La Chouape 1881

Brewed by La Chouape
Style: Belgian Ale
Saint-Félicien, Canada

A hazed golden ale with a thin white head. A nice sweet candy sugar aroma, with curacao and light vanilla. In mouth, a classy Belgian style ale with good creamy malt, coriander, curacao, very smooth and pleasing. Medium bodied. Tasted Nov. 21 2009.

500 ml bottle purchased at Peluso, November 17, 2009. Blonde honey veiled, medium head. Aroma of spicy malted barley, citrus notes. Taste of barley sugar and spice, aftertaste rather alcoholic, but not that much. A Belgian quite good, nothing spectacular!

Bouteille de 500ml. de belle couleur dorée-miel ce présente cette bière, la mousse est compacte et bien présente.Nez épicé agréable, bouche tout aussi agréable, grain, épices. longue finale piquante.

4,79$ for 500ml bottle, served in an Orval glass. Fizzy-like effervescence with a sweet and spicy aroma . Interesting citrus-grapefruit-bitter rendition of the style, with a Orval-like brett twist. Notes of spices, resinous and a very discreet yeasty character. Sweetness is very well hidden, with no taste of alchool, although 6,7 ABV. Dry finish with a tongue-tingling effect. All in all a very pleasant beer with an audacious and authentic personnality. I liked that beer and I will buy some more!

Bouteille de 500 ml achetée chez La Barik (Trois-Rivières, QC). Arôme: Odeur d’agrumes avec une pointe de céréales. Apparence: La couleur est cuivrée voilée avec une forte densité de bulle. Présence d’un micne col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût d’agrumes avec une pointe d’épices et de fruité. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement onctueuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Légère présence d’épices en arrière goût. (Rating #2561)

Bottle: Poured a cloudy dark amber color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of candi sugar with some dry malt. Taste is a weird mix between some dry malt with some sweet candi sugar notes and a somewhat weird corn note. Body is quite full with some average carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Some promise but the corn notes and the over dry finish kind of ruin this one.

My Bottom Line:
This rural Belgian-style Ale develops clever yeasty phenols and spicy oranges that team up with subtle caramel and earthy hops, creating a seamless whole which leads to levelled leafy hop bitterness.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A healthy head of foam recedes to a ring atop the luminous amber (before the yeast pour, of course).
-The Frontenac malt character is apparent in this one, increasing this beer’s rurality. Once La Chouape start malting their own barley (which should be soon), I think they will yield even more interesting products.
-The mouthfeel is smooth, with prickly carbonation, and feels as professional as most Chouape beers.
-This is very easy drinking despite the 6.7% alcohol.

Bottle.

Aroma:fruity,mixe of apple and cirtus,... Appearance:light hazy amber,small head.. Flavor:fruity,alcool,light sugar...