Score: 84/100 – Very Good
From a 500ml bottle served warm at 14 degrees Celsius into a TeKu glass. No date information on the packaging but this is a fresh, 5-year anniversary release by the brewery.
I picked up the beer straight from the source earlier today. I had a chance to try some of their beers while visiting the brewery – and oh boy, do some of these anniversary releases pack a punch! Hefty alcohol and some interesting special ingredients. The base recipe for this beer is one of my Beauregard favourites so I’m very curious how this beer has panned out.
Appearance 6/6
The beer pours a clear black with 3cm of frothy, moderately dense, beige head which dissipates into a partial film within 2+ minutes. No lacing with decent head retention. With such incredibly high ABV the foam quality is very respectable. A good looking beer.
Aroma 19/24
Medium-strong intensity with good balance. The aroma is rustic, quite perfumy, and liquor-like.
Significant alcohol character which works really well with a fragrant orange rind quality and some dark chocolate notes. Mild dark fruit (raisins) at the back along with some star anise. A tiny bit of toffee and a suggestion of soy sauce. No apparent off-notes and no apparent hop character.
The dry nose is rich and malt-forward with notes of toffee, toast, soy sauce, and mild perfumy alcohol.
Flavour 34/40
Strong intensity with sharp balance and aggressive perceived bitterness.
The extreme palate opens up quite sweet with notes of raw sugar, sweet orange, dried fruit (prunes), and booze – making way for an intense center with notes of prominent alcohol, sweet orange, star anise, and dark chocolate. No apparent hop character and no off-flavours.
The long finish is strong and sharp with notes of roasted barley, dark chocolate, mild star anise, generous alcohol, a touch of barrel (woody oak + mustiness), and low sweet orange. A true sledgehammer.
Mouthfeel 8/10
Medium-full body with low carbonation. The mouthfeel is heavy, sharp, and slick with hot alcohol warming and a sweet finish. No apparent astringency on the palate but the alcohol takes its toll with noticeable burning sensation on the tongue.
Overall 17/20
Beauregard Brasserie’s Old Fashioned de Glace is an above average beer – especially considering the weight of it.
Impressive appearance for such a hefty brew – the foam attributes are better than many less alcoholic beers. The aroma reveals the strength of the beer with significant alcohol character. However, there are no offensive fusel oil notes and the special ingredient links up really well with the booze. The palate steps up in intensity with massive strength. There’s a lack of complexity in the flavour but what makes it through is uniform and concentrated. The mouthfeel is fierce – yet it suits the strength really well.
There’s no doubt about it – Old Fashioned de Glace is a sledgehammer of sledgehammers. The strength is beyond what most people have experienced drinking beer. In many ways, this is an impressive brew and I think it’s totally worth trying if you can get your hands on a bottle. At the same time, this is very expensive (among the most expensive beers I’ve ever bought) and the value is simply not there for me.
I feel like the sheer amount of alcohol ends up shaving away some of the nuances in the character. In addition, the beer is not very practical to enjoy on your own. I recommend this if you’re looking to try something extreme and you’re sharing it with your friends.
Beerfection 