La Belle Saison – À l’abri de la Tempête

Ale Blonde aux herbes, 5.5%

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Herbed Blonde Ale, 5.5%: Bright pale straw color with low activity. Foamy white 2-3 finger head, lasting around 5 minutes, with poor legs. Flavors of ginger, nutmeg, caramel, lemon, peach, sweet grains and floral hops. Smooth oily full body with a light crisp. Light strength finish, slightly floral and spicy, a little fruity but not much, more like caramel and a bit corny with a hint of vanilla. Poor yeast profile having hardly no barnyard feel nor much wild yeast, just a bit rustic. Very delicate, too much, even less than a table Saison. It’s highly accessible though. Strange cross between a Saison and Amber (I guess). At least the body is pleasant and well rounded, but gets quickly dull from the lack of carbonation. Overall average quality craft.

Corne De Glace – À l’abri de la Tempête

Scotch Ale de glace très puissant, 14%

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Ice Scotch Ale, 14%, aged around 6 months : Cloudy and hazy copper brownish color. Slightly creamy brown orangey 3-4 finger head in a tulip, lasting around 5-10 minutes, with some strong lacing. Flavors molasses, liquorice, plums, cherries, clove, wood, dark grains and herbal hops. Slick and slightly oily medium body, soft crisp. Very strong dry finish, leathery and alcoholic, rich dark fruits and roasted grains, while highly spicy with a hint of cheese. Decent barrel aged feel, but not enough and probably doesn’t age that well. This is an « Ice Scotch Ale » with proper strength; it’s really warming, almost burning the throat. It’s interesting but not amazing. Quite a bold Scotch Ale for really cold times. It’s deeply boozy but not overly coarse and vinous, still decently balanced. Although the accessibility is very low. Got to try this one again, was interrupted by the damn wife’s car accident, so I got to drink this hours after the pour and it was still decent. Overall very good quality craft.

Palabre 21 Trans IPA – À l’abri de la Tempête

Saison IPA, 6.8%

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COMPLEXITY
APPRECIATION

Hazy dark straw color, moderate activity, with a fine mist of yeast. Thick foamy and frothy white 3-4 finger island head, lasting around 10-15 minutes, with a bit of legs, and good lacing. Flavors of lemon, grapefruits, mangos, light pineapples, sweet grains, wheat, soft cheese, wild brett yeast, floral spices. Sweet tropical fruits, moderately bitter with dry hops. Oily and silky medium to full body with crispy carbonation. Medium to strong strength finish, slightly dry, straw and hay feel, grassy noble hops, sharp bitter yeast, soft clove and peppercorn. Belgian yeast with German hops, fits well and feel complex. My bottle was a little old, from august 2016, probably with some attenuated hops. Although it’s very well balanced with the matured wild yeast. The smell is a deep bard yard feel, similar to an armpit, but strangely attractive. Quite delicious and highly drinkable. The hops are not aggressive, very flowery and lagered. The body gets a bit thin, but still remains smooth enough. Solid brett IPA, overall excellent quality craft.