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The Ignorant Beer Review: Bourbonade

by sophie on July 20, 2018 at 10:50 am

Posted In: Blogs, Homepage, Sophie

Beer: Bourbonade

Brewer: Bob Magnale

Strong Sour beer, 6.4%

Bought it because I haven’t reviewed any sour beers really, and this brewery seems to be knocking them out of the park. They are still quite small and their production capacity is extremely limited. Anywho, a regular client was telling me about this beer and I decided to give it a shot.

So. As I poured it out, the colour didn’t look super appetizing to me. It’s a burnt orange kind of shade, somewhat murky. There is no foam. That always makes me a bit sad haha! It smells lovely. Like summer lemonade with a twist. The twist being bourbon.

Oooooh ok yeah I get it. This is pretty cool. It definitely does taste like bourbon lemonade, but like, not sweet. It reminds you of sweet without being sweet. Stay with me here.The description of this beer is ‘strong sour beer with lemon, aged in bourbon oak barrels’. They hit it the nail on the fucking head. It is god damned delicious.

As far as the sour goes, it’s more on the tart side, which I much prefer. This is super yummy. There is one bottle left at the shop, I am trying to get more for next week. Very nice discovery.

It’s a tad pricey, so not an everyday sort of beer for sure. More like a ‘treat yo’self” friday night sort of deal. And at 6.4%, you’re okay.

***

All beers featured in this review are purchased at L`Épicerie Moderne, situated at 5854 Sherbrooke West, Montreal (NDG!)

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└ Tags: beer, bob magnale, bourbon oak barrels, bourbonade, ignorant, lemon beer, review, sour beer

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The Ignorant Beer Review: Super Pause

by sophie on June 22, 2018 at 1:28 pm

Posted In: Blogs, Homepage, Sophie

Beer: Super Pause

Brewer: Les Grands Bois

IPA Louvaine, 5%

Bought it because it is a new brewery I’ve just brought in! Plus the bottles and labels are super cute. Since I’m on an unexpected IPA kick lately, seems I had to try this one out. Louvain is a Belgian city, so I guess this makes it a Belgian IPA? Whatever that means.

Poured out a beautiful summer warm yellow colour, very cloudy as I have learned IPAs can be. Only a tiny bit of foam, dissipated to a thin bubbly top coat after a couple of minutes.

It smells like an IPA hahaha! I can definitely smell the hops right away. It smells light and fresh though.

Hmmmm ok so. Definitely fresh. Hops are pretty much what I taste, with a hint of citrus, which the label says yeah they’re in there. It also mentions pine though. If I really look for it, I can taste it mingled in with the hops. My taste buds are uneducated, what can I say. The aftertaste is super subtle though, which I like. The mild bitterness here doesn’t linger on like in other IPAs, so that’s a win for me. I can appreciate it before it gets overwhelming.

I like this! Very refreshing, perfect for summer if it’s nice a cold, and I’m sure a burger on the grill to go with it would be awesome.

Nice and reasonable at 5%, and very fair price. And the bottles are so cute.

***

All beers featured in this review are purchased at L`Épicerie Moderne, situated at 5854 Sherbrooke West, Montreal (NDG!)

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└ Tags: beer, Belgian IPA, cute bottle, ignorant, IPA Louvaine, les grands bois, review

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The Ignorant Beer Review: Cassis Bleuet

by sophie on June 8, 2018 at 11:35 am

Posted In: Blogs, Homepage, Sophie

Beer: Cassis Bleuet

Brewer: Le Castor

Wild Saison, aged in oak barrels, 6.8%

Bought it because, well, the only review I have done for this brewery wasn’t very positive, and I wanted to give them another chance, since they are our best seller (or one of them anyways). I did try their Session Houblon, which I liked a lot, but I disliked their famed Yakima IPA. Sooo… Let’s see what this very limited edition seasonal brew has to offer.

The poor lighting in my kitchen doesn’t to this beer’s colour justice. It really is quite pretty. It’s like orange with hints of purple. I don’t understand how it can be both at the same time, but there it is. There was no foaming at all when I poured it out, only the hint of a few bubbles, much like when you pour out ginger ale.

It smells lovely. Definitely sweet and fruity, but I also smell a slight sourness. Someone who recommended this to me mentioned it wasn’t a “fruity beer”, and to expect some tartness. So okay, definitely smell that. The label doesn’t describe any other fancy fruit other that what is included in the name, so I guess I’ll stop trying to identity any hahaha!

Ok yeah, interesting. It is a bit on the sour side, but only lightly, so I don’t mind it so much. I don’t generally go for sour. The blackcurrant is dominating my taste-buds right now, I’m trying to find the wild blueberries. Oh! Ok I was about to give up, but I think I taste it lingering behind after the rest fades a bit. Like, in the after-taste. Definitely tart, over all, but it’s alright.

My first thought, honestly, is that it would make a great salad dressing hahaha! This is definitely a popular choice so far though. We’ve had one box of 12 in the shop since Wednesday, and it’s already almost gone. People come in looking for it. I had originally ordered 2, anticipation the demand, but sadly only received one. Apparently there was an issue with their second batch, and suddenly this limited beer became super exclusive!

So if you see it and enjoy fruity wild saisons, my advice is not to wait. Get it now, because you may not get the chance again this year.

Comfortable percentage, but not on an empty stomach 😉 6.8 % can sneak up on you. Price matches the ‘specialness’ of this brew, but I’ve seen worse for lesser beers. I like it well enough, but not my first choice if given the opportunity again.

EDIT: As the beer warmed a little, I found I could appreciate the flavours better.

***

All beers featured in this review are purchased at L`Épicerie Moderne, situated at 5854 Sherbrooke West, Montreal (NDG!)

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└ Tags: beer, blackcurrant, cassis bleuet, ignorant, le castor, oak barrels, review, tart, wild blueberries, wild saison

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The Ignorant Beer Review: Rha Barbarus

by sophie on June 2, 2018 at 9:41 am

Posted In: Blogs, Homepage, Sophie

Beer: Rha Barbarus

Brewer: Kruhnen

Rhubarb Saison, 4.7%

Bought it because I love this brewery, and I have been looking forward to seeing if they would release anything new and exiting for the summer. I am not disappointed, this label is beautiful and rhubarb is so good!

Hmmm my beer mug was still a bit frosty when I took the photo. Meh, it is what it is.

So this poured out all clear lemon and sunshine, slightly cloudy. Very little frothing, and it faded away into a fun looking pattern swirled on top of my beer. And right off the bat, this smells like memories. My grandmother used to have rhubarb growing in her garden, and she would sometimes bake it into a pie with some strawberries. It was more tart than sweet, and it was perfect, and this is what this beer smells like.

It tastes different though. Very fresh and sharp (or dry, whatever the term you prefer). Definitely tart, but not in a bracing sort of way. My brain tricked me into thinking I would also be tasting strawberries, stupid brain. Regardless of denied nostalgia, this is darn tootin’ delicious.

Much like Kruhnen’s other beers, it holds a particular flavour on the tip of your tongue but it won’t tell you what it is.

I very much think I have found my favourite beer for the summer, to alternate with L’Artemis. It’s sitting at a low 4.7%, which is great for the incoming heat, and fairly priced.

***

All beers featured in this review are purchased at L`Épicerie Moderne, situated at 5854 Sherbrooke West, Montreal (NDG!)

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└ Tags: beer, ignorant, kruhnen, review, rhubarb saison, summer beer

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The Ignorant Beer Review: L’Artémis

by sophie on May 18, 2018 at 9:32 am

Posted In: Blogs, Homepage, Sophie

Beer: L’Artémis

Brewer: Brasserie Coopérative La Chasse-Pinte

Blonde, brewed with Artemisia leaves (mugwort) 6.3%

Bought it because well, the name is a bad-ass goddess, and umm, mugwort? I needed to taste this. Also this is a new brewery we’ve just brought to the shop, so I’m excited to discover it. The labels are super cute as well. These beers seems heavily focused on herbal and tea brews, I kinda want to try them all.

There was like, almost no head when I poured this out. I’m sorry, foam. There was hardly any foam at all. The colour is like a cloudy tangerine that isn’t totally orange. Hehehehe I make sense to me, that’s what matters. It’s almost opaque.

It smells very light and fresh. Slightly sweet maybe? I can barely smell it honestly, it’s kinda like when you smell something and no one else does, and you’re going crazy trying to figure out what it is. Is that what mugwort smells like? I have no idea.

Ooooh wow this is totally different. This reminds me of a beer, sure, but it tastes more like what I imagine mugwort tea would be. Dammit I wish I knew what mugwort tastes like hahah this would be easier! Either way, this is very herby. And fresh. There is some underlying sweetness, as well as a touch of bitterness.

Oh man I really like this. The label says it is brewed with both the leaves and flowers of this magical plant. This is super interesting, I honestly have never tasted anything like this before.

I definitely recommend this, for something smooth and flavorful, yet not overpowering. Very delicious.

It’s at a comfortable 6.3%, so safe for a weeknight. Reasonable priced for what it is as well.

***

All beers featured in this review are purchased at L`Épicerie Moderne, situated at 5854 Sherbrooke West, Montreal (NDG!)

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└ Tags: beer, chasse-pinte, ignorant, l'artemis, mugwort, review

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The Ignorant Beer Review: Stout Impérial

by sophie on April 6, 2018 at 10:12 am

Posted In: Blogs, Homepage, Sophie

Beer: Stout Impérial

Brewer: Bièrerie Shelton

Imperial Stout, 10.5%

Bought it becauseit’s from a brewery that I had brought in to the shop due to customer request, and I have yet to really try their stuff. And you know, stouts. One of our regulars recommended it to me, so I thought might as well.

It poured out beautifully, all thick and smooth. Hardly any head at all, what little was there was a rich creamy coffee colour. It melted away into a thin film covering the top now. It’s very opaque, like you’d expect a stout to be, on the rich espresso brown side.

It smells very nice. Rich and bittersweet. And a bit fruity? The label talks of coffee, vanilla, chocolate, crème brûlée and dried fruit notes. Holy crap. That’s a lot to cram into one beer. Well, here goes.

Oh wow, not what I expected. The first thing to hit you is the bitterness. And then I think the dried fruit? I am having a hard time isolating the flavours. Hmmmmm ok third sip, the bitterness is not as intense. It’s still very predominant though.

Yeah you know what, I’m not a fan of this. Maybe my palate just isn’t refined enough or whatever, but this is just too many flavours shoved into a mouthful of bitterness. It’s sending icky goosebumps from my tongue to my toes. Nope nope nope.

I really dislike writing negative reviews, my only consolation is that I hope people who read this will understand this is based on my personal tastes, and not on some educated super swanky degree in beer tasting/analyzing.

I guess I recommend this if you have a taste for intense flavour blasts (to the extreme!) and overwhelming bitter-sweetness. This shit is rich, make no mistake.

I’m gonna finish this beer though, because I had a shit day and I’m not gonna let this one drink get the last word. Plus at 10.5%, I can at least get a bit of a buzz going.

***

All beers featured in this review are purchased at L`Épicerie Moderne, situated at 5854 Sherbrooke West, Montreal (NDG!)

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└ Tags: beer, bièrerie shelton, ignorant, imperial stout, review

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The Ignorant Beer Review: English Best Bitter

by sophie on March 30, 2018 at 10:22 am

Posted In: Blogs, Homepage, Sophie

Beer: Best Bitter

Brewer: Brasserie Mille Iles

English Bitter, 4.4%

Bought it because I just brought this microbrewery into the shop, and I am excited to try them! I like bitters and we don’t have a huge selection, so obviously I picked that one.

Okay looking colour, though a bit meh. It’s like a faded cloudy orange. I mean, it’s nice, I suppose, but this colour isn’t inspiring a sonnet, you know? It poured out nicely, without too much foam. Nice and creamy looking though, it has now dissipated into a thin blanket over top.

It has a very subtle scent. What I do smell is mildly sweet, malty. The label talks about slightly roasted aromas, with floral hops undertones. I dunno, I can’t smell all that, but then again I am slightly congested.

Ok ok! Tasting is a different story. Oh I like this, it’s very smooth. The bitterness hit me first, but the malts really balance it out. The aftertaste is just as subtle as the scent is, just a touch of lingering hops. Very nice.

Seriously super smooth.

I like it! I wish I had a cheeseburger to go with this hahaha

It’s at a low 4.4%, so not too much guilt enjoying a couple of these some summer afternoon. I mean, I could go through that in a few minutes easy if I wasn’t paying too much attention.

HAH! My boyfriend agrees. 4 thumbs up over here!

***

All beers featured in this review are purchased at L`Épicerie Moderne, situated at 5854 Sherbrooke West, Montreal (NDG!)

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└ Tags: beer, Best Bitter, English Bitter, ignorant, Mille Iles, review

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The Ignorant Beer Review: L’égaré, monstre du Lac-St-Jean

by sophie on March 22, 2018 at 11:36 am

Posted In: Blogs, Homepage, Sophie

Beer: L’égaré, monstre du Lac-St-Jean

Brewer: La Chouape

Belgian Tripel, 9.5%

Bought it because I have not tried any of this brewery’s beer yet, and the fact that it is named after a legendary Québec region lake monster, well I kinda had to. Plus I think I liked belgians, a while back. Let’s see if I still do.

I’m starting to run out of original ways to describe off-yellow colours. Ok so, this one is a cloudy beer. Imagine if a banana and an orange had a baby, shine some light through it, and there you have it. It had only a little foam when I poured it out, and it dissipated almost entirely. It was very airy though, not a creamy foam. To be honest, I expected this beer to be as brown as it’s label. I’m trying not to be disappointed.

It smells very nice. Like a sweet and sour mix. Kind of like fermented fruit! The label talks about fresh bread and ripe fruit. I don’t smell bread.

Ok now this, this, tastes like a beer. Out of all the craft beers I have tried in the last year, this is the one that tastes the closest to regular store beer. But like, not crap. This is good. The label says it has “a deceptively light body”, but I dunno. It tastes heavy to me. It tastes solid. I don’t know how else to say it hahaha! Maybe I don’t really get what “light body” means. The aftertaste though is very light. Maybe that’s what they mean? The strong flavours don’t linger harshly or come back to bite you, it’s more like a soft hug after a punch on the shoulder that was slightly harder than expected.

This is tasty and fun, I like it. It is strong though, 9.5% ain’t nothing to scoff at. Perfect for finishing off a rough day with a good old “fuck it” though.

I recommend this if you like regular store beers, and are looking to try slightly fancier brews.

***

All beers featured in this review are purchased at L`Épicerie Moderne, situated at 5854 Sherbrooke West, Montreal (NDG!)

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└ Tags: beer, belgian tripel, ignorant, l'égaré, la chouape, monstre du lac-st-jean, review

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The Ignorant Beer Review: Quadriporter

by sophie on February 24, 2018 at 11:11 am

Posted In: Blogs, Homepage, Sophie

Beer: Quadriporter

Brewer: Trèfle Noir

Smoked Rye Porter, 6.5%

I think, by now, that is if you’ve been reading my reviews regularly, you know why I bought this beer. I love porters, I love smoked beers, and most of all, I love Trèfle Noir microbrewery. So. Hard.

I’m nervous. I don’t know why hahah! It’ like every time I try a new beer of theirs, I’m afraid I will hate it for some reason, and it will shatter the pedestal I have put them on.

Ok here goes then.

It’s an opaque espresso brown. But like, not completely opaque. It has a secret and it’s teasing me. I poured it out so carefully, and it made zero foam. There’s a tiny bit of froth around the rim, but hardly at all.

Arrrrg ok it smells amazing. Actually it kind of smells like the stout cupcakes I had earlier today… a little bit sweet. And toasty. Like slightly burned toast. Ah yeah ok the label describes the rye as being sweet and spicy, and there is a good amount of toasted bread notes.

Oh and what. The smoke they added is bacon smoke?! Not sure about that. I guess we’ll see.

Well shit. I have a new favourite beer. Well… until they brew Ale-O-Ween again, that is. Which I am officially out of, as of last month. But yes. This is amazing.

I don’t understand. The flavours are dancing on the tip of my tongue and hugging the rest of my mouth. I’m gonna try to break this down but dont’ expect too much of me here. I think the rye is making the flavour stay nice and light, despite the reasonable amount of hops they have included in the brew. It’s definitely not something I would call sweet, it’s more like… the promise of sweet? Omg you know I love a beer when I get poetic.

“Sweetness promised within

With bitterness overall thin

Smoke covers my senses

And it lowered my defenses”

But yeah I can’t taste the bacon in the smoke. I’m loving the subtle smokiness. It’s not overpowering. And given the fact that it’s a porter, I was expecting a bit of a kick in the face. But no. surprisingly light and refreshing.

I definitely recommend this. It’s fucking fantastic. Not too strong either, provided you’re not chugging on an empty stomach. 6.5% is a comfortable zone.

***

All beers featured in this review are purchased at L`Épicerie Moderne, situated at 5854 Sherbrooke West, Montreal (NDG!)

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└ Tags: bacon smoke, beer, beer poetry, ignorant, quadriporter, review, smoked rye porter, trefle noir

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The Ignorant Beer Review: L`Eau Claire

by sophie on February 17, 2018 at 8:36 am

Posted In: Blogs, Homepage, Sophie

Beer: L`Eau Claire

Brewer: Domaine Berthiaume

Beer on Lie, I think it`s a white? 5%

Bought it because I seriously loved their Elfe Brune brown ale, as reviewed by Robyn here. The whole staff for real fell in love with it. So I figured I’d give their other brews a shot. Bonus; There’s a bunch of naked elves on the label.

It’s a milky yellow type of colour, kinda like fresh squeezed lemon juice. A bit foamy if you’re not careful pouring (like my idiot self) but it fades away, leaving behind a little fluffy blanket.

It smells very nice. Like, super fresh and light and slightly sweet. The label says it has a tiny bit of orange in there, that might be what I’m smelling.

Oooh this is nice. Ah, yep, definitely taste the orange! That’s tasty. It’s also slightly bitter, as if you accidentally licked your fingers after peeling an orange and you forgot to wash your hands? Like that. But only a little. I wish I’d let this cool in the refrigerator a bit longer though, I feel this would be killer super cold.

Very nice, light and smooth. I’m digging the orange thing. 2 thumbs up! Probs go very well with a hearty salad.

It’s sitting at a low 5%, so no guilt in having a couple of these after work. And reasonably priced 🙂

***

All beers featured in this review are purchased at L`Épicerie Moderne, situated at 5854 Sherbrooke West, Montreal (NDG!)

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└ Tags: beer, beer on lie, domaine berthiaume, eau claire, ignorant, review

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