Orléans Joseph Bellarmin (Cuvée Spéciale Automne)

Brewed by Microbrasserie d’Orléans / Pub Le Mitan
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Sainte-Famille, Île d’Orléans, Canada

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

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Bottle. The character on the label looks like my uncle Renaud, kind of. Pours a very hazy deep amber with a condensed off-white head that shows excellent retention and generates lovely lace. Aroma is very malty, bread and toffee. Flavour is similarly malt driven with tasty bready toffee enveloping citrus and hints of spice. Finish is quite bitter, but by no means achieving imperial levels. A very tasty American strong ale, but as an IIPA it probably wouldn’t cut it with most hopheads.

Bottle [500ml] courtesy of Fred82. Pours a cloudy dark orange-copper with an average size diminishing foamy off-white head. Aroma: Hmmm, that’s not what I expected, It’s not bad but it doesn’t smell like a DIPA. There’s floral hops yes, but also spices (pepper mainly), pine, vegetables, cheese maybe and citrus fruit all backed by caramel malt. Bizarre. Flavour: Again, that’s a slightly odd flavour for a DIPA, it’s sweet, kind of spicy and piney along with caramel malt, some floral hops, alcohol and an average, somewhat long bitter finish. Medium bodied, oily mouthfeel. Not on style and kind of weird but it gets an extra point for being drinkable with that high an abv and somewhat interesting. An O.K. beer.

Liquide orangé trouble avec un col de mousse blanc cassé. Le nez est houblonné (concentré d’agrumes et d’herbes) et doucement malté (léger caramel, léger pain). Le goût est aussi dominé par les agrumes et par le sucre d’orge. La finale offerte est pleine d’amertume de houblons floraux et résineux avec une présence sentie d’alcool.

A reddish copper ale with a thick moka head. A pleasant herbal malt aroma with wafting alcohol, vinous notes, quite pleasant. In mouth, a rather malty interpretation of the DIPA, herbal and nutty, light sweet notes, sustained bitterness. Interesting.

Aroma:good hopy nose,grapefruit.... Appearance:clear orange,light head... Flavor:good hopy flavor,floral and grapefruit...

Poured a pleasing copper color with thin off-white head giving way to minimal lacing around the glass. Aroma is sweet with a slight citric acidity intermingled with a nice resinous hop character. Body is a little watery and leaves something to be desired on the palate; I was expecting a stickier, richer profile. Good floral hop taste with a light bitterness in the finish. It is a smooth brew and the alcohol content is well disguised. Not bad, but I certainly prefer Charlevoix’s IPA lineup.

On tap at the Pub. The color is a hazy orange with a thin beige head. The aroma is hoppy with citrus fruits and herbs. The aroma is also of hops and fruity the alcohol % is present in the taste but not overdone. A good I.P.A. but not an overpowering double I.P.A.

500 mL bottle. Hazy orange with a thick ring of head and lots of bubble activity. The aroma is milder than expected, with some floral-resiny hops and some thin caramel. Not particularly impressive for the style. The flavour is dominated by hops and alcohol up front, and hops and light caramel in the back. Some apple or grape juice in there too. Some sweetish citrus in the bitter finish, the best feature of this beer. Needs more bitterness and a stronger malt profile. Medium body. Not a great IIPA, but not a terrible beer, either.

UPDATED: OCT 6, 2010 Thanks to my brother-in-law for this gem. Aroma is great hop and somewhat floral. Taste is small caramel, slight bread and then big hop. Really well balanced and the hop isn’t overpowering. I’ll definitely be going out looking to pick up some of this.

UPDATED: MAR 9, 2010 Bottle. Served in Orval glass, dark-copper color, not much head. Discreet aroma, sweet and herbal. Hoppiness is what probably strikes out the most obviously in this brew, an herbal, leafy, peppery and slightly tongue-tingling hopping. Pretty sweet caramelized maltiness attempts to balance this brew. Alchool is perceptible beneath the hops, but it is still easy to drink, maybe because of that slightly watery mouthfeel, which is not a problem for me here. But this Jo Bellarmin got a severe beating in a blind taste, by some American DIPA (Hop Stoopid, Hopslam, 90 minutes) that left him completely bruised in my conscience. Really lacks of intensity in the hopping. Jo, you’re just far too timid to even say a word in this kind of fight. The desastrous turn-out, far worse than expected, caused a review of this rating and the idea it was the last Jo I’d have.