Arctic Ale 2025 | Brasserie Artisanale Albion

Score: 80/100 – Good

Appearance 5/6

The beer pours a clear dark brown with a low, thin, tan head. Poor foam retention. A good looking brew.

Aroma 19/24

Strong aroma with good balance. The aroma is musty, deep, and unique. There’s a distinct wild yeast character which is deeply earthy. Fruity esters and alcohol notes blend smoothly, complementing the yeast-driven profile. A moderate presence of dark and specialty malts adds depth without overwhelming. Noticeable oxidation contributes positively to the complexity. No apparent hop character.

Flavour 34/40

Follows the aroma with strong intensity, good balance, and assertive perceived bitterness. The musty flavour is driven by a blend of fruity esters, wild yeast, and alcohol. Dark and specialty malts follow, supported by pleasant oxidation which adds depth and complexity. No apparent hop character. The flavour is very good and notably unique, with a vinous quality that stands out. As with the aroma, the elements occasionally feel a bit disjointed.

Mouthfeel 8/10

Medium body with lively carbonation. The mouthfeel is prickly and slightly chewy with noticeable alcohol warming and a sweet finish. No astringency or harshness of any kind. Quite pleasant considering the strength.

Overall 14/20

Albion’s Arctic Ale is a good beer. The appearance is enticing, though slightly better head formation and retention would elevate it further. The aroma is complex and intriguing, but the components struggle to harmonize, creating a tension that detracts from the experience. The flavour follows suit – distinct and characterful, yet lacking cohesion. There is much to appreciate, but it falls short in finesse. The mouthfeel is pleasant and unobtrusive, though it lacks the weight expected at this strength. The alcohol is well hidden, but this is clearly a sipper.

Overall, the sipping experience is enjoyable and Albion’s Arctic Ale is certainly worth trying, though it leaves a sense of something unresolved. The profile is layered and engaging, but the elements do not always align seamlessly.

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Presqu’ile | Tête d’Allumette

Score: 81/100 – Very Good

Appearance 6/6

The beer pours a clear deep gold with a moderately tall, frothy, creamy, off-white head. Good foam retention – great considering the very high ABV.

Aroma 20/24

Strong intensity with balance towards smoked malt. The aroma is rustic and reminiscent of a campfire. Massive smoke upfront with mild apple-like esters, low grainy malt, and a splash of alcohol. No apparent hop character or any significant off-notes.

Flavour 32/40

Follows the aroma with strong intensity and balance towards smoked malt with pronounced perceived bitterness. The smoked character dominates the flavour. A hint of apple-like esters and noticeable alcohol note work well with the smoked character. The flavour lacks complexity and I’m getting a butyric acid-like note at the front. Still, the flavour is good.

Mouthfeel 8/10

Medium body with moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is rather crisp yet mouth-coating with noticeable alcohol warming and a medium-dry finish. No apparent astringency and no actual harshness on the palate. Very good.

Overall 15/20

Tête d’Allumette’s Presqu’ile is a very good beer. It’s one of the most unique barleywines I’ve had. Blindfolded, it’s hard to peg this as a barleywine – a reflection of the brewery’s approach to bending classic styles. While the smoke doesn’t clash with the other ingredients, it leaves little room for a complex interplay between different ingredients. At such a high ABV, this is a beer to savour, however, I’d rather opt in for a few pints of Grodziskie which would deliver better drinkability while maintaining a rustic flavour experience. Still, this is an interesting brew and definitely worth trying.

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L’Impériale Gasket de Tête | Tête d’Allumette

Score: 90/100 – Excellent

Appearance 6/6

The beer pours a clear black (opaque in glass) with a moderately tall, dense, creamy, deep tan head. Great foam retention for the high ABV. A good-looking brew!

Aroma 20/24

Strong intensity with balance towards dark malts. The aroma is robust, edgy, and quite complex. Significant dark malts take the lead and are followed by dark fruit esters, alcohol, and moderate woody-herbaceous hops. Mild oxidation and no apparent off-notes.

Flavour 38/40

Strong intensity, balance towards dark malts, and aggressive perceived bitterness. The flavour is intense with a complex mix of dark malts, dark fruit esters, woody-herbaceous hops, and alcohol. No off-flavours. Delicious and pleasantly muscular flavour.

Mouthfeel 8/10

Medium body with moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is slightly thin and mildly fizzy with noticeable alcohol warming and a medium-dry finish. No significant astringency and no actual harshness on the palate. Very good.

Overall 18/20

Tête d’Allumette’s L’Imperiale Gasket de Tete is an excellent russian imperial stout. Beautiful appearance and a bold, complex flavour with no apparent off-notes. This delivers exactly what’s expected and then some. At the same time the beer is a little bit thin – it’s missing that wonderful weight a 10% stout can have on the palate. I think this would stand out if the mouthfeel fully matched the flavour intensity in texture. It’s also not a cheap thrill but I think it’s absolutely worth a try if you can find a bottle.

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Dragon Sap | Labrosse Brewery

Score: 67/100 – Not Recommended

Appearance 3/6

The beer pours an opaque pale gold with a moderately tall, thin-ish, off-white head. Decent foam retention. A decent looking brew.

Aroma 19/24

Strong intensity with balance towards hops. The aroma is fragrant, sharp, and pungent.

An American hop character dominates the aroma. Moderate fruity esters, low pale malt, and a mild alcohol note. No significant off-notes. Good aroma.

Flavour 28/40

Strong intensity, balance towards hops, and pronounced perceived bitterness.

The flavour is edgy with significant American hop character and hefty minerality. I taste salt and crushed aspirin. Low pale malt and no mentionable esters. Mild alcohol note. The flavour is lacking.

Mouthfeel 6/10

Medium body with high carbonation. The mouthfeel is crisp, sharp, and somewhat thin with restrained alcohol warming and a dry finish. Moderate hop-derived astringency with some harshness on the palate.

Overall 11/20

Microbrasserie Labrosse’s Dragon Sap is an average hazy IPA.

The aroma is punchy but the beer doesn’t deliver on the palate. It’s quite sharp both in flavour and mouthfeel, leading to mediocre drinkability. Perceived bitterness is rather high for a hazy IPA and the minerals take away from the overall flavour. Lots of hop-forward character but the beer is simply middle-of-the-road.

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Blanche de Chambly Pomme | Unibroue

Score: 94/100 – Outstanding

Appearance 6/6

The beer pours a slightly hazy pale gold with a moderately tall, frothy, off-white head. Good foam retention. A good looking brew

Aroma 23/24

Medium intensity with great balance. The aroma is layered and elegant with a well-integrated special ingredient(s).

Moderate esters with low phenolic spice along with low earthy hops and gentle grainy malt. The apple character seamlessly integrates with the rest of the beer. No alcohol or off-notes. Exceptional aroma.

Flavour 38/40

Medium intensity with good balance and low perceived bitterness. The flavour is balanced and layered, just like the aroma.

Again, yeast, hops, malt, and the extra ingredient(s) come together in a flavourful and harmonious combination. Slightly less balance than the aroma with the apple claiming more space…

Mouthfeel 10/10

Medium body with high carbonation. The mouthfeel is crisp with low creaminess and a mouth-coating quality with no apparent alcohol warming and a medium-dry finish. No astringency or harshness on the palate.

Overall 18/20

Unibroue’s Blanche de Chambly Pomme is an outstanding beer.

The special ingredient(s) is/are well-integrated into an already great base recipe. High drinkability and zero off-flavours contribute to a highly enjoyable drinking experience.

This is a balanced and layered beer with a sense of intrigue. If the apple flavour was toned down just a touch, I’d consider this a world-class brew.

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Brew Juice 100% Framboise | BreWskey

Score: 90/100 – Great

Appearance 2/6

The beer pours a murky red with a low, thin, pink head. Poor foam retention. The beer looks like thick juice.

Aroma 23/24

Strong intensity with sweet-ish balance.

The aroma is packed with an intense raspberry character. There’s not much else to it… just a low pale malt at the back. No hops, alcohol, or any off-notes. Very enticing aroma with great clarity of character.

Flavour 38/40

Strong intensity with sweet balance and low perceived bitterness.

The flavour is dominated by raspberries and sugar with low grainy-crackery malt playing a supportive role. No hops, no alcohol, and no apparent off-flavours. Rustic and delicious.

Mouthfeel 10/10

Full body with moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is thick yet fizzy with no apparent alcohol warming and a luscious finish. No astringency with no harshness on the palate. Superb.

Overall 17/20

BreWskey’s Brew Juice 100% Framboise is a great beer.

Thick and juice-like, the brew is packed with intense raspberry flavour. There’s not much complexity but the clarity of flavour is fantastic. This is one of the better versions of Brew Juice and it lives up to expectations. If you happen to see it, give it a try!

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Boombox | 5e Baron

Score: 77/100 – Good

Appearance 4/6

The beer pours a hazy gold with a moderately tall, frothy, off-white head. Good foam retention. A good looking hazyboi even if the end of the pour introduces visible particles in the glass.

Aroma 17/24

Medium-strong intensity with balance towards hops. The aroma is fragrant, fruity, and somewhat sharp.

American hop character dominates with some fresh yeast (almost cheesy but not quite) popping up here and there. Some signs of yeast stress. Low pale malt at the back and a splash of alcohol. Overall good aroma.

Flavour 33/40

Strong intensity with good balance and assertive perceived bitterness.

The flavour highlights American hop notes with a splash of alcohol, supportive pale malt, and mild esters. Some saltiness comes through as well.

Mouthfeel 9/10

Medium body with moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is crisp yet mouth-coating with restrained alcohol warming and an off-dry finish. No astringency or harshness on the palate even if the impact is heavy. Excellent.

Overall 14/20

Overall, 5e Baron’s Boombox is a good DIPA with plenty of flavour and decent drinkability.

There are issues across the board with visible particles making it into the glass, the aroma having a fresh yeast character, and the flavour featuring too much salt. With so much competition in the category, I’d likely pick another DIPA to quench my thirst for hops.

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Péché Mortel Bourbon 2021 | Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!

Score: 97/100 – World-Class

Appearance 5/6

The beer pours a clear black with low, dense, brown head. Poor foam retention. A good looking stout.

Aroma 23/24

Strong intensity with good balance. The aroma is intense, complex, and seductive.

Big barrel notes pair extremely well with the coffee and dark malts. A healthy dose of esters, alcohol, and oxidation marry the rest of the character while adding layers. Enticing aroma.

Flavour 40/40

Strong intensity with great balance and very assertive perceived bitterness.

Fantastic depth of flavour featuring a marriage of barrel, dark malts, esters, hops, and special ingredients. Masterfully executed. Top-notch.

Mouthfeel 10/10

Medium-full body with low carbonation. The mouthfeel is slick and smooth with restrained alcohol warming and a sweet finish. A hint of astringency but no actual harshness on the palate. Heavy impact.

Overall 19/20

Péché Mortel Bourbon 2021 is a world-class barrel-aged imperial stout.

It’s astonishing how well this beer has held over the last few years. I’ve had very few stouts developing so beautifully over time. Most of the time 24 months leave a dent in the beer that makes me crave it fresh. That’s not the case here.

Glorious flavour and overall character with fabulous mouthfeel make this a wonderful treat. Sure, I ended up preferring the 2022 and most recent 2023 editions but 2021 is absolutely worth your time, even in 2024.

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Péché Mortel Bourbon 2022 | Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!

Score: 100/100 – World-Class

Appearance 6/6

The beer pours a clear black with tall, dense, creamy, brown head. Great foam retention. Gorgeous appearance.

Aroma 24/24

Strong intensity with great balance. The aroma is complex as it is enticing.

Dark malts, coffee, and barrel take center stage. Significant oxidation brings it all together. Some esters and alcohol add layers with a complementary, low hop character. No apparent off-notes. World-class.

Flavour 40/40

Strong intensity with bitter-ish balance and very assertive perceived bitterness.

Big dark malts and coffee pair superbly with the bourbon character. Truly a marriage of malt, special ingredients, barrel, and oxidation. World-class.

Mouthfeel 10/10

Medium-full body with low carbonation. The mouthfeel is heavy and quite viscous yet smooth with restrained alcohol warming and a sweet finish. A trace of astringency with no actual harshness on the palate. Heavy impact.

Overall 20/20

Péché Mortel Bourbon 2022 is an amazing beer. It’s brimming with character, complexity, and charm. The age shows more compared to the 2023 version but it adds a delightful dimension to the beer. This is a must-try, bucket list kind of brew.

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À Demain Le Soleil! | Tête d’Allumette + Dieu du Ciel!

Score: 91/100 – Outstanding

From a 500ml bottle served at cellar temperature at 12 degrees Celsius into a TeKu glass. No date information on the packaging.

I picked up this beer from a local specialty store probably close to two months ago now… I had a very long breview list and it’s taken me a while to get through it. Anyway, it felt like the right time for this little fella.

I tried this beer at Dieu du Ciel’s 20th anniversary event and I remember it standing out from the crowd. I’m mostly steering away from reviewing one-offs and collaborations for a multitude of reasons but on this gloomy Sunday I’m breaking my “half-ass” streak by going whole-ass on À Demain Le Soleil!.

Appearance 6/6

The beer pours a veiled deep gold (pushing amber) with 4.5cm of dense, creamy, off-white head which dissipates into a solid cap within 4+ minutes. No lacing with great head retention. A good looking brew.

Aroma 21/24

Medium-strong intensity with good balance. The aroma is malty-sweet and fruity with a sense of intrigue.

Pronounced caramelly sweetness and some biscuity notes pair well with a splash of alcohol and light floral tones. There’s a round, jammy quality reminiscent of strawberries and a light, earthy hop character. No off-notes.

The dry nose is of moderate intensity, filled with biscuity, toasty malt, mild butterscotch, and a trace of earth. Great aroma.

Flavour 38/40

Strong intensity with good balance and pronounced perceived bitterness.

The fine palate opens up sweet with notes of butterscotch, biscuits, and alcohol-soaked fruit – making way for a more balanced center where the robust biscuity, toasty-caramelly malt melds together with mild (yet sharp) alcohol, low earthy-herbal hops, gentle floral tones, and a touch of strawberry jam. An interesting honey character chimes in. No apparent off-flavours.

The medium length finish is balanced and of moderate strength with notes of biscuit, toasted bread, caramel, mild floral tones, a hint of earth, a dash of alcohol, and wild flower honey. Complex.

Mouthfeel 9/10

Medium body with low carbonation. The mouthfeel is heavy and somewhat slick with mild fizz, restrained alcohol warming, and a medium-sweet finish. No astringency or harshness on the palate. Excellent.

Overall 17/20

Tête d’Allumette + Dieu du Ciel! collaboration À Demain Le Soleil! is an outstanding beer.

A good appearance sets the stage for an inviting as well as charming aroma. With a little bit more punch the nose could dazzle. On the palate the flavour is expressed in a complex, balanced, and exciting package. The mouthfeel supports the rest of the beer but it clocks in just a little thin for me. A tad more body would match the flavour depth and contribute to a uniform drinking experience.

Overall, À Demain Le Soleil! is worth seeking out. It has character and depth paired with a sense of intrigue which makes it an easy choice on the store shelves. I’ve still seen it at some of the Montreal specialty shops so grab yourself a bottle while you can. I’d happily drink this regularly throughout the year if it was available in a smaller format at a reasonable price. Cheers y’all!

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