Niagara-on-the-Lake-based The Exchange Brewery has released its 2016 Belgian Stout, the first of its vintage beers from last year.

‘’Our Belgian Stout has been carefully selected to be our first Vintage Reserve bottle because it is a higher-alcohol (7.2% ABV.) and full-bodied beer, hence well suited to aging’’, said Sam Maxbauer, Head Brewer at The Exchange Brewery.

 According to the brewery, the 2016 Vintage Reserve will surely please stout-lovers’ palates, in search of more complex and delicate flavours.

‘’The robust roasted malt flavours have mellowed over the last year, bringing forward more fruit notes. With age, we see a complex balance of malts, a slight tartness and some great funky notes starting to come through’, he added.

In comparison, the more recent 2017 version of the Belgian Stout lets the chocolate and roasty flavours dominate the palate, with roast malt giving almost a black cherry note, and French oak barrels imparting a very mild note of vanilla as well. 

Maxbauer said that The Exchange Brewery’s Belgian-style beers are bottle conditioned, and if properly cellared, have a shelf life of 3 years.

The next Vintage Releases from The Exchange Brewery to look forward to include the 2016 Dubbel (in May) and the 2016 Belgian Pumpkin Ale (in October).