BeerCast #38 – Bières du Quebec Part 1

For the past few BeerCasts we’ve concentrated mostly on domestic UK beers – so it’s high time we jumped overseas again. Our Canadian correspondent CraigAS has recently moved back home after several years in Montreal, and of course brought back a clinking suitcase. In fact, he carried over so many local ales that we’ve had to split them into two podcasts – as a result, BeerCasts 38 and 39 are special episodes on unusual offerings from Quebec. This first part sees our panel sample three beers from the francophone province, beginning with Unibroue’s Blanche de Chambly (5%). We then move on to Montreal brewpub Dieu du Ciel’s Route des Épices (5%), the first peppercorn beer any of us had ever tried. We ended the episode on a stronger note with La Bock de Joliette (6.1%) from another popular Quebecois micro-brewery, L’Alchimiste. On the panel with CraigAS were Richard, Grooben, and Shovels.

1. Blanche de Chambly (5.0%abv)
Unibroue, Chambly, Quebec.
750ml glass bottle

Unibroue’s motto is ‘Drink Less…Drink Better’, which seems to imply they like adding unusual ingredients to their beers and ramping up the alcohol. This is true in part, as they specialise in Belgian-style ales – their most notable (and best-selling) being La Fin du Monde, a 9% tripel first brewed in 1994. They were started a year before that by Quebecois brewer Andre Dion, and were eventually bought out by Canadian giants Sleemans in 2004 (who were themselves gobbled up by the bigger fish of Sapporo). Almost all of their beers are bottle conditioned – and they take their work very seriously, as proven by a five page tasting tutorial on their website. Blanche de Chambly is Unibroue’s Belgian-style witbier, and was the first they produced, hence the fact that it’s named after their hometown.

What They Say – “Blanche de Chambly is only partially filtered, retaining its natural cloud of yeast that is characteristic of the original white ales brewed during the Middle Ages. The aroma is lightly fruity with a hint of citrus, and the taste is subtly spiced.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard – It is a bit spicey – as a wheatbeer you can’t fault it 7
Shovels – It smells and tastes like a general wheatbeer 7
Craig – It smells stronger than I remember and is very cloudy 6½
Grooben – Lighthearted and lemony by Unibroue’s standards 6

2. Route des Épices (5.0%abv)
Dieu du Ciel!, Montrel, Quebec.
341ml glass bottle

Dieu du Ciel! are a punctuation-friendly brewery who have micro-brasserie bases in St-Jérôme and Montreal. Their downtown brewpub is apparently unassuming on the outside, but showcases an astonishing range and variety – their online beer list has almost ninety entries. They concoct everything from old-world style saisons and IPA’s to truly fascinating brews containing ingredients such as Morel mushrooms, Hibiscus flowers, Absinthe, and Hemp (not all in the same one). Thinking outside of the brewing box seems to be par for the course as Dieu du Ciel! – who else could come up with Premiere Neige, an aniseed and nutmeg whit? This time we sample Route des Épices, a black rye beer infused with black and green peppercorns.

What They Say – “The Routes des Épices is a rye beer in which pepper has been added during the brewing process, lending it wonderful peppery flavours and aromas. The beer also reveals flavours of malt, fresh cereal, chocolate, caramel and a hint of fruit. In the aftertaste, the pepper flavour is once again revealed in full strength and it leaves a pleasing spicy tingling sensation on the tongue. A nice balance is attained between its spiciness and its multitude of other flavours.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Craig – I admire it’s bravado – it’s pretty smokey 8½
Richard – Very unusual and warming with that pure peppery kick 8
Shovels – It’s a wintry beer that tingles the top of the mouth 8
Grooben – I can’t believe how peppery it is, it’s so original 7

3. La Bock de Joliette (6.1%abv)
L’Alchimiste, Joliette, Quebec.
341ml glass bottle

L’Alchimiste are another example of the flourishing microbrewing scene in Quebec, having sprung up in the city of Joliette, 50km northeast of Montreal. Founded by Carl Dufour in 2001, they produce a decent number of regular beers (albeit way behind Dieu du Ciel!), two of which we were brought over by Craig. This episode we sample their 6.1% bock – the traditional style of German strong dark lager first brewed in Einbeck. L’Alchimiste are fairly typical in Quebecois brewing, in that they style beers by colours, with a Blonde, Brune and Ambrée. Their bock is the latter of these, with that characteristic heavy golden colour.

What They Say – “La Bock de Joliette développe au nez des effluves douces et épicées. C’est une bière qui possède beaucoup de corps, développant en bouche des arômes chauds et maltés. Le doux parfum floral du houblon compose, avec la chaleur de l’alcool, une finale longue et moelleuse.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard – It’s not something you can power through 5
Craig – I remember enjoying this more than I currently am 4½
Grooben – Too vinegary on the palate for me, it’s not nice 4
Shovels – Sharp vinegar cutting through it, it’s not really enjoyable 3½

Panellists – (from top left) Shovels, CraigAS, Grooben, Richard

BeerCast panel verdict
Dieu du Ciel! Route des Épices (32/40)
Unibroue Blanche de Chambly (26½/40)
L’Alchimiste La Bock de Joliette (17/40)