Série Signature Rauchbier - Les Trois Mousquetaires

prosper

Alberta (Canada)

1.95/5  rDev -50.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

poured from a caged and corked 750ml belgian bottle. Dark brown, creamy tan head.

Smells of sweet malts and vaguely of smoke. Reminds me of onions for some reason.

Tastes of dark crystal malts, phenols and yeast esters - almost belgian character. Smoke flavour is not prominent, but also not tasty - makes me think of wet cigarette ashes. Definitely not the 'liquid bacon' flavour I usually associate with smoked malts. Perhaps I just got a bad sample, because I quite like beech smoked malt, strong smoky peaty islay scotches, cigars, and smoked foods in general.

Mouthfeel was medium full, moderate carbonation. About right.

Drinkability was low, owning to the peculiar flavour.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2009 05:51:08 | More by prosper

Jayli

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750 mL corked and caged. This bottle says "Unfiltered Rauchbier" inspired by Bamburg style.

A: This beer pours a deep dark opaque chocolate brown with a half inch of sudsy, bubbly light brown head. Head recedes at a moderate pace leaving minimal positive lacing.

S: Nose is of caramel malt, chocolate, touch of coffee, and a hint of smoke.

T: Taste starts with an unexpected sweetness, some caramel and chocolate. Smoked notes come filtering in - extremely understated for a rauchbier however pleasant. Taste then moved in to a bitterness. Bitter chocolate and coffee come in through the finish.

M: Lighter side of medium body, medium carbonation, crisp and clean on the tongue at first with hint of a sticky slick finish.

D: Interesting beer, decently blended, goes down easily, a bit more bitter than I expected in the beer. As a rauchbier, it doesn't necessarily hit the mark, but still a decently enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2010 02:31:16 | More by Jayli

cjgator3

Florida

3.43/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

750ml bottle

A- Corked and caged 750ml bottle. Pours a dark brownish color with an off-white head. 

S- The aroma is made up of smoked malts and caramel with very little hops. It's a pretty good aroma, however I'd like to have more smokiness in the nose.  

T- The taste like the aroma is smoked malts and caramel with a hint of chocolate. Not too bad. 

M- The mouthfeel is between light and medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

D- Not a bad Rauchbier and a pretty decent attempt at the style, however this does not hold a candle to some of the famous Rauchbiers from Bamberg. With that said, it is definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2009 03:02:43 | More by cjgator3

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a deep black color lager with a huge medium brown color head with good retention and minimal lacing. Aroma of light bitter roasted malt with distinctive notes of smoke. Taste is a mix between some medium smoke malt with some light bitter dry roasted malt note. Full body with good carbonation. I would have enjoyed this with even more smoked notes but very good nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2009 03:51:15 | More by Phyl21ca

tpd975

Florida

3.55/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to SeaBass for this treat.

A: Pours a nice dark black hue with brown tones showing through. Above average head with okay retention. Some nice lace.

S: Mostly smoked malt, light notes of chocolate and coffee.

T: Smoke, and peat for sure. Nice chocolate notes with a touch of coffee. Nice smoked beer without being overthetop.

M: On the lighter side of medium, good carbonation.

D: Drinkable for the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2009 00:58:06 | More by tpd975

ritzkiss

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle from Willow Park in Calgary - a little pricey but we, the next door neighbors, don't get it here...

Pours a dark brown with garnet rimming, a finger of head which dies down but maintains a thin covering on top. Some light sediment at the bottom.

This is a pretty moderate take on a rauch, as others have mentioned, perhaps not that traditional either. Light smoke and caramel sweetness in the nose. Rounds out in the flavor with a hint of dark fruits, cocoa, caramel sweetness, light minerals, cola, molasses. Really quite thin, especially in the finish, though it does manage a nice drying of the cheeks. Smoke is well integrated and mild, makes it quite quaffable, though a little sweet, for a rauch, though there just isn't a ton here to excite me that much. Would love to see the carb toned down a touch and the body beefed up a bit.

Kind of middle of the road from a brewer I expect a lot more from.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2010 00:17:36 | More by ritzkiss

ksimons

New York

3.63/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-pours a deep dark brown with ruby highlights and a thin layer of tan head

S-a combination of smoke and roasted malts, good amount of smoke to the smell

T-taste is heavier on the roasted malts than on smoke, though the smoke starts to come out more as the beer warms.

M-light to medium body, mild carbonation, sort of thin

Overall I liked it but would have liked it more if there had been more smoke in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 22:50:02 | More by ksimons

Long813

Nova Scotia (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dated: NA
From: ZorPrime, 750 ml, 5% ABV

A: Dark brown body with three fingers of dark mocha head. The head dissipated rather quickly, but leaves decent lacing.

S: Huge front of smokey malts and burnt wood. Not much else, no notes of pork and the like. Quite mellow compared to others of the same style.

T: Smoked malts and burnt wood, again there isn't any smoked pork scents. It's more pleasant than others because of this and it's easier to enjoy.

M: Medium bodied and medium carbonation. Frothy texture and leaves a smokey aftertaste. Although it's not a thick beer, it's very filling.

D: Thanks again ZorPrime. Not bad, it's definitely one of my more preferred beers of this style. The flavours and aromas were a little weak, but it does make it easier to drink.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2010 03:40:45 | More by Long813

RevereBeer

Rhode Island

3.73/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750mL corked and caged bottle. My bottle reads 5.9% ABV. Pours a very deep brown with some really interesting red hues. Short tan head with medium retention and little lacing.

S: Smoky malts, though not overpowering. Reminiscent of smoked meats, true to style. Sweeter malts are detectable.

T: Smoky malts dominate, but sweet malts are very prominent as well. Woody and drying hops as well as a bitter finish. Very well balanced.

M: Moderate carbonation and smooth with a drying finish. Medium-low body.

D: Not bad as long as you enjoy the distinct smoky character.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2010 02:18:09 | More by RevereBeer

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance. Pours a deep deep brown with a little red and over a finger of frothy tan head.

Smell. Roasty malts, a little caramel and dark fruits with a hint of smoke.

Taste. Roasty, smokey malts, a little wood and soy sauce, slightly sour with hints of milk chocolate and licorice root.

Mouthfeel. A little lighter than medium body with medium-strong carbonation.

Overall. Decent beer. The smoke isn't overwhealming like other examples of the style, which is nice.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 23:02:23 | More by Rutager

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.85/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed on 12/19/2009. Bottle. Pours black with a small light tan head. Aroma of smoked meats, charred malts. Flavor is quite smoky initially with a smoky, meaty finish. There is a nice sweet malt backbone to complement the smoky notes. A classic smoked, very tasty!

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 16:27:22 | More by LilBeerDoctor

MeisterBurger

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours black as stout with a frothy head, lively and fresh. A thin layer of foam persists. No lacing to speak of.

Smells like smoked wood chips or smoked meat with sweet dark fruits and a pervasive breadiness.

The taste is bready, like pumpernickel with hints of chocolate, somewhat roasty and peaty with a herbal/metallic hop bite underscored by a nice malt sweetness that plays nicely with the smokiness in the finish. A really nice balance and interplay of smoke, malt and bitterness here. Low carbonation, moderate-to-light body. Finishes off dry and yet I find it could be less sweet.

A really nice effort if a little restrained on the smoked aspect, and probably not my favourite offering from an otherwise stellar brewery.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 01:10:17 | More by MeisterBurger

Bung

North Carolina

3.85/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml. Bottle says 5.9%. Into New Belgium oversized tulip.
A very dark brown pour, just some red around the edges really. Layer of very light tan head.

Pungeant malty aroma, very strong, but not all that smokey really. Some roasted malt like, caramel, some red fruit, really closer to a Doppelbock in scent.

Taste is very malty, more chocolately than caramel. Just faint fruitcake. Finishes with some faint roast and cocoa. Taste is nice, just not to style so much, still giving it a 4.

Body is milky smooth. Just a light carbonation. No alcohol. Could drink quite a bit of this. Very solid, pleasant brew, the smoked malt just really isn't there.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 02:09:19 | More by Bung

rodenbach99

Quebec (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From a 750ml brown bottle with a cork.

A nice beige head tops a nice brown beer. The head last for a reasonable time. The smell of this Rauchbier is not too smoky with a hint of iode. In the mouth the beer offers a good experience, not too smoky, nice equilibrium, some malt and a long caressing finish.

The serie signature from 3 mousquetaires always offers very good products, ther'e all on the top list of quebec beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2010 02:31:59 | More by rodenbach99

Yoonisaykul

Quebec (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml. Intrigued by this beer/bottle. Had a hard time uncorking this (scared the cork would break while still inside) Once open, nice carb smoke. The bottle opening smells of cork and smoked malt which makes me think of smoked gouda. Definitely has a smokey cheese smell. As of now, I've only had a few rauchbiers so let's keep that in mind during the review.

A- Aggressive pour yields more head than liquid. Bumpy head is dark - a light brown and looks like it's here to stay. Liquid is a daaark brown. Lacing is a bit discrete but elegant.

S- Toffee. caramel. Marshmallow. Smoke of course. Chocolate (dark and milk) Alcohol.

T- Burnt wood. A bunch of types of food come to mind but they all have one thing in common: They're smoked. So you'll guess that smoke is more than present. The smoke hides a lot of the other flavors. But when I do get to the hops, they taste pretty fresh and tasty. That cheese I was talking about earlier is still around. Reminds me of emmental (which is the only cheese I don't like) Caramelized malt.

M- Average. Just feels like a general/good beer mouthfeel. Medium carbonation.
D- I can't say I really like smokey beers and this is easy to drink. Maybe I'm ''acquiring'' the taste or this is just a good drink. I'm leaning towards ''this is a good drink''

If someone was looking to get acquainted with this style. I would recommend. Seems like a good gateway brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2010 06:10:09 | More by Yoonisaykul

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big 750ml bottle, wire cage, dry cork, pain in the ass to get out.

This beer pours a solid opaque dark brown hue, with slight cola edges when backlit, and lots and lots of thin puffy, foamy beige head, that leaves a bit of thin lace as it recedes. It smells of roasted, lightly smoky malt. The taste is roasted caramel malt, some mild smoky woodiness, and a bit of milk chocolate evening things out. The carbonation is quite tame, the body smooth and creamy, moderately silky and weighty, and it finishes dry, a wee bit of smoky dark chocolate essence holding on. No noticeable alcohol warming.

This is surprising easy to drink, likely due to the mild smoke flavours, when compared to the Bamberg versions that I've previously encountered.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2009 23:52:01 | More by biboergosum

BDTyre

British Columbia (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

5% on my bottle.

Rich ruby-brown with a very dense, thick head that takes quite a while to settle down.

Malty, mild smoke scent. The smokiness is slightly sweet, almost like an applewood or beechwood smoke. Almost no hop presence that I can detect.

Rich, somewhat acrid smokey taste. Malts in the background - the smokiness dominates, but is quite pleasant. I think this would work well with a smoked cheddar or even steak.

Low carbonation, fairly smooth and nice drinking. The big bottle limits the drinkability somewhat - this could fill you up.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2010 03:27:19 | More by BDTyre

oberon

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a .5 liter stein a deep dark brown with some ruby colored tint,a thick foamy tan colored head atop.Hard wood smoke and brown sugar sweetness stick out in the nose,some mineral/iron from the German malts show thru as well.Sweet and smoky flavors upfront with more of a subtle smokiness with a bit of black pepper spice,the sweetness is more of a light brown sugar element,a big drying earthy finish.A solid smoked lager,a style a few years ago I wouldnt touch,this is subtle with good flavors.

Iam marinating chicked to put over charcoal tomorrow with this beer,I think its gonna be great.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2010 23:01:23 | More by oberon

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Nice to see another rauchbier on the market. This one pours very dark brown with just a slight off-white head that settles to a ring. On the lighter side, but with a definite whiff of wood smoke and some dry malt. The taste is pretty similar- some firm malt, a touch of earthy hops, and more woodsmoke, as well as a very sight thin sourness. Smooth and slightly high carbonation for what I like to see in the style, but tasty.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2010 23:16:15 | More by Georgiabeer

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750mL bottle brought back from a trip to La Belle Province.

Poured into a nonic glass. A dark chestnut brew, with bright ruby patches gracing the edges. Great billowing head, survived quite well as a thick ring with islands of foam. Sticky icicles of lacing. A fine-looking brew.

Nose is malts and smoke, with the latter reminding me of a smoked gouda or German sausage. A bit of caramel, bread and dark fruit as well.

A flavorful lager, rich and malty, and with the smoked component arriving near the finish. Smoke, peat and barbecued sausage, with a bit of chocolate and dark fruit. Finish is dry, smoky, and surprisingly sour and puckery. Several moments after each sip, I get a nice hit of dark chocolate and cocoa.

Medium bodied, smooth, mild carbonation, slightly creamy.

The "rauch" character is certainly present, though nowhere near as powerful as Aecht Schlenkerla or the other German examples. I too became acclimatized to the smoked flavors, and thus the brew could have handled a bit more umph. Still, this was atasty brown lager with a nice little smoked character. Another fine brew from LTM.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 05:31:33 | More by JohnnyBarman

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From a brown 750 ml caged and corked bottle. Pours out a cloudy and opaque deep dense brown, pretty much black for lack of light refraction. Tall sticky and spongy tan head that leaves thick chunks of lacing.

Smoked and roasted malt notes on the nose.

Roasty, toasty and smokey in the flavour in all the right amounts, chocolate cocoa in the middle blending into a somewhat slightly milky sweet finish, where it all blends into a smooth cafe au lait aftertaste.

Smooth and creamy mouthfeel, a bit on the light side, light carbonation on the finish.

Hell yeah, we have a winner here, a well behaved, well contained, well balanced rauchbier that does justice to the style and holds its own all the same. Worth checking out again.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2009 06:32:49 | More by IronDjinn

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Seeming a Robust Porter base beer with prominant smoked malt flavor and aroma. Both savory and challenging.

This Rauchbier pours a dark, dark brown with good clarity. A creamy tan foam rises on the beer and is slow to fade, showing good retention. Mild/moderate lacing on the glass. A solid appearance over all.

Aromas of obvious smoke stand out above lesser notes of coffee, cocoa powder, scorched toffee, and walnuts. Cream-like maltiness bring together all the distinct aromas and smoothens out the smell. No hops, esters, or much of any other character is present.

Flavors of charred woods, burnt chocolate, roasted nuts, coffee grounds, and true maltiness all weave in and out of the dominant smoke flavors. Only lightly resembling grilled meats, the beer's smokiness isn't like the melanoidin rich smoke beers of Shlenkerla. A drier, tosatier flavor is less rich, sweet, and intense than those from Bamburg.

Creamy and malty early, the beer takes a quick turn to dry, toasty, arid, and somewhat ashy. The beer just seems to empty out too quickly. I prefer the more fatty body of the beer to linger deeper into the finish before fading to a sweetish dryness.

The base beer is very dry and toasty yet well crafted and controlled. The overlap of smoke is the perfect blanket that stops shy of complete domination of the beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2010 04:33:58 | More by BEERchitect

dimitrius

Hawaii

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Cork and cage bottle bought at Ewa Pantry.

Appearance - I really dig how this beer looks in the glass. Pours a very, very deep brown (almost black) that, when held up to the light, has hints of ruby shining through. The only minus is the almost non-existent dark tan head.

Smell - Interesting. Smells earthier than it does smoky to me. My sniffer is currently a bit stuffy though, so it's hard for me to gauge this particular attribute right now.

Taste - Different. I am reminded VERY strongly of a beer I drank earlier this week, Rogue's Chatoe GYO black beer; that same earthy, musty, almost off-putting but not quite taste is pervasive in this beer as well. Also coffee, molasses, and smoke - but the smoke flavor isn't dominating, which is pretty appealing to me. It sets the rest of the flavors off nicely.

Mouthfeel - I had to dock some points here. I don't know if it's the smoking or what, but something about this beer makes my teeth feel coated, and that is off-putting to me. The beer is also thinner than I expected from something with flavor this big.

Drinkability - Overall, a pretty drinkable beer, if one can get past the mouthfeel, which for me was pretty weird. Not something I would drink every day if I had my druthers, but definitely a good beer to try and an experience unto itself.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2010 10:22:17 | More by dimitrius

Otterburn

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got this smoked lager, 5% abv from Les 3 mousquetaire.

Appearance is black, some reddish light throught, very dark. small moka head.

Smell: smoked, spices, sweetness

Taste: taste like smoke, burned malt, a solid, medium body, smoky after taste, well balance tough

Mouthfeel:smooth texture, some after smoke bitterness, wich is good

Drinkability: pretty good, even if the taste is strong,its balance, texture of the brew is nice

i like it

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2010 23:51:34 | More by Otterburn

jamie2dope

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I never have been a huge fan of this style, but lately it has sort of been my favorite. Anyway, Les Trois Mousquetaires pours out a very deep, dark brown, almost black. Not too much in the way of heading, and what little there is dies down quickly. After a second pour a massive amount of heading sprung up that is just barely tan. Some dark fruit and chocolate in the nose, almost porter like, and small amounts of smoke here and there. Again, it comes off very porter like in the flavor with blackberries, cherries, chocolate, char, and just a small amount of smoke. In body it almost comes off as juicy with all the fruit flavor. Besides that it is fairly heavy on the palate, with the alcohol kept well in check. Overall this brew has a lot of things to like about it. First of all it is tasty as hell, and is also sessionable. My only real gripe is that the smoke is barely there for something they are calling a Rauchbier. I wonder if they used ale or lager yeast. Either way, this is a great beer, just don't expect it to be like the authentic Rauchs you might have tried in the past.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2010 21:56:35 | More by jamie2dope