Les Trois Mousquetaires S.S. Sticke Alt

Brewed by Les Trois Mousquetaires
Style: Altbier
Brossard, Canada

Serve in Kölsch/Altbier

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I’ve had alts but I believe this is my first Sticke so I can’t say whether it’s "to style". I can say that it was quite good, though, pouring reddish brown with a rich but clearcut malt base under some grassy hops. Dry finish. Does not feel like 7.2%.

Bottle, 355mls the smell wasn’t great, it didn’t taste much like the smell, it was a nice hoppiness and the flavour was really nice, smooth and full body and warming, bottle was a mth or so since bottling but I can see this even better closer to the bottling date. If I could get this locally it would be a regalur for me

Pour is chestnut brown with a dirty off-white head. Aroma is grass, cereals and hops. Taste is medium sweet but you can’t tell because of the unbalance toward hops, not that I would complain about that. Flavors are roasted/charred "something", nuts and grassy hops. Mouthfeel is OK with a normal carbonation level (medium). Overall a nice bitter beer, one that I’d have again even!

Jan 2013 production. Aroma: First nose very caramel with notes of crystallized fruits, molasses, toasted bread and wood. Nose is going down fast after initial aromas. a lot of potential but fading too soon. Appearance: Clear ruby red. Beige, rocky and generous head. Long lasting with average lacing. Taste: Attack is very hoppy, bitter and dry with ash and wood notes. Malt accents like caramel are discreet but assuming a constant presence with wood, nuts and grain. Hops are introducing a very dry bitterness coupled with grassy notes. Mouth feel balance is almost perfect with its rich texture and full body. A very well balanced beer with a strong and dry bitterness.

I love discovering hidden gems in the beer world. I got a bottle of Les Trois Mousquetaires Sticke Alt in a "Yankee Raffle" at my homebrew club’s Christmas party. I wasn’t very excited about it, so I let it sit in the fridge for nearly two months before I opened it. Now that I’ve tried it I’m sorry I waited so long since it’s a flavorful, complex and overall impressive beer.

I poured a 750ml corked and caged bottle into a goblet.

Appearance: Beautiful chestnut/mahogany/ruby red hue. Though dark, plenty of fine carbonation can be seen streaming up the side. Forms a large, beige, frothy head which laces and retains wonderfully.

Smell: A sweet, nutty aroma plus significant dark fruit and classic Belgian yeast esters. Interesting and inviting.

Taste: The altbier style is definitely underutilized and underappreciated, and a well-brewed version like Les Trois Mousquetaires Sticke Alt, makes me wonder why it isn’t more popular. In the case of this beer, it could be the fact it’s not a familiar palate. In fact you could almost describe it as a cross between a robust English brown ale and a Belgian dubbel. You wouldn’t normally compare those two, but in this case it works well.

It begins with a medium caramel note, followed by distinct nutty flavor. Some bitterness through the middle quickly gives way to an even richer flavor of stone fruits and dried fruits. I notice a resurgence of the caramel flavor as the beer finishes, which is nice. The only problem with this beer is the constant, noticeable yeast taste throughout the palate. It’s close to table black pepper, or just a general dry flavor that distracts from the otherwise sweet, malty palate.

Drinkability: With a thick, full body and energetic carbonation, this is actually a sipping beer despite the relatively light weight of only 6% ABV. The texture is creamy and soft, but the beer has a heavy presence in the mouth. It’s pretty easy going down, though the dryness does linger and is a bit cloying. Les Trois Mousquetaires Sticke Alt drinks like a heavier beer than it is, since there’s so much flavor to it. Though I had no trouble killing an entire bottle by myself.

Très maltée, flaveurs fortement boisées, elle laisse paraître une bonne dose d’amertume houblonnée en finale. Odorante (bois, céréales légèrement grillées, sucre cuit), elle possède une bonne effervescente pour une bière somme toute un peu épaisse. Très agréable.

750 mL bottle at Volo, served in a stem glass. Pours clear reddish amber with a moderate tan head that fades to a thin cover, leaving a small amount of fine lace. The nose has caramel malts, grain, fruit and soft hops. The flavour is slightly sweet, with grainy malts, along with earth, fruit and a hint of dust. The finish is long and malty. On the palate, it is medium in body with a slightly dry texture. Overall, a nice alt with elegant malts; it could have been a little more complex, though. 2012-06-05

bouteille de 341ml, robe brune cuivrée, arôme de fruit secs et de caramel, goût vinaigré de caramel et de raisins secs.

Bottle. Pours a lightly hazed ruby amber with a medium to large sized beige head. Lots of toast and malt with a touch of caramel on the nose. Medium bodied, sweet malt is balanced nicely with a good amount of bitterness early on. Straight forward and easy drinking. Nice touch of caramel into the finish, long lingering bitterness.

d une couleur rubis foncé elle degage un melange houblons resignieux et de malt avec a fin une touche amertume