Les Portes de L'Enfer: Side by Side
Stack Brewing Company
Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Independent Microbrewery
Twitter: @Stackbrewing
Two beers for one tonight. I just stopped up in the Nickle City (AKA Sudbury) the Paris of Northern Ontario. I kid you not! More good stuff goes down in Sudbury than anywhere else around here. There is a thriving art community, a theatre community, a music community, There is a Cheese Shop! And thankfully, there is an amazing craft brewery. We go up once or twice a year to go to Science North, and Dynamic Earth... because we are nerds. And my visits would not be complete with out Cheese from the aforementioned Fromagerie Elgin, Drinks at Hardrock 42 the best craft beer bar north of Toronto (possibly). And last, but not least a visit to Stack Brewing. I left with 6 beers this time... stay tuned to this space.
Les Portes de L'Enfer (The Doors to Hell) is Stack's award winning biere de garde (Gold at the Ontario Brewing Awards in the Biere de Garde category and Bronze in the Canadian Brewing Awards) I tried to get some on my last trip to Sudbury but it was not long after the Ontario Brewing awards so the beer had all been snapped up. As it was a seasonal I had to wait for it to be brewed again and when I arrived in Sudbury this time, I was rewarded with a bonus a Portes de l'Enfer that had been barrel aged in Malivoire Winery's oak barrels. So tonight I present them to you side by side.
Onto the tasting.
# 238 Les Portes de L'Enfer
Biere de Garde 8.0% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 500 ml (16 oz).
$6.00 (Canadian) At The Brewery
Pours a hazy chestnut brown with a tan head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is clove fresh hay some bread malt sugars and a touch of earthiness. First sip is toasted wood,caramelised sugars, some coffee and toffee. wheat notes sneak out underneath the bolder flavours along with a hint of bitter green hops. Rich and complex, very chewy, a good strong mouthfeel. Aeration brings out the darker breadiness, deep rye or pumpernickel tones with lots of toasted sugars and some pleasant bitterness from the hops finishing in a slight black tea taste.
# 239 Les Portes de L'Enfer Barrel Aged
Oak Aged Biere de Garde 8.0% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 500 ml (16 oz).
$6.00 (Canadian) At The Brewery
Pours a lighter chestnut that it's un-aged counterpart with a hint of red running through it. Head is a similar tan colour but the bubbles are much finer. Aroma is a stellar red wine and oak wood nose a slight berry, and red fruit aroma with hints of grape must and yeast. First sip is... WOW. Very smooth, creamy toasted oak and vanilla mixed with the breadiness of the beer. Taste similar to a Cabernet Sauvignion, some slight tannins, some tartaric acid and the barest hint of hops underneath. The fruit and the bread give it a sort of "jam sandwich" flavour which is not unpleasant at all The barrel aging has softened the beer and smoothed out the flavour profile, drawing out the finish into a nice long hum of wheat and fruit. Slightly tart on the attack, it has just enough sugar in it to balance it out, and not be cloying. Aeration gives us a rounded creamy oaky explosion, slightly nuty, bready, and yeasty.
Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional
Regular Barrel Aged
Cost: 5/6 PASS Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL Re-Order: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Experience: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL Experience: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Final Thoughts:
Two Great beers great for two different reasons. Honestly it is hard to tell that they started out as the same beer. While the regular one is a wonderful example of a biere de garde, the oak aged is all about what the barrel brings to the product, it's magical transformation. Though equal, I would say that the barrel aged beer slightly edges out the regular on my palate. lovely smooth and fruity. I could drink that beer for days.
Cheers
CJT
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