Beerfection

Tag: Spiced Beer

  • L’Oeil du Mouton | Tête d’Allumette

    L’Oeil du Mouton | Tête d’Allumette

    Score: 79/100 – Good

    Appearance 5/6

    The beer pours a veiled amber with low, fluffy, off-white head. Decent foam retention. Good appearance.

    Aroma 18/24

    Medium intensity with good balance. The aroma is soft and unique with a sense of intrigue.

    A blend of malt, yeast, and special ingredients dominate. No apparent hop character or alcohol. No obvious off-notes but I’m not in love with the character.

    Flavour 34/40

    Follows the aroma with medium intensity, good balance, and moderate perceived bitterness.

    The flavour is unique and focused on malt as well as fermentation (yeast) characteristics. Noticeable minerality. No apparent hop notes or alcohol. Very good flavour.

    Mouthfeel 8/10

    Medium-light body with moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is delicate and fizzy with a mouth-coating quality. The alcohol  warming is restrained while the beer finishes medium-dry. Mild astringency with no actual harshness on the palate. Very good.

    Overall 14/20

    L’Oeil du Mouton is a good beer.

    It’s very unique with good balance and drinkability peppered with a sense of intrigue. At the same time, it’s a little bit tricky to dig into and the overall character is missing appeal.

    A beer worth trying for the unique drinking experience which seems to be a pattern for me when trying the brewery’s product.

    OMG, read another breview!
  • Péché Latte | Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!

    Péché Latte | Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!

    Score: 87/100 – Great

    Appearance 6/6

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

    Aroma 23/24

    Strong intensity with sharp-ish balance. The aroma is dark, rich, and enticing.

    Pronounced dark malts and coffee with restrained esters and alcohol. Low American hop character. Mild oxidation. Excellent nose.

    Flavour 35/40

    Strong intensity with decent balance and assertive perceived bitterness.

    The flavour follows the aroma with big dark malt character and ample coffee notes. Significant raw sugar quality makes a dent while low esters and alcohol add layers. Barely any signs of age (oxidation). Punchy.

    Mouthfeel 8/10

    Medium-full body with low carbonation. The mouthfeel is kind of slick and mouth-coating with mild fizz, restrained alcohol warming, and a sweet finish. No astringency or harshness on the palate but the sugar lingers on the tongue.

    Overall 15/20

    Péché Latte is a great beer. Yet, it’s among my least favourite Péché editions.

    The lactose claims too much space on the palate, diminishing balance, mouthfeel, and flavour perception. The beer ends up being too sweet even with the alcohol and hop bitterness rounding it out. There’s that artificial sweetener quality on the tongue after each sip.

    Having said that, this is a well-executed beer which I’m sure works really well for some people. Plenty of flavour and no major issues. For the same price, I’d take the bourbon edition any day over this.

    OMG, read another breview!
  • Péché Mortel – Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta | Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!

    Péché Mortel – Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta | Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!

    Score: 98/100 – World-Class

    Appearance 6/6

    The beer pours a clear black with moderately tall, dense, creamy, deep tan head. Good foam retention. A great looking stout.

    Aroma 23/24

    Strong intensity with good balance. The aroma is deep and enticing with great complexity and a well-integrated special ingredient.

    Big dark malts and coffee take the lead while being supported by mild esters, a splash of alcohol, and ample hop character. No apparent off-notes.

    Flavour 40/40

    Strong intensity with bitter balance and assertive perceived bitterness.

    The flavour is dark malt-focused with well-integrated coffee character. Mild fruity esters and a touch of alcohol. Healthy dose of hops in there too. Quite a bit of complexity and a smashing flavour intensity.

    Mouthfeel 10/10

    Medium-full body with moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is somewhat creamy yet prickly with a mouth-coating quality and mild slickness. Restrained alcohol warming and a medium-sweet finish. No astringency or harshness on the palate. Great stuff.

    Overall 19/20

    This variation of Péché Mortel is no doubt a world-class stout. Without a direct comparison, it’s hard to say how much it varies from the regular Péché as the only changed variable seems to be the coffee type.

    In any case, this edition delivers a stellar drinking experience and it’s well worth seeking out. I’d find it interesting to sit down with one of these and the regular Péché to see what the differences are…

    OMG, read another breview!
  • Snowbird’s Paradise | Brasserie Mille-Îles

    Snowbird’s Paradise | Brasserie Mille-Îles

    Score: 52/100 – Not Recommended

    From a 473ml can served warm into a stemless wine glass. Canned on 28/02/22 – making this two weeks young.

    I grabbed a can at a local specialty store knowing they had just received the beer. First official review by Brasserie Mille Iles. Average expectations even if the style has me hyped up.

    Appearance 6/6

    The beer pours a clear very dark brown with 3cm of frothy, creamy, deep tan head which dissipates into a solid cap within 3+ minutes. Great lacing and good head retention.

    Aroma 12/24

    Moderate intensity with sharp-ish balance. The aroma is rich and overbearingly dark malt-focused.

    Intense black licorice and burnt sugar character overpower anything in their wake. A hint of perfumy alcohol at the back. There’s a suggestion of vanilla but I feel like I’m just imagining it. In addition, a durian-like pungency exists yet remains mostly unexpressed. That must the contribution from jackfruit. No coconut. Severe lack of complexity with most of the special ingredients missing.

    The dry nose reveals interesting layers of pungent tropical fruit, dark caramel, and cream. Too little, too late.

    Flavour 20/40

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

    The robust palate opens up with massive salted black licorice character which carries over all the way to the finish… and that’s it. No really, beyond some alcohol and mild roasted barley character I can only taste salted black licorice. And I love black licorice. It’s practically encoded in my DNA. Black licorice is my middle name.

    But where’s the coconut? Where’s the vanilla? Whatever happened to jackfruit? Fail. Fine, I guess you could talk about burnt sugar, molasses, and tar in order to paint a picture. This was unexpected.

    Mouthfeel 10/10

    Full body with low carbonation. The mouthfeel is heavy, mouth-coating, and chewy with restrained alcohol warming and a sweet finish. No astringency or harshness on the palate. Excellent.

    Overall 6/20

    Brasserie Mille-Îles 5th anniversary Snowbird’s Paradise is a plain disappointment.

    Very good appearance but the aroma and overall flavour are beyond rustic. I’m kind of stumped as I can’t remember a time a drank a beer so one-dimensional. This is boozy liquid black licorice in a glass and nothing more. Yes, I’m punishing the score due to false advertisement. Just because you put an ingredient in your beer doesn’t mean you should put it on the label. If you can’t taste a special ingredient, then you need to suck it up and leave it out of the description.

    I really like this as a stout but not being able to pick up any of the attributes on the label and paying a high price for a specialty brew leaves me disappointed. Whoever let this pass… you had to pivot and make the most of a less-than-ideal-situation. Sticking to your guns made you look bad.

    When you want to make lemonade and life gives you jackfruit, you make a jackfruit-f***ing-smoothie or something and don’t label it as lemonade. Great, I’ve officially turned into a troll. Or maybe it’s old age? In any case, walk away from this one.

    OMG, read another breview!
  • Lacustre | Brasserie Artisanale Albion

    Lacustre | Brasserie Artisanale Albion

    Score: 87/100 – Very Good

    From a 750ml bottle served cool into a stemless wine glass. No date information on the bottle but this is a fresh release.

    I picked this up from a local specialty store last night knowing the beer was part of that day’s shipment. I’ve never had beers from Albion so my expectations are average. However, there’s something in the air that makes me think this won’t disappoint. Let’s find out.

    Appearance 4/6

    The beer pours an opaque (almost murky) deep gold with 3.5cm of dense, creamy, off-white head which dissipates into a craggy cap within 3+ minutes. Exceptional lacing and good head retention.

    Aroma 19/24

    Moderate intensity with sharp-ish balance. The aroma is uncommon and strangely reminiscent of a needle-covered forest floor.

    Sharp and perfumy coniferous tree note – like this was conditioned on juniper needles or something similar. Prominent grapefruit oil and low unripe mango character. A hint of melon and moss.

    The dry nose is mild with notes of crackery malt, low fresh yeast, and a resinous quality. Wow that’s unique.

    Flavour 35/40

    Medium-strong intensity with bitter balance and assertive perceived bitterness.

    The unusual palate opens up with resinous tree needles, citrus, nectarines, and minerals making way for a brisk center where the outdoorsy, woodsy notes harmonize with the oily citrus character and are supported by low malt-sweetness and a hint of tropical fruit.

    The long finish is bitter and of moderate strength with notes of crushed juniper needles, grapefruit oil, and low crackery malt. I struggle to find the words…

    Mouthfeel 10/10

    Medium body with moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is crisp yet creamy and mouth-coating with restrained alcohol warming and a medium-dry finish. No astringency or harshness on the palate even if the bitterness builds over time.

    Overall 19/20

    Brasserie Artisanale Albion’s Lacustre is a rustic and distinctive beer.

    The appearance is ok – I’m not a fan of the colour or clarity but the foam attributes are spot-on. The aroma takes you off-guard with special ingredients bombarding your senses and just as you gather yourself for the sip, the palate throws you for a loop. The mouthfeel is great – it’s refreshing yet it has some real weight while leaving your palate cleansed.

    I was very confused at first – maybe I still am. Lacustre deserves a very high overall score because it’s unique, it takes me on a journey, and there are no clear off-flavours. I can visualize a damp, earthy, and solitary forest with each sip and that alone is worth a lot of points.

    This is the equivalent of an off-kilter wine in a fancy restaurant – “what the f**k am I drinking? I think I like it!” I’d love to know how this was brewed and what ingredients were used – do send me a message if you happen to know.

    If you’re sensitive to perfumy characteristics and soapy notes – this beer may rub you the wrong way. For the rest of you, it’s an interesting brew to try.

    My expectations were exceeded and I’m now looking forward to Forêt Blanche which is waiting for its turn in the fridge.

    OMG, read another breview!