My Bottom Line:
Toasted bread dips into salted cracker territory as licorice and candied dark fruit draw a deeper picture. This is as good as most Boréale offerings, which to me means it’s solid, quenching, and humble.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A sturdy head of foam protects the clear garnet.
-The quiet finale continues the toasted malt theme, adding but a few supporting hops.
-The overall flavor profile is well structured and balanced.
-This does not feel stronger than most Boréale beers; it’s as drinkable and svelte.
-The toasted bread builds biscuits too.
-Carbonation is appropriate.

Bottle; best before March ’08.

Nice light fruitiness conjures raisins and plums along with a healthy dose of brown sugar and caramel in the aroma. Clear, deep copper coloured body is topped by a decent, fine bubbled tan head that recedes to a lasting cover with some patchy lace. Flavour has plenty of the same fruitiness and sweetness as the nose suggests and is balanced by a light whiff of alcohol and some decent offsetting bitterness. Dry medium body with lightly pointy and long lasting carbonation. Tulip glass. Cellar temperature. Bottle (Le Gobelet, Jan-08).

A dark reddish brown ale with a thick moka head. Pleasant aroma of licorice, ginger, dark fruits, and brown sugar. In mouth, sweet burned caramel with light cloves and licorice, toasted notes, light coffee, and raisins. Medium bodied. One of Boreal’s best. Bought at Jovi, Gatineau, Dec. 2007.

Bottle (341ml). Via trade with Viper666. Clear ruby pour, smallish creamy tan head. Mild aroma - peat, cocoa, tea and caramel malt. Taste follows, with dry leafy hop bitterness in the finish, not much alcohol at all - like a low ABV Old Ale. Sugary, slick mouthfeel, not much carbonation, very mild astringency, and a nice carbonized fruitiness in the linger. This is really easy to drink - I’d gladly have this again, a nice malty winter treat.

2008-02-01. Bottle. Very dark brown body with a modest tan head. (3+) Muted flavour, sweet malt with some toasty roasty accent hints. Light sugary notes in the finish linger. Similar aroma of sweet malt, dry toasty notes. Average palate. Not a show stopper but quite drinkable.