Beer Advocate Review #270

Beer: Duchesse De Bourgogne
Brewery: Brouwerij Verhaeghe
Style: Flanders Red Ale
ABV: 6.2%
Serving: Bottle
Score: B+

Enjoyed this last night.

Poured from a 330ml. bottle, best before 13-05-11 (my last day at work!).

Appearance: Loads of tiny bubbles fill a murky brown-red body with off-white foam that just sits there with amazing retention and spidery lacing.

Smell: Vinegary a bit with some oak, sour cherries and a sweetness to round it off.

Taste: A mix of sweet and tart with some oak. Low on the vinegar and has a slight wine reminiscence (my daughter said that!) with some sour cherries. Quite good.

Mouthfeel: Very low carbonation with a bit of a thin body but not much. A very mellow feel.

Overall: A pleasant little beer. Not too harsh. I would certainly try this again.

Beer Advocate Review #269

Beer: Belle Saison
Brewery: A l'abri de la Tempête
Style: Herbed/Spiced Beer
ABV: 5.8%
Serving: Bottle
Score: B

Poured from a 341ml. bottle, bottled April 2011.

Appearance: A clear yellow body with a very white and generous head that reduces itself to one then next to nothing after.

Smell: Citrusy and flowery mostly with some honey sweetness.

Taste: Aromatic in flavor with a tinge of sweetness, citrus fruit, herbs, grassy and maybe honey.

Mouthfeel: Brief snap of carbonation with a light body though still robust enough. It has the feel of a cask ale a bit as well.

Overall: A refreshing summer beer that is not perfect but still pleasant. Easily drinkable despite the average mouthfeel.

Dieu du Ciel's Chaman

This highly regarded DIPA is coming out in bottles for general distribution next week! Very much looking forward to trying this beer. Seek it out hopheads!

Beer Advocate Review #268

Beer: Helm Cream Ale
Brewery: Helm Brasseur Gourmand
Style: Cream Ale
ABV: ?
Serving: Tap
Score: B-

Appearance: 1 finger's worth of creamy white foam that coats the glass on the way down. Body is the color of caramelized sugar.

Smell: A malt nose that is way too discreet.

Taste: Roasted a bit but loads of smooth malt and a slight underlying bitterness. Some nuts, graininess and a light hop bite. As it warmed, a sort of tropical fruit aspect came out especially highlighted by the cheeses we had.

Mouthfeel: Smooth feel with a decent strength of body. Carbonation was also good.

Overall: Not bad at all and easily drinkable. I could see myself trying this again.

Beer Advocate Review #267

Beer: Sainte Source Belge
Brewery: Brasseurs De La Mauricie
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
ABV: 8%
Serving: Bottle
Score: B-

Shared with my wife last night over our take-out Chinese.

Poured from a 500ml. bottle.

Appearance: A light honey-brown body with lots of sticky white foam and average retention. Pretty good coating all down the glass.

Smell: Banana, spices, yeast, bubble gum and citrus. Very good aroma.

Taste: Starts with a bit of sugar and banana. A bit peppery in the end and my wife gets smoked gouda. The flavors feel muted and not very lively.

Mouthfeel: Smooth but lacks real depth. Medium carbonation but the body is a bit watery.

Overall: Glimmers of being good at first but overall this Belgian-style ale falls too short.

Beer Advocate Review #266

Beer: Rosée d'hibiscus
Brewery: Dieu du Ciel!
Style: Herbed/Spiced Beer
ABV: 5.9%
Serving: Bottle
Score: B

Poured from a 341ml. bottle, bottled March 2011.

Appearance: A dark pinkish body that resembles pureed strawberries with a light pink head (3 fingers). Retention is good and lacing is average.

Smell: Wheat aroma, very crisp with herbal and ripe fruit overtones.

Taste: A bit of sweetness tucked in the back but very leafy with some slight tropical fruit and plant stems. Overripe fruit (strawberries?) and some mild bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation is quite low and the feel is very easy. It's refreshing though it lacks a bit of a lively punch.

Overall: Certainly different and it's easy to drink. While good, it doesn't really grab me. This would be good with a sunny day rather than the down pour we're getting.

La Succursale is almost open.

According to a tweet they just released, Montreal's newest brewpub will be opening May 16, 2011. They'll be @ 3188 Masson in Vieux-Rosemont. Looking forward to checking them out!

http://twitter.com/#!/LaSuccursale

Beer Advocate Review #265

Beer: Hoppy Feet 1.5
Brewery: Clown Shoes
Style: Black Ale
ABV: 11%
Serving: Bottle
Score: A

Big thanks to my wife for picking this up for me in Albany. Shared with her while eating pizza.

Poured from a bomber, bottled end of Mar. 2011.

Appearance: 3/4 of the glass fills up with light mocha colored foam and gradually a brown-black body is seen. The head sits still at a good 3 fingers and there's lacing all the way down. Couldn't ask for better.

Smell: Oily hops, resiny, more mango than melon and some coffee as it warms.

Taste: Strong hit of hops mixed with roasted flavors and coffee but as it progresses, hops become the dominant player. Juicy and pulpy goodness. Very satisfying.

Mouthfeel: Incredible balance that shifts a bit to the bitterness side though as it warms. The feel is everywhere in the palate and it lasts long after the final sip.

Overall: This is an awesome beer. Very drinkable despite the ABV though make no mistake, this beer is big on the bitterness and flavor. Grab this if you see it. It's worth it!

Beer Advocate Review #264

Beer: Patriote (red label)
Brewery: Brasseurs Illimités
Style: Amber/Red Ale
ABV: 4.9%
Serving: Bottle
Score: C+

Had this with some pizza.

Poured from a 341ml. bottle.

Appearance: Lightly tan foam, easily 3-4 fingers and quite creamy with a light brown barley red body. Retention is better than the other Patriote and stays @ 1 finger then half of one.

Smell: Caramel malt, some nuttiness. Not half bad.

Taste: Crystal malt, caramel, nutty and even maybe a whisper of hops. Pretty decent.

Mouthfeel: Cream, carbonation is average and the body is quite smooth and pleasant with some low bitterness thrown in there.

Overall: Better than the Blonde one for sure. I might even try this again and is a better alternative to Rickard's.

Beer Advocate Review #263

Beer: Patriote (yellow label)
Brewery: Brasseurs Illimités
Style: Blonde Ale
ABV: 4.9%
Serving: Bottle
Score: C-

Had this with some pizza.

Poured from a 341ml. bottle.

Appearance: An eggshell with head, 3 fingers with a body the color of light ginger ale. The foam is gone in less than 1 minute.

Smell: Malt nose, clean with maybe a hint of hops?

Taste: No hops in sight, all malt with light grain, corn and a bit of skunkiness that thankfully disappears fast. This is all faint and hard to grasp.

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, some claminess and an otherwise decent body.

Overall: Uninteresting and disappointing. Nothing off but nothing lively either.

Beer Advocate Review #262

Beer: Loch Ness
Brewery: Brasseurs RJ
Style: Scotch Ale
ABV: 6%
Serving: Bottle
Score: C+

Had this some pasta.

Poured from a 341ml. bottle.

Appearance: 4 fingers worth of light tan foam with an amber-red body. Retention is average as it dissipates within 1-2 minutes.

Smell: Toasted malt, caramel and a metallic twang. Some smoky ash also.

Taste: Caramel malt, some spiciness in the tail end and a hint of smokiness that as it warms turns into like an ashtray-like aspect. Mildly unpleasant though not pervasive.

Mouthfeel: Body feels a little thin but it's decent. Feels like a light scotch ale.

Overall: Seems kind of like an ashy vienna lager. Decent but nothing more.

Beer Advocate Review #261

Beer: La Grivoise de Noel
Brewery: Le Trou Du Diable
Style: Belgian Dark Ale
ABV: 9.5%
Serving: Bottle
Score: B

***2009 Vintage***

Shared with my wife last night.

Poured from a 500ml. bottle.

Appearance: Creamy foam fills 3/4 of the glass and gradually recedes. Body is a light brown, very hazy looking and has some ruby red tinges. Retention is good though not much lacing.

Smell: Spices with a slight sweetness but way too discreet for my taste. As it warms, a sugary and caramel aroma but still not very strong.

Taste: Sugar, candy and a nice spicy finish. Really feels like candy on the lips. Some dried fruit and heavy on the malt. Not really cloying.

Mouthfeel: Mellow, smooth and a very low carbonation. Warming and really coats the mouth. Body is medium.

Overall: A nice ale but i was a little let down taste-wise though i can't really pin down why. Still remains a tasty beer and worth trying.