Beer # 360 Mellifera, Trou du Diable

Beer # 360: Mellifera

Trou du Diable

Shawinigan, Quebec Canada
Independent Microbrewery
Blonde Saison with Honey
ABV 5.0 %  
Brown Glass Bottle 600 ml.
$5.80 (Canadian) At the LCBO

Twitter @TrouduDiable

Down to Trou du Diable again, I was good to see them at FUNKFEST This year, I hope they can make that a regular occurrence. In that vein, we have another Sour Saison from them. This time fermented with honey added into the wort. I have to say, I was really drawn in by the label. The artwork is a scream. I love the play on the traditional "Our Lady of X" with the Sugar skull masks. She is correctly called: Notre Dame Des Luchadores,' (Our Lady of Crazy Mexican Wrestlers). And it does belie the beer you find in the bottle... irreverent and heavenly.

Onto our Tasting...

Pours a slightly cloudy, dark honey-gold, with a massive light-tan honey coloured head made up small to large bubbles. Bubbles grow rapidly in size and then dissipate. Nose is decidedly spicy, with biscuity wheat notes, good hints of yeast and fruity, floral honey. The first sip gives us some cheek pricking Brettanomyces.The attack starts us off with very refreshing acidic tones that slowly morph through the wheat notes and balances the subtle sweetness of the honey. Fruity hints of Honeycrisp apple, orange, and lemon. Aeration gives us sour lemon zest, tongue biting prickles of acid, hints of clove and tasty bread.

 Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  6/6  EXCEPTIONAL
Experience: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL


Final Thoughts:

This is a fantastic sour. Easy drinking and refreshing. Great for the patio when it's sunny or inside when it's raining (more likely this year). Pick up one of Our Lady's if you can you will love it.


Cheers

CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 15: Charles Henri Amber Ale, Les 2 Frères

Beer # 313 Charles Henri Amber Ale 

Brewery: Brasserie Les 2 Frères

Type: Independent Microbrewery     Est.: 2006

Location: Terre Bonne, Quebec, Canada

Beer Style: Amber Ale 

ABV: 6.2%      IBU: 31

Format: Crown Capped Brown Glass Bottle  Size: 500 ml

Cost: $3.95 CAD     Purchased At: The Beer Store

Twitter: @BrassLes2Freres


Another trip to Quebec to this brewery I just discovered for myself. I am a big fan of Quebec beers. It has actually been way too long since I was in the Belle Province. I need to plan a trip back sometime soon. They of course are undergoing the same sort of craft beer explosion that is happening here in Ontario, BC Alberta and to a lesser extent the prairies. Quebec treats it's culture different then they do in the rest of the country. My last few trips there was so much to discover, with wineries, cheese makers brewers and cider houses. Quebec actively promotes the "little guy"  with road signs, maps, and culture routes. Ontario has just started to follow suit, as I am hoping the rest of the country is too. 

Onto our beer tonight...

Pours a lovely light amber with a large fluffy off-white head made up of small and medium bubbles. Citrus, caramel, and mineral dominate the nose, with light hints of green hops following. First sip is bright fruity, lychee, citrus, sweet tropical fruit, hints of coconut, and a crisp mineral quality. Flavour slowly slides down into a pool of caramel and vanilla, more subtle green hops, and some touches of dandelion and honey. As it warms more fruit comes to the party, apples and pears, plus a slight hint of raisin. A touch sticky on the lips, reminds me of a Tokaji dessert wine. Aeration sparks up some more mineral and flintiness, and brings out a light breadiness. Just enough to remind you that this is in fact a beer, and not a fine wine. Flavour finished with some bitter, and mustard greens.


Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Colour: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  6/6  EXCEPTIONAL
Experience: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Christmas Cheer: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:

Stellar. I think this is by far the best Amber ale I have ever tried. So flavourful. This is what ales should taste like. Bursting with fruity flavours, thirst quenching, satisfying. It is truly like a dessert wine. I would not have a problem pairing this with a dessert, or a long fire lit evening in a cabin in the Quebec woods. You should pair this beer with a glass... you will thank me.

Cheers

CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 10:

Beer # 308 Mons Abbey Witte

Brewery: Belgh Brasse

Type: Independent Microbrewery     Est.: 1999

Location: Amos, Quebec, Canada

Beer Style: Belgian Blonde

ABV: 7.0%      IBU: ?

Format: Cork Stoppered Brown Glass Bottle  Size: 750 ml

Cost: $8.00 CAD     Purchased At: The Beer Store

Twitter: @BelghBrasse


Once more with feeling, from Belgh Brasse, tonight we are doing the Blonde. Made with the sparkling clear waters from the Abitibi Esker. 

Onto our beer...

Pours a slightly hazy gold colour with a massive bright white head made up of small and medium bubbles. The aroma is fresh flour, bread, clover honey, some hay and grass. Lightly fragrant flowers and a hint of spice round out the nose. First sip is some sweet and spicy malt with hints of molasses, vanilla caramel and honey. The middle of the taste turns to barley syrup with a nice long lingering sweetness. Aeration gives us an herbal hop kick.



Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  5/6  PASS
Experience: 5/6 PASS
Christmas Cheer: 5/6 PASS

Final Thoughts:

Not quite as good as its sister beer, but still a very good sipper. I found this one a touch too sweet, and syrupy. Certainly not a fault to stop you from giving this bottle a spin. Have it with some dessert, like Christmas, cake... you know you have some of that hiding somewhere.


Cheers

CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 9: Mons Abbey Witte, Belgh Brasse

Beer # 308 Mons Abbey Witte

Brewery: Belgh Brasse

Type: Independent Microbrewery     Est.: 1999

Location: Amos, Quebec, Canada

Beer Style: Flavoured Belgian Wheat

ABV: 5.0%      IBU: ?

Format: Cork Stoppered Brown Glass Bottle  Size: 750 ml

Cost: $8.00 CAD     Purchased At: The Beer Store

Twitter: @BelghBrasse


Off to Quebec tonight for a double tasting, this beer and it's sister product (coming up in the next post) hails from a Belgian brewer that moved to a small town in Quebec. The water for this beer is drawn off of the Abitibi Esker, so it is ancient, crystal, clear, glacier water. The witte is one of the four mainstay products of Belgh Brasse (The others are Dubbel, Blonde and Quadruppel all under the Mons Abbey name). Mons, isn't actually an Abbey, well certainly not here in Quebec. Abbey just means it is brewed in the Belgian Abbey Style, Mons is the town in Belgium that the brewer, Jean-Louis Marcoux, is from. The list of awards this beer has won is far too long to be detailed here. If you want they are listed on the product page here check them out. And let's check out the beer.

Onto our beer...


Pours a cloudy light gold with a bright white head made up of tiny bubbles. Aroma is certainly not confined to the glass. Just walking across the room from my photography table to my computer desk the room was filled with aromas of orange peel and coriander. A fact that is only doubled down as I put my nose in the glass. Nose is intense coriander, and bright green herbals. orange peel backs it up with soft notes of toasted wheat. Very faint hints of florals in the background and the scent of a freshly opened bag of baking flour. First sip is a soft well balanced wheat beer with smooth orange note (no bitter pith taste!).  Coriander's intensity stays on the nose, however it dances across the tongue very gently only to serve as counterpoint to the earthy wheat and the bright citrus. Mouthfeel is light and airy. One of the most balanced beers I have ever tried. Aeration bring out the yeast and more of the orange peel.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  6/6  EXCEPTIONAL
Experience: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Christmas Cheer: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:

This is a fantastic witte beer, one suitable for anytime drinking, let along at Christmas. I would be just as happy sipping this on a patio mid summer. But the easy drinking warm aromas make this a win for Christmas too. Put this until the mistletoe for guaranteed kisses (Kisses not actually guaranteed...).

Cheers

CJT

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International Stout Day and Beer # 290

#290 Porter Baltique Hickson

Brasserie Les 2 Freres

Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada
Microbrewery
Baltic Porter
8.5 % ABV IBU: 30
500 ml Brown Glass Bottle
$4.00 (Canadian) At the The Beer Store

Twitter: @brassles2freres

Today is international stout day so i rummaged around in the Fridge of Fame and pulled out this beer from Brasserie Les 2 Freres in Terrebonne in the Province of Quebec in Canada. Now Porter isn't exactly a stout but it definitely is a forerunner of the modern style stout. Sp it will do for our purposes tonight. In fact the Baltic Porter more closely resembles the English Porters that the stout style sprung from. Brasserie Les 2 Freres was started in 2014 by  two brothers (obviously) who learned the art and the love of the brew from their Grandfather. After winning some big prizes they expanded their portfolio to including some great beers, one of which sits before me tonight.

Onto our beer...


Pours a very dark chestnut brown with a fluffy tan head made up of small bubbles. The nose is a gorgeous combination of floral chocolate, rich coffee, sweet molasses, turbinado sugar and vanilla. The first sip is a thick molasses profile in a light bodied beer. Deep malts, smoky leathers, roasted coffee, and whisky wood. Aeration brings out a creaminess, fruitiness, and tons of chocolate.


Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Beer Style: 6/6  EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  6/6  EXCEPTIONAL
Experience: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:

This beer gives off a fantastic nose and a wonderful palate. I was highly impressed, however, I am a sucker for a good Quebec beer. This beer is a delight to sip and worthy of seeking out, as it has been one of the best beers I have had recently. Try one for yourself.

Cheers

CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas: Day 8 La Résolution Unibroue

Beer # 171 La Résolution

Unibroue

Chambly, Quebec, Canada
Owned by Sleeman's Breweries, a subsidiary of Sapporo Breweries LTD, a
Strong Belgian brown ale 10.0 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml.
$8.95 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @unibroue    @sleemanbeers 

I am quite fond of Unibroue beers, actually I am fond of Quebec beers in general. They use more wheat in their beers there and really pack the flavour in. This beer does not disappoint either. 

Onto the tasting...

Pours a dark walnut brown with an ample light tan head made mostly of small bubbles. Nose is very spicy, cinnamon and cloves, wheaty. First sip is an explosion of spicy, transforming quickly into a deep dark caramel, almost a brulee of brown sugar. Alcohol is very present along with some vanilla, and licorice. Nutmeg comes out very strong in the middle. Very good representation of a Belgian Brown ale. Aeration gives up a nose warming shot of alcohol, the caramel intensifies, and the lips get sticky. finish is long spicy and roasted malt.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 



Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS
Experience:  5/6 PASS
Christmas Spirit 5/6 PASS


Final Thoughts:

 A really good beer, highly enjoyable. Very good match for the holiday theme. 


Cheers And Beery Christmas


CJT


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Cider Week: Cider # 4 Crémant St. Nicholas

Crémant
Cidrerie St. Nicholas
St. Nicholas, Quebec. CanadaIndependent
Sparkling Apple Cider 2.8 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml. Cork stoppered.
$12.00 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: None found

This Cidery has no website or twitter feed so I can't garner much information about them. Situated on the south side of the St. Lawrence just a little upriver from Quebec City, St. Nicholas one of the oldest parishes in Quebec, dating back to 1694. Tonight's cider is the lowest in alcohol this week (2.8%) and the most expensive ($12.00)

Enough scrounging for facts... onto the tasting.


Very clear green and gold in colour. Head disperses immediately leaving no trace. plenty of bubbles breaking the surface though. Nose is fresh spy and russet apples with plenty of cinnamon. First sip is spicy, honey, tart, crisp, fresh pressed apple. A true, natural cider taste. Very fizzy. Bubbles like champagne in my mouth. Sweet but not cloying, very clean, sharp enough to wake up the palate. Could conceivably drink this on a patio all afternoon.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Cider Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS
Experience:  5/6 PASS

Final Thoughts:

An excellent cider. Too expensive for everyday drinking but a nice bottle to share with someone special.

Cheers

CJT


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Cider Week: Cider # 2 Molson Canadian Cider

Molson Canadian Cider

MolsonCoors LTD

Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Canadian Branch)
Denver, Colorado, USA (World Headquarters)
Multinational Corporation
Adjunct Hard Apple Cider 5.0 % ABV Aluminium Can 500 ml.
$2.95 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @MolsonCoors

This one stood out in the crowd for me. It seemed very odd when I saw it. But it is beginning to dawn on me that the prevalence of ciders is due to the Gluten Free fad diet craze. This is obviously and attempt by MolsonCoors to retain brand-loyal market share among people who have adopted the GF lifestyle. "If I can't have my Molson Canadian because I'm GF now I can have Molson Canadian Cider." Well I'm not here to advocate or denounce any diet I'm just here for the beer... or the cider as the case may be.

Onto the tasting.

Light gold in colour very similar to apple juice. Thin head that disappears quickly leaving a skim of foam around the edge of the glass. Aroma is fresh apple juice and slightly winey. I also get some hints of wood. First sip is very sweet, and tastes of fresh pressed apple juice. Very carbonated, two sips in I got burpy. Slight tartness, a little chemical. I suspect that Malic acid has been added to fortify the "appley-ness." Finish is bruised apple, a little raisin and a chemical woodiness like fake oak or wood chips. Aeration gives off a citrus, green apple taste of malic acid and possibly citric acid.  They said on the can that this product contains sulfites... And boy they weren't kidding. After I had tasted this and the flavours had settled in my mouth, I began to get sulfur breath and a slight headache. Be warned if you can't handle sulfites.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Cider Style: 4/6 PASS
Re-Order:  2/6 SO-SO
Experience:  3/6 SO-SO

Final Thoughts:

Sheer morbid curiosity drove me to try this product. And, I will say it is drinkable (certainly not something that can be said about the other alcoholic beverage that bears this name). Is it a cider? Well technically, but there have been tweaks to make it more mass-pleasing (and probably more uniform, apple cider flavours can vary largely from batch to batch). Would I drink it again? Sure, if someone else bought it (even though it is very reasonably priced). Should you try it? That is up to you. If you would like a slightly more chemical version of an Allen's Apple juice, with 5 % alcohol in it... go for it. But, I am sure you can find better places to drop $3.00. This is merely a cider version of it's namesake beer. A cheap, flavourless alcohol delivery device.

Cheers

CJT


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Beer # 113 Trou du Diable La Morsure

La Morsure 

Micro-Brasserie Le Trou Du Diable

Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada
Independent
Unfiltered APA 6.5% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 600 ml
$6.35 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @troududiable

Named after a reputedly bottomless whirlpool on the Saint-Maurice River, Le Trou du Diable (the Devil's Hole) is  small brewery in the city of Shawinigan in the Province of Quebec. They first gained fame outside of their home province for naming one of their beers "The Shawinigan Handshake." Which, if you are not familiar with Canadian history, refers to an incident where former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien was being obstructed by a protester in Hull Quebec, he grabbed the man in a choke hold and threw him to the ground. Jean Chrétien was of course born and raised in Shawinigan. I am very happy to say I met the Prime Minister and shook the very big hand in question. ( and am very very glad it was never wrapped around my neck I can tell you!) Tonight's beer is, maybe not as steeped in history as that but it does have another unusual name. La Morsure, for those who don't speak French, translates as "The Bite."

Onto the tasting... allons-y!


Pale cloudy gold in colour with a large fluffy white head made up of small to medium sized bubbles. Cloudy with a touch of yeast sediment. Aroma is very green, lots of vegetation, herbs and light fruit essences, grape and apple. First sip is very light and smooth almost creamy. There is some sugar and a slight hint of caramel, but the malt is not the major player here. The yeast is the key in this beer. Just like a wine that has been left on the "lees" the leftover yeast in the bottle has softened the beer, making it smooth and creamy with a mouthfeel similar to a chardonnay that has undergone Malo-Lactic Fermentation. There is a light pine scent and mild herbaceous taste from the hops which balances out the creaminess of the yeast. Aeration tweaks the senses with grapefruit, a touch of pine, and a tingle of the high alcohol on the tongue.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Experience:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:

This is an excellent beer. Very unusual in that one does not often see an APA treated... with such reserve. Usually brewers try to cram so many different hops in and play with the steeping and boiling times to maximise intense hoppiness. Bold fruits and searing pine seem to be the way to go with the APA. However, here the the brewer has brought out the softer side of the APA. It is almost the demur feminine side of the beer.

Cheers

CJT


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Beer # 97 La Fin Du Monde

La Fin Du Monde (The End of the World)

Unibroue

Chambly, Quebec, Canada
Owned by Sleeman's Breweries, a subsidiary of Sapporo Breweries LTD, a
Strong Belgium Tripel (Golden Ale) 9.0 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml.
$7.75 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @unibroue    @sleemanbeers 

Years ago my friends and I traveled to Quebec. It was our first trip out of province on our own. We stayed outside of Quebec City in a little town called St. Anne de Beaupre, in a motel that sat on the St. Lawrence. On our way back one night from the old city we stopped in the most French restaurant we could find... Pizza Hut. Well we were hungry and it was late, and the crowd was restless  So in horrible broken French we explained to the least bilingual server in all of Quebec that we wanted a local beer. The concept of local and craft beers in Canada was still a few years away... so after a few aborted attempts to serve us Molson Dry the server finally brought us the beer I am talking about tonight: La Fin Du Monde. Obviously we had never heard of it. And yes we were very intrigued. I could not tell you the point when I first decided I wanted to devote my spare time to learning as much about beer as humanly possible, but certainly this one moment was a giant NEON signpost on the road to that goal. The beer was unlike any other I had ever had. It had tremendous amounts of flavour, complexities, and nuances. It was alive... and it was my first "Real Craft Beer."

Sadly I haven't had the beer in  awhile as it was not readily available in Ontario. With the coming of the Mayan Apocalypse  Unibroue has had an advertising pitch out to toast the end of the world with La Fin Du Monde, so the beer is once again (happily) available.

Onto the Tasting:


Cloudy and light gold in colour. Enormous fluffy white head with lots of staying power.Toasty wheaty floral aroma with coriander, clove, and honey. Truly drinks like a champagne among beers. Warm roasty wheat sweet honey, coriander and clove. Effervescent on the tongue, dry and clean. The spices linger in the mouth like the aroma of holiday baking. Aeration gives a burst of spices clove allspice and cinnamon.


Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Experience:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:

This beer is everything a Tripel should be. I can not say enough about it... but at this point I just want to settle in and savour the rest of the bottle...


Til the end of the world...

Cheers

CJT


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