Charlevoix Vache Folle Simcoe Double IPA

Brewed by Microbrasserie Charlevoix / Le Saint Pub
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Baie-St-Paul, Canada

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

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UPDATED: NOV 13, 2006 Any first impressions?
-A veil of foam protects the clear, deep copper/orange.
-Fruity caramel sweetness is topped by sandy, cat litter-like hoppiness.
-Lots of wooden, sandy hops seem to have been mostly used in the first half of the boil.
-Hefty maltiness offers a superb body, helped by pillowy carbonation.

What if you dig deeper?
-Cherry and strawberry fruitiness lace the maltiness, enveloping the tongue.
-Candied red cranberries, blood oranges, and caramel frolick around the coniferous, earthy hoppiness.
-Nourishing, flavorful, but somehow never overwhelming, a true beauty.
-The malt signature is definitely reminiscent of the bulky Oktoberfest, but in different proportions of course.
-The sandy hop bitterness which ends is far from tame, but couldn’t be called aggressive either, assuaged by the aforementioned fruitiness.
-This is a wonderful Double IPA/Barleywine from Charlevoix, further proof of their immense talent. We want more of this guys!!

On tap at Vices et Versa, Montreal.

500ml bottle pours an orangeish amber color with a 3 finger head that settles down to some really nice lacing on the glass. Aroma is caramel and citrusy hops with hints of fruit. Taste is a pleasing citrusy hop bitterness with some earthy notes and balanced nicely with an abundance of caramel malty sweetness. Medium body and nice carbonation. This is a truly excellent DIPA.

Bouteille 500 ml. 9%. Couleur ambrée-orangée. Ma première Vache Folle. Wow. Citrus, malt, amertume. Je n’avais pas le goût assez développé pour apprécier cette bière pleinement.

Bière de type double IPA de 9% d’alcool, bien houblonné, très bonne, dégusté à la microbrasserie.

Forgotten notes from Jan. 2, 2010 Pour is a lovely amberish orange with a dense yellowish beige head that sticks around. Unique Simcoe nose with light spice and slight tropical fruit and light citrus. Quite fruity in the middle with tropical notes and notes of grapefruit and light pine. The palate is sticky and syrupy with caramelly malts well balanced with the distinct Simcoe. Delicious, brew with a unique taste for an Imperial IPA.

Poured into tulip. Dark, translucent red with big white head. Very carbonated. Aroma is forgettable. Some hops but not much Taste - mainly hops. Not overpowering though. Mouthfeel - still hops. Getting more citrus on the finish Overall - nice beer. Thought it would be heavier as a double IPA. Definitely a winner though.

Copper ale with minimal head. Subtile aroma of hop and candy. Strong hop taste, but well balanced.

A reddish orange amber IPA with a thick moka head. In aroma, pleasant fragrant hops, floral and sweet, pink grapefruits, lightly muskey. In mouth, a smooth sweetish malt with light acidic points, grapefruit chunks, warming alcohol, pinhey hops, smooth and well balanced.

500mL bottle, sent from Glouglouburp, pours a cloudy golden orange with an off-white head. Like the other Charlevoix Double IPAs, this has a very fruity nose, caramel and citrusy hops. Flavour of caramel, citrusy hops, and fruits (mango, peach, pineapple, grapefruit). Excellent.

Bottle from Glouglouburp. Dark gold color and pours with a decent sized head. A thin film sits on top the whole way through. The aroma shows oranges and has a general sweet tropical fruit smell, with light herbal notes and plenty of caramel. The flavor is mostly in line with the aroma. Sweet tropical fruit; mango and oranges, caramel as well as some soft toffee malt. This has a hefty malt bill but the hops do a pretty good job of keeping up. The palate is oily, slightly doughy, with a good firm bitterness in the finish to counter the sweetness. Probably a fringe Double IPA but nonetheless solid stuff. Thanks Dany for the chance to try this one!

Tasty DIPA set via Presario. Alberta is getting ome good Quebec beers, strange how that works. The bitterenss is drinkable and enjoyable because of the Amarillo orange citrus flavour. More or less one dimensional, good nonetheless. A little ornage colour and significant white soapy head. Hop oils in the aroma.