While picking up the last bottle of Tree Pumpkin ale from our local BC Liquor Store I was pleasantly surprised to find a fall seasonal non-pumpkin beer. Whistler Brewing Valley Trail Chestnut Ale comes in a 650ml Bottle and 5% alc. “We’ve blended robust caramel and crystal malts to give the brew deep brown amber hues, for an almost warming appearance. But it’s the roasted chestnuts that impart a unique and bold nutty character, complemented by a light level of hops, for a clean but crisp finish.”
Whistler Brewing Valley Trail Chestnut Ale
We shared a bottle between the two off us, here is what we thought:
Fiddler:
After pouring the bottle first thing I noticed was the aroma of strong vanilla with sweet caramel malts and a hint of nuttiness. The appearance is great medium brown / copper colour with a big foamy off-white head which leaves a ring of lacing around the glass. What was your first impression V1rgil?
V1rgil:
Thank you fiddler for providing the beer. The first thing I noticed was the rich, almost syrupy copper-brown colour. The brew had very good head retention. The most noticeable aroma is vanilla which persisted throughout the tasting and the sweet caramel-nuttiness with a hint of cocoa. What were your thoughts once you had the first sip?
Fiddler:
My first sip was full of big bold flavours similar to the aroma vanilla and caramel was very much present. Honestly I’m not sure what a chestnut tastes like but this beer had a nice nuttiness which goes good with the sweetness of the beer.
V1rgil:
For sure the sweet malty and nut flavors were there in the first sip and I found it actually tingled on my tongue. I found the finish to be very toffee-like with dry finish ending on the bitterness of the nuts. Like eating many walnuts will dry out your mouth and leave a bitter aftertaste. I found that one bottle shared was the perfect amount. This is definitely not a beer you can chug, it’s just too rich in flavor.
Fiddler:
Definitely I found the beer to be dominated by the rich sweetness which would make it hard to drink more than a bottle even just sharing a 650ml bottle was enough. I feel that possible a strong alcohol presence might have made this beer more enjoyable for me. Overall the Whistler Chestnut ale was an interesting idea and I would say this beer would be a good beer to warm you up on a cold fall day or go well after dinner as dessert
V1rgil:
The Chestnut Ale is certainly unique from the other seasonal that are out and I agree this would be a great high gravity beer. I look forward to trying the next seasonal Whistler comes out with.
This brew would pair well with: chess, checkers, scrabble or any other 2 person table top game.
You may also want to try:
Phillips Dirty Squirrel Hazelnut Ale (Seasonal)
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