The BeerCast

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)

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)

One of the enduring perceptions of North America is that it is a Budweiser-soaked desert when it comes to good beer. This is a tad unfair on our Colonial brethren and certainly not the case in Francophone Canada. Every June, the Mondial de la Biere rolls into Montreal’s Gare Windsor like a hops-laden locomotive, the inebriated engineer slumped over the controls…

If you like beer, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. If you don’t… then it’s only a couple of weeks until the Comedy Festival… or the Grand Prix… or the Jazz Festival…

The first thing you notice about beer in Canada is that they sell it according to its colour. No confusion here over labels like “ale” or “bitter.” The first time I asked for a beer in Montreal, the guy behind the bar simply said “brown?” Sure, I replied, wondering what colour beer usually was in the New World… The rainbow of beers available include: Noire (stouts), Brune and Rousse (bitters), Dorée and Ambrée (ales), and Blanche (wheat beers). No system is perfect, but this one certainly helps the consumer to know what they’re getting.

Last year, I was a newbie to North American beer and spent an enjoyable, if painful, weekend running around trying all the beers I could (even the sh*t ones). This year, I could be a bit more selective with my coupons, so skirting neatly around the Coors and Molson stalls, with their plethora of local tarts (I believe the North American term is “skanks”), I made a beeline to the stall of a Québec brewery that I hadn’t heard of: L’Alchemiste. At the forefront of my mind was the fact that I had to write a column for my chums in Scotland, so I tried the Scotch Ale, Ecossaise, which turned out to be a most pleasant experience indeed. This dark ale has a caramel flavour to it, a hint of something burnt, and a liquorice aftertaste.

By far my favourite Canadian brewer, Unibroue (now owned by Japan’s Sapporo), produce a range of interesting, original beers for the connoisseur. I’ve tried most of them before, my favourites being Cap d’Espoir and Fin du Monde (although I think they took a misstep on the treacley, dandelion-and-burdock-tinged Raftman). I took the opportunity to try Ephémére. This fruit beer comes in two varieties, raspberry and apple. I tried the apple, prejudiced by the fact that every berry-flavoured beer I have tried has tasted of beer that has been adulterated with Ribena. Ephémére proved… appley. Not too surprising, but far too easy to get pissed on, I suspect.

A haven for truth-in-advertising, when you ask for a ginger beer in Québec, you don’t get a soft drink, you get a beer that tastes of ginger, which is the way life should be. Many microbreweries produce their own Gingembre beer and the majority of them are to be recommended, especially Microbrasserie du Lièvre’s franglais-named La Ginger Beer Epice.

Dieu du ciel brew pub on west Laurier ave, Montreal, produces a range of beers that can only fairly be described as ‘interesting.’ Their Rosée d’Hibiscus as you can probably guess, is flavoured with hibiscus and Le trou du diable (the Devil’s hole) tastes so sulphurous and farty I’m not sure I want to guess which hole the Devil got it from.

In addition to being fairly sunburnt and dehydrated, by this point I was obviously too pissed, because I spent 4 coupons (a princely sum) on a beer cocktail called a Broujito. This mixture of a Mojito – rum, soda, mint, lime – and Dorée beer worked surprisingly well and perfectly fitted both my mood and the bright sunshine bathing the Gare Windsor.

My good lady wife helped me home where I slept like only a mildly drunk and partially suburnt Brit can.

A bientot mes amis!