BeerCast #39 – Bières du Quebec Part 2

Our latest BeerCast podcast sees the second part of our Quebecois beer extravaganza, thanks to the return of outposted panellist CraigAS. Recently relocated to Yorkshire from Montreal, he supplied us with some attention-grabbing brews from Canada. This second part sees our panel sample four beers, many from the same breweries as our first edition. We begin with Joliette microbrewery L’Alchimiste’s L’Écossaise Scottish Ale (5.0%), an interesting prospect for our Edinburgh-based tasters. We then try another Unibroue beer – Raftman (5.5%), brewed to honour the hardy woodsmen of Canadian history. Next we go for a new addition, McAuslan’s St Ambroise Oatmeal Stout (5.0%), before ending the episode with a bang, and the challenging Dieu du Ciel! Péché Mortel (9.5%). This isn’t a peach beer, but a coffee-infused Imperial Stout, and demands serious attention. As with our first Quebec episode, the panel consists of CraigAS, Grooben, Richard and Shovels.

1. L’Écossaise (5.0%abv)
L’Alchimiste, Joliette, Quebec.
341ml glass bottle

L’Alchimiste are a fine 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, two of which we were brought over by Craig. Last time we sampled their 6.1% bock – this time we drink their 5.0% Scottish style ale. L’Alchimiste are fairly typical in Quebecois brewing, in that they style beers by colours, with a Blonde, Brune and Ambrée. Their Scotch Ale is the brune of these, with that characteristic heavy dark colour and sweet, malty flavour.

What They Say – “Bière ronde et moelleuse dégageant au nez comme en bouche une note de pain d’épice. Son amertume très faible en fait une brune facile pour les néophytes de la bière. On découvre en finale des arômes subtils de caramel, mariés à la douce chaleur de son alcool.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Craig – Very fizzy and quite sweet with a slight sourness to it 8
Richard – It’s very sweet and molasses-y but I like it 7½
Shovels – It tastes a bit like a watered-down Old Peculier 6
Grooben – More in common with beers from the North of England 6

2. Raftman (5.5%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. However the ’Drink Less’ part is offset by the hefty 750ml corked bottles used for their bottle conditioned beers – but we’re not complaining. Last episode we tried their witbier Blanche de Chambly, and this time we sampled Raftman, brewed in honour of the brave men who tamed the Canadian wilderness in the name of expansion and settlement.

What They Say – “Launched in March 1995, Raftman is a beer with a coral sheen that is slightly robust. It combines the character of whisky malt with the smooth flavours of choice yeast. It has a subtle and exceptional bouquet that creates a persistent smooth feel.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Craig – The first time I didn’t like it, but it grows on you 7
Grooben – Don’t like it much, the extra whisky flavour is horrible 5
Richard – Tastes like a tart witbier with whisky malt added to it 5
Shovels – It’s very sharp and tastes mostly of vinegar 4½

3. St Ambroise Oatmeal Stout (5.0%abv)
McAuslan Brewery, Montreal, Quebec.
341ml glass bottle

McAuslan opened their operations at the start of 1989 in the St-Henri borough of Montreal. They took their location as name for a range of beers, being sited on Rue St Ambroise. After debuting with St Ambroise Pale Ale a month after they opened, they have steadily added more to their portfolio, including in December 1991 St Ambroise Oatmeal Stout. They were founded by Peter McAuslan – yet another who followed the career path from enthusiastic homebrewer in the 1970’s to brewery owner in the 1980’s. Today they employ over forty people and have won many international brewing medals.

What They Say – “Brewed from 40 percent dark malts and roasted barley, this intensely black ale carries strong hints of espresso and chocolate. Oatmeal contributes body and a long-lasting mocha-coloured head to this well-hopped beer.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Craig – It’s not messing around – it’s pretty smoky 6½
Grooben – That’s the stoutiest stout that ever stouted 6
Shovels – It’s a beer for the evening – the whole evening 5
Richard – Too strong and one-dimensional for me, I like the subtle nuances of a stout 4

4. Péché Mortel (9.5%abv)
Dieu du Ciel!, Montrel, Quebec.
341ml glass bottle

Dieu du Ciel! are an apostrophe-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? After loving their rye beer infused with peppercorns (Route des épices), we now move on to the awesome Péché Mortel, a viscous Imperial Stout infused with coffee.

What They Say – “The Péché Mortel is an intensely black and dense beer with very pronounced roasted flavours. Fair-trade coffee is infused during the brewing process, helping to intensify the bitterness of the beer and giving it a powerful coffee taste. Brewed to be savoured, we invite you to drink it with moderation.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Craig – First taste is burnt coffee, the next is paint stripper 2½
Grooben – It’s a bold experiment that has backfired completely 2
Shovels – Like eating coffee beans with a tequila on the side 1
Richard – It’s about as unpleasant a beer as I’ve ever had 0

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

BeerCast panel verdict
L’Alchimiste L’Écossaise (27½/40)
Unibroue Raftman (21½/40)
McAuslan St Ambroise Oatmeal Stout (21½/40)
Dieu du Ciel! Péché Mortel (5½/40)