La Chouape Impériale Stout

Brewed by La Chouape
Style: Imperial Stout
Saint-Félicien, Canada

Serve in Snifter

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2011 bottle. pours very dark brown with a decent light beige head, retention and lacing. roasted peppermint, perfumey citrusy-lightly piney hops, light coconut and dark chocolate, spices, hint of acidity - from big roasted grains, awkward fruitiness, slightly ashy. average carbonation, light body - feels weak although it’s half-forgiveable, abv-wise, decent grassy-peppery finish. ok.

L’un des Imperial Stout les plus tranquilles qu’il m’ait été donné de goûter (j’appellerais ça un stout semi-impérial), pourtant après des arômes conventionnels et des saveurs pas si puissantes, elle marque des points sur la qualité de ces saveurs. Onctueuse, copieuse, elle est bien meilleure que leur stout à l’avoine (qui devrait en fait goûter exactement comme celle-ci), et si elle manque d’agressivité, on se rend vite compte que ça ne nous manque pas tant que ça en fin de compte.

In short: An overly carbonated roasted stout. Could have been very good, was just ok.
How: Bottle 500ml. Consumed when approximately 6 months of age..
The look: Black body topped by an abnormally large dark-beige head with medium retention.
In long: Nose is (once I let the head fade away) highly roasted. Taste is highly roasted cereals (burnt toasts flavor), roasted coffee beans, bitter black chocolate sticking to the back of the throat, stronger than usual yeast presence for the style. Finish is somewhat bitter but not really hoppy-bitter, after-taste was coffee-bitter and black-chocolate-bitter. I think there is a good beer in there but the carbonation (in my bottle) was excessively aggressive, not only did the beer surfed over my taste buds but the carbonation added a acidity sensation that clashed with the coffee taste and other flavor components of the beer. Decent beer, probably very good with appropriate carbonation. I will need to try another batch to see how it can taste, anyway I’m at the point when I say “I must have been sober when I did that” as an excuse for the productive things I do in my life that I cannot turn into cool stories.

J’ai goûté à presque tous les produits de ce petit pub sympathique. Je rate celle-ci qui me paraît être le summum. Comme tous les produits de la Chouape, c’est la qualité d’une microbrasserie qui produit tout elle-même ou presque. Elle s’en tire vraiment bien. Les produits sont de qualité et c’est l’idée de fraîcheur qui me vient à l’esprit.

Bottle courtesy of Jay at Clockwork’s Dec 8th, 2012 tasting. Pours a deep black body with lacing. Aroma is huge booze, sweet and very light roast. Mouthfeel is medium with notes of bourbon, roast and sweet chocolate.

Bottle. Pours near black with a gushing beige head. Roasted malts, some ashy burnt notes, light sweetness, and a hint of oxidation. Not bad.

Bottle shared by Jay at tasting at my house. Pours black with brown head. Nose and taste of milk chocolate, roast chocolate malt, vanilla and roast brownie. Medium body.

Bottle that I took to a tasting at James’s place. Pours a dark black with a large infected looking tan head. Bottle gushed a little as well, so I’m 2/2 at this point on infected Quebecois beers. Smells infected, chocolate, roast, plums and prunes. Medium bodied, sweet and chocolatey, cocoa. More oxidization and cocoa, a bit of infection. A bit chalky and ashy. Decent enough.

Bouteille de 500ml. Embouteillée le 2012/02/1. Un léger filet de mousse qui s’efface rapidement. Noir et opaque aux arômes de torréfaction. Une note d’olive parfume l’aspect olfactif. Une légère touche de chocolat en bouche qui laisse place au café. La final est au ton de l’amertume. Arrière-goût peu prononcé.