Black Oak Epiphany No. 1

Where to buy: LCBO

Price: $9.95/650 mL bottle

Food pairings: Medium rare duck breast, venison, braised lamb shank, dark chocolate.

The verdict: Good things happen when talented brewers cut loose and have fun.

For a long time, Ontario brewers didn’t really do many Belgian-style beers.

Asked why, most brewers would reply that mainstream consumers weren’t ready for them, and hardcore beer aficionados were more intrigued by extra-hoppy brews like double IPAs.

Over the last two or three years, however, that’s been starting to change. A witbier here, a saison there, and even some Flemish-style sour ales. The latest example is Epiphany No. 1, a rich, strong dark ale from Etobicoke’s Black Oak Brewing.

While Black Oak is best known for its flagship Pale Ale and solid Nut Brown Ale, Ken Woods and his brewing team have been slowly expanding their repertoire with seasonal offerings (such as the wintery Nutcracker Porter) and bolder regular brews (such as their 10 Bitter Years double IPA).

This latest one, the first in a new series of one-off Black Oak brews, is perhaps the brewery’s boldest beer yet. Woods and his brewing team — head brewer Jon Hodd and Simon Da Costa — wanted to brew an abbey-style ale, in the tradition of Belgian monks. In addition to several kinds of malt, they also used “candi” sugar sourced from Belgium. (While some brewers argue that the candi sugar adds a layer of complexity to their beers, what it actually does is boost the alcohol content while not adding too much body to a brew). They also decided to age it on cherry wood.

“We just really wanted to do something a little different. It’s a way for the brewers to play around and have some fun,” said Woods.

Judging by Epiphany No. 1, having fun should be a regular occurrence. This mahogany-coloured brew is a masterpiece. It’s got a rich, luscious body. Flavourwise, there are notes of dried fruit, and even a hint of dark caramel, and a slightly bitter finish. It’s a beer that masks its potent alcohol — 9.5 per cent — dangerously well. While in some strong beers the booze is as noticeable as a bright red light in a snowstorm, here, it’s very well integrated.

Woods also suspects that higher alcohol will help make Epiphany No. 1 a beer that will age well, much like some of the original Belgian abbey ales it’s modelled on. One thing that helps those abbey ales age well, however, is bottle conditioning, the practise of adding live yeast (and usually a bit of sugar) to a beer as it’s getting bottled. While that acts as a preservative by eating up extra oxygen, it also adds an extra level of carbonation, something Woods says he didn’t want to risk, for a very practical reason.

“Our bottles wouldn’t have been able to take the extra pressure,” says Woods. Still, he’s confident this beer will age gracefully, although he admits he’s had some trouble starting.

“I already drank my bottles, and we’re sold out at the brewery, so I guess I’ll have to go and buy some more.”

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