February
15
Talking Valentine’s Day Beers on CBC Montreal’s Radio Noon with Shawn Apel
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February
15
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@monsregius is releasing a line of one-off creations called Fabrica, and here we have Oud Roodbruin, an Oud Bruin aged in barrels with puréed dates. It will drop this coming Saturday directly at the brewery.
The nose is all zesty balsamic alongside vinous barrel, some roasted nutty aromas, brown sugar, cooked caramel, and sour cherries.
The palate begins with some tartness, bordering on sour. Cooked sugars meet fresh cut hay, wheat, alongside dried figs and raisins. Light acetic notes come through, but the balsamic layers are not too intense. The beer is drier than the none let on, carrying an interesting bitter tang in the finish that I didn’t see coming. The 8% is barely perceived, and although it’s rich, the beer is easy drinking (the extended aging probably helped with this). Overall I dig it. The vinegar layers are few and far between, and there is an approachability to this beer that some Flander’s sour don’t have. The only thing I’m on the fence about is the almost astringent bitterness in the finish, although I will say that it actually helps cut through any sweetness. If you’re into these styles of beer, definitely grab one.
Petite Mort 2019 is @dunhambrasserie ’s “…old-style imperial stout, aged for 6 months in barrels previously holding our Man Gose Pickled. The spicy character from the hot sauce comes out and plays with heat from the alcohol.”
The nose is a big mix of berries, coffee, mango, and chocolate, with some underlying earthy notes as well. It’s an odd mix of aromatics, but still comes off pretty inviting.
Well, this is certainly different. On the palate it’s rather salty up front, with a dark chocolate presence that is cut quickly by a manageable peppery heat. There is a bitterness that cleans the finish up as well, leaving earthy and slight vegetal notes. It has a Mexican mole thing going out, but without the spice addition, coming off as salted dark chocolate and heat, with a dry and bitter linger.
Everything is balanced, and the flavours work, but this isn’t really my thing. There is just too much going on and the saltiness mixed with how dry the whole beer is ultimately throws off my palate. But that could just be me.
Today is the @bbascanada anniversary party and bottle release! For those waiting out in the cold, make sure to grab some Torre, it’ll warm you up nice. La Torre is a 10% imperial sweet stout made with lactose, coffee, coconut, hazelnut, and Madagascar vanilla. Just like all the previous huge BBC stouts, the nose on this is insane. Chocolate and vanilla frosting with hints of coffee start things off. Massive aromas of fudgy chocolate cake dance alongside a battle between coconut and hazelnut for the domination of aromatics.
The palate is luscious and massive, with each sip carrying an almost pudding-like consistency. The coffee comes through more here than on the nose, providing layers of fruity and earthy beans and a bitterness that helps cut through things. That said, the coffee is nowhere near the intensity of “Guerre et Paix.” Instead, the other adjuncts run the show with huge nutty layers of coconut and hazelnut – and while the vanilla is there, it’s not overpowering in the least.
Overall this is on par with the previous three pastry-style sweet stouts that they’ve released, with this one being almost a hybrid of the previous three, borrowing the coffee from “Guerre et Paix”, the rich vanilla and coconut from “Substance”, and the big nuttiness of “Connexion”.
As always, this is a rich and insane dessert beer that manages to be over the top, but still surprisingly drinkable and smooth. #bascanada #brasseriedubascanada #beerism
Sundot is another little piece of insanity. From @halfhoursonearth - A sour double IPA brewed with banana, coconut, kiwi, mango, papaya, pineapple, and lactose.
The nose is pineapple candy, coconut, and fresh citrus. It smells like fuzzy peaches or sour patch kids. The palate is incredible, bursting with tropical fruits, both from the actual fruit and the Azzaca and Idaho 7 dry hops. Coconut and pineapple are at the front, with a great acidity and just the right amount of sweetness. The 8% is nowhere to be found. It’s balanced perfectly. I can’t get over this one. Damn.
Toxicité is a 7% sweet stout from @bbascanada brewed with lactose, coconut, cacao, and Madagascar vanilla. It’s basically a baby sister of “Substance” – probably Bas-Canada’s most hyped and acclaimed beer. It will be available alongside a huge lineup of beers at their anniversary bottle release this coming Saturday.
It pours out jet black and thick like motor oil. The nose is bonkers. Intense coconut mixed with chocolate chips, vanilla ice cream, and cake batter.
The palate matches, delivering loads of coconut and chocolate fudge. Big chocolate ice cream and coconut cake flavours dominate here. However, where this differs is in it’s drinkability. Toxicité gives you the richness you want, but without the cloying sweetness. It’s sweet up front, but the finish is pretty dry, allowing you to down this can pretty quickly despite the insane body and dessert profile.
This Saturday is @bbascanada ’s 2nd anniversary! To celebrate, they are throwing a can/bottle release, where they will be selling a whole whack of haze cans and luscious sweet stouts. I got my hands on some of the stouts ahead of time so that I could tell you all about them. Check out www.beerism.ca for this exclusive review. #bascanada #brasseriedubascanada #beerism #pastrystout #sweetstout
7205-009 from @brasserieharricana is a blend of sour amber beers, barrel-aged and mix fermented with the addition of cacao.
The nose begins subtle, carrying a fruity flora that lends acidity to the aromatics. Next is a peaty later of smoke and roasted almond.
The palate begins tart, carrying a tannic oak-filled flora that has just the right amount of funk. It’s dry, with lingering tannins that stick around before your next sip. There is a fun nutty layer, but not particularly malty, and there are hints of smokiness.
This beer comes off complex but straightforward. It drinks super well and disguises itself as something dark, but it’s hardly noticeable on the palate.
Balade en Radeau is back again - a series of beers from @lagabiere that are released each month, allowing the brewers to experiment in ways that can be otherwise challenging. This is November, the first dark beer of the series, a stout brewed with orange zest and cacao.
The nose is rich dark chocolate with hints of espresso. This is followed by lots of orange zest - it really personifies that Christmas orange chocolate ball perfectly. The palate matches, but is more subtle. Lots of bitter coffee vibes mixe with notes of dark chocolate, finishing with hints of orange (without any acidity). The body is pretty killer, delivering luscious sips, but with a low abv crushability. I really enjoyed this one. #lagabiere #beerism #orangestout #stout #cacao
If you weren’t already aware, @4originesbeer teamed up with @joebeefmtl to create L’apocalypse, a beer made with Sea Buckthorn berries from Quebec. The nose is earthy up front, carrying hints of lemon, fresh pear, and some herbal notes. Next comes aromas of tangerine zest alongside bits of phenolic dustiness.
The palate begins with fresh cracked wheat, followed by bright citrus layers of lemon and orange. There is a floral character here that brings everything together nicely. A tight and very subtle acidity lends a crispiness, while hints of bitterness clean out the finish.
The vibe here is subtle and refreshing. It drinks like a fruity Witbier, but without the Belgian yeast profile. It’s exceptionally dry, and finishes clean with juicy sea buckthorn berries and tea leaves lingering in the backdrop.
Apocalypse has character and depth, but is mainly a beer that you could sit down with and drink several throughout the night. #joebeef #4origins #micro4origines #microbrasserie4origines #beerism #seabuckthorn
Halloween is over, but there are still scary cans to be had. This is Frissons 2.0, a collaboration between @lagabiere and @titefrette - it’s a fruited wheat beer made with blackcurrants and strawberries. The nose wafts some earthy yeast, mixed with rich strawberry and general berries. The fruits come through heavily on the palate, but the beer isn’t tart. Instead, it’s tastes more like a fruited pale ale. The beer drinks incredibly well, making it go down easily. That said, I’m not much into fruited wheat beers, but that’s just me.
Categories
Beerism
- The Dark Side of Brasserie du Bas-Canada’s 2nd Anniversary Release
- Half Hours on Earth Delivers Near Perfection Across the Style Spectrum
- A Guide to Brasserie Dunham’s Fall 2019 Bottle Release!
- Messorem Bracitorium – Are We Heading Towards Greener Pastures?
- Five Months of Lagabière’s “Balade En Radeau” – What We’ve Seen So Far
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