Review: Long, Dark Voyage to Uranus by Sawdust City Brewing Co.

We are sprinting toward winter in Canada. With snow on the ground, it is time to pour dark, warming beers. Enter: Long, Dark Voyage to Uranus.

This cheeky stout is a seasonal creation by Gravenhurst, Ontario brewery, Sawdust City Brewing Co. Available from November to January, this award-winning “Uranal Imperial Stout” comes replete with a vaguely abstract image of a rocket flying to, well, you know.

Puns and double entendre aside, this stout pours inky black, a shade likely owed in large part to the various chocolate ingredients in a rather complex brew.

In keeping with the standard for Imperial Stouts, this brew clocks in at a hearty 9.5% ABV. With all of the additional notes of flavour, the alcohol content is dangerously well-hidden.

The first impression was a surprisingly dry, bitterness. However, the further I got into the glass, the more I experienced the complexity of this intricate stout.

The sweetness began to develop, and the chocolate and molasses notes really shone through. Despite the bitterness, the strange balance of sweetness from the chocolate and demerara sugar make this a delight.

I am admittedly not the biggest fan of dark beers, and for a bigger kick I tend toward Belgian tripels. However, some of the excellent stouts and porters coming from my local Craft Breweries are definitely changing my approach.

This Muskoka offering is a bold flavour that would pair well with rich desserts or sharp, savoury flavours. It would be an excellent introduction to stouts or other dry beers for those with a sweet tooth.

This is a “Voyage” that I never expected to take, but I will happily plunge into the dark depths of this brew again.

• ABV: 9.5%
• IBU: 60
• Style: Imperial stout
• Taste: Bitter and rich
• Rating: 4.4/5
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Ryan Heighton

The Bar of Ontario isn’t the only bar to which he’s been called. Misses drinking at the SkyDome. Enjoying Waterloo Region one (sometimes two) craft beer at a time. Favourite beers: anything hoppy enough to jump off the table.

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