Score: 71/100 – Average
Appearance 6/6
The beer pours a veiled gold with moderately tall, frothy, off-white head. Decent foam retention. Highly effervescent. A good-looking beer.
Aroma 19/24
Medium-strong intensity with good balance. The aroma is fruity and somewhat vinous with a delicate quality.
Esters, barrel character, and alcohol dominate. Low pale malt and a suggestion of tartness from a trace of vinegar. No apparent hops. Very good aroma.
Flavour 29/40
Strong intensity with sharp balance and moderate perceived bitterness.
Mixed lactic and acetic acidity dominate the flavour. Fruity esters and alcohol along with some barrel character follow. Low pale malt at the back. THP shows up in the finish. Good flavour.
Mouthfeel 6/10
Medium-light body with high carbonation. The mouthfeel is prickly and sharp with restrained alcohol warming and dry finish. Moderate astringency and some harshness on the palate. Slightly lacking…
Overall 11/20
Overall, Sanctuaire lands at the upper end of average beer. It’s drinkable and has some pleasant layers to it. I imagine some people might even like this a lot.
The aroma stands out as my favourite attribute of the beer. Yet, there are issues. The mouthfeel is rather sharp with qualities flirting with diminishing drinking experience. The overall flavour lacks refinement and the THP in the finish – even if I don’t mind it too much – is considered a fault.
I like this more than yesterday’s barleywine, but it also confirms that I’ll be focusing on other breweries in the next bit as I find the value with Le Castor is just not there for me.
Beerfection | Craft Beer Reviews | Montreal, Canada 