it is a dry beer with very little sweetness, so I paired it with a chocolate cupcake to complement the coffee/chocolate flavours.
It is a delightful beer that is great to serve with dessert or drink on its own!
Visit Kichesippi Beer Company at 2265 Robertson Road, Ottawa, or shop online at kbeer.ca