STOCKADE BREWING CO. THE MOUNTIE
Suspect a mate might be floundering in the storms of life. Grab this sauce for the seafarers and head over to craft a conversation.
Origin – Marrickville, NSW
ABV- 12%
Size- 330mL can
Style- Stout
The Mounties, as the famous force is known, are one of Canada’s most recognised symbols. They have a national remit to fight organised crime, terrorism and drug trafficking, while also providing policing for the countries provinces and territories. The term dates back to 1874 when the newly formed force got guns, horses, and red uniforms, and rode across Canada's prairies in search of Fort Whoop-Up, a trading post in the remote Northeast. Their mission was to stop Americans from crossing the border and swapping whiskey for buffalo hides with the local Blackfoot Indians.
More recently, however, it seems that increasing numbers of Mounties are more interested in getting laid rather than laying down the law. In one instance a veteran sergeant lost ten days' pay for the improper personal use of a police wagon to facilitate a 'romantic liaison' with his own wife, while a new constable was docked four days' pay for using the back seat of his squad car to consensually 'mount' a fellow member of the force. Perhaps it was stories like this that inspired the original, and somewhat tacky, label that first adorned this winner of the 2017 GABS People’s Choice Awards – a pants-less Mountie pouring maple syrup down his chest while clutching a big maple leaf to his nether regions. While I’m pleased that the design has been updated with the move to cans for the 2019 edition of this 12% ABV imperial stout infused with maple syrup, I'm more delighted that the recipe hasn’t.
Based on the stout recipe that won Stockade a major trophy at the World Beer Awards in 2015, the unmistakable maple aroma roars up at you from the glass, like sitting at a cafe and being presented with a stack of pancakes and bacon swimming in Canada’s finest export. It folds seamlessly into the beer and carries through to the palate where it’s boosted even further by some rich fortified fruit flavours. Other big stout characters are coming through too – from chocolate to dark roast and even a touch of aniseed – but really it's that maple sweetness which is prominent from start to finish, riding out any bitterness that lies beneath.
If you were wondering, Whoop-Up was a nickname given to the fort by the whiskey traders after their 'Whoop-up juice' as it was known at the time. Unless you're looking to get a little 'whooped-up', I'd suggest tackling more than one Mountie alone might be slightly ambitious!