Twin City Brewing- Power Struggle Golden Stout

Twin City Brewing- Power Struggle Golden Stout Review

Until recently Port Alberni’s Twin City Brewing was only available locally. Out of town fans will be thrilled to know that the brewery is now canning and shipping their beer. Along with some of their great regular lineup (see my previous review of Swedish Gymnast) one other beer that might appear on the shelves of your local bottle shop is a golden stout called Power Struggle.

Golden stouts are a recent beer invention and are purportedly exactly what the name implies, a pale coloured beer with all the full-bodied coffee and chocolate roastiness we expect from a traditional stout. After sampling a few golden stouts one thing becomes clear though and that is that even the best golden stouts can’t truly taste exactly like a traditional stout (or stouts would have gone extinct centuries ago #pilsnercartel #darkmaltconspiracy). Another thing that occurred to me while drinking Power Struggle was to wonder, “Could golden stouts be the answer to my incessant complaining for more stouts available in summer? Let us hope.

Power Struggle is amber with some cloudiness, likely from the oat and wheat, and a medium white head. The aroma is coffee bean, honey, and graham cracker maltiness. There is a hint of coconut. It is medium-bodied with low carbonation. You will definitely recognize the wheat and oats in the smooth mouthfeel. The flavour is all maltiness, falling into the sweet, that interplays with the espresso bean flavour. There is little to no roastiness. The overarching impression is of lightly roasted espresso beans or green coffee. There is a very soft but still present bitterness. The toasted coconut makes more of an appearance in the late palate and finish. There is also some pale malt breadiness in the long finish.