Série Signature Rauchbier - Les Trois Mousquetaires

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Not sure how old this bottle may be given that it's listed as 'retired' and I haven't seen it on a shelf for quite a while until I recently went to a liquor store that seemed to have a full stock of beers that I haven't seen recently, most likely because its overstocked in relatively pricey bomber bottles for the neighborhood, BUT I'll take what I can get!
A - nearly pitch black with faint light getting through at the bottom of the glass, thumb of head settled at a covering of random yet thick island of head, pretty respectable lacing
S - a mix of smoke and sweet caramel and candied fruit that makes for a rich and balanced odour
T - starts with sweet and slightly sour dark fruit, quickly followed by massive smoke, touch of coffee and ends with charcoal
M - fairly heavy, slightly creamy, quickly gets to a charcoal burnt feel that lasts
O - have only enjoyed this style on a few rare occasions, and actually had a small sample of this long ago at a liquor store tasting, but this lives up how the style is described on this website, it is effectively rich smoked meat transferred into beer form, not something you would want to drink everyday, but close to it

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 03:08:14 | More by joemcgrath27

psuKinger

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

25.4 ounce bomber, corked and caged, poured into my Lost Abbey Teku glass.

A: Pours a deep dark shade of black, with a light brown head on top, moderate in size, that dissipated fairly quickly but a small ring remained.

S: Huge nose of smoky barbeque. I could smell it almost instantly after I popped the cork. No pour necessary. It almost reminds me of the rice wrapped around sushi rolls (particularly tuna) when it's drowned in a generous portion of soy sauce. I don't know that I can explain how, and I certainly can't say why. I think it has more to do with the soy sauce, but I'm not 100%.

T: Taste follows the nose. Roasted malts. Smokey bbq goodness. Slightly acidic, and reminds me of a touch of soy sauce in the taste as well. Sharp smokey oakiness arrives early, I begin to detect the roasty characteristics next, and near the finish line a touch of vanilla creaminess arrives.

M: Good carbonation. Semi-dry finish, surprisingly refreshing for such a dark beer. I think this beer would do very well on a hot summer day.

D/O: An enjoyable beer, but only in smaller quantities. 25.4 ounces is about 10 ounces more than I want in one particular session. Perhaps if paired with something like BBQ or steak, but by itself, I enjoyed it, but a whole bomber is just more than I want.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 23:04:40 | More by psuKinger

goblue3509

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark cola like color with a skim head which dissipates very quickly and leaves little to no lace. Light is visible when held the light. The aroma starts off with a nice charcoal aroma but gives way to a milk chocolate aroma. Inviting and better as the beer warms. The taste follows suit with a nice big smoke flavor before milk chocolate takes over. At the end a slight hing of a green fruit. The mouth feel is silky and creamy. Overall a very good beer and a must try.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 19:15:10 | More by goblue3509

SLeffler27

New York

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A big, almost creamy, coffee head lasts a long while over a dark brown beer with mahogany highlights.

The Weihenstephan stange holds an even mix of smoky wood and chocolate malt. Some hints of bacon can also be found.

Flavor follow the nose rather well. One will also find a mix of dried figs and fresh baked wheat bread. The finish is mild, malty and short. Overall, this beer leans slightly, but only slightly, towards the sweet side.

A little chewy, with a medium body and modest carbonation. Finishes with a touch of chalkiness.

Surprisingly easy to drink, this rauchbier warms well, but is best at proper temperature. Would be sessionable if alcohol was lower. Rauchbiers may be an acquired taste, but this one was quite a treat.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 21:24:52 | More by SLeffler27

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

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

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

THECPJ

Delaware

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes:

appearance: dark brown black with a 1 finger mocha head

smell: smoke, caramel, roast, malts,

taste: smoke, roast, caramel, malts,

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body,

overall: damn this was a nice smoke beer. I'll definitely be looking for more of this.

Cheers,
The CPJ

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 14:05:03 | More by THECPJ

Duckmancgy

Alberta (Canada)

4.63/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from 750ml bottle to snifter.

This review started even before I poured. Having never had a Rauchbier, I really didn't know what to expect, but this looked like a good one to try. I have tried Trois Musquetaires Doppelbock and loved it so this should be good right? Well cracked it open and immediately was hit in the nose with a delightfully sweet smokey smell. Reminds me of a nice bbq in the winter.

Pouring it into my snifter the colour hits you right away nice and dark really doesn't do this beer justice. Pitch black is about right.. Looks like a stout with a nice tawny head. The head disapeared quickly though without much lacing. Smell here increases with the sweet smoke, this is matched by some malty sweetness which frightened me a bit. Was this going to be too sweet for me?

First sip proved this to be not the case. Really a nicely balanced beer, flavours of smoke are balanced with the malty sweetness and a slightly fruity finish (kind of figgy or blackberry fruit) works really nice with the flavour.

This is not a session beer for me however. As I drink and drink this I notice the smokiness is filling.. But that's a good thing. This is something I can see my self enjoying time and time again. I am interested in seeing if the smokiness pairs well with smoked meat but thats for another time.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 01:09:18 | More by Duckmancgy

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

You would expect smoke beer to be black, and probably exactly this kind of sooty, coal-like black at that. This ebony beer relinquishes few highlights and is generally consistent in its solid, marble-like complexion. Even its head appears to have been cured; it is stained a dingy brown and doesn't look likely to start decomposing any time soon.

Unlike the Schlenkerla rauchbiers that are made entirely from smoked malt, this offering clearly must use a portion of "regular" malt in addition. The aroma of smoke and grain is blended with supplementary notes of raisin, black licorice, dark chocolate and even coffee. It smells like a smoked porter as oppose to the typical smoked Märzen.

Nitpicking aside, however, this is undoubtedly a rauchbier. And a great one at that. The smoke is far from overwhelming and, although the most prominent characteristic, is only one of many: chocolaty, bittersweet flavours including gooey fudge and dark berries are also tasted. I never thought I'd call a rauchbier finger lickin' good, but here we are.

The smoke itself is not so strong so as to be "bacon-y", as you might find in the original German examples, and you definitely won't have to worry about the smell sticking to your clothes or anything. The beer is balanced, and clearly intended to be more than just some atavistic throwback of a fringe style - it's an immensely drinkable, pleasurable lager.

Excuse my French, but Scheiße this is good! It's wonderful to see a brewery daring enough to try - and succeed! - at brewing a vast array of styles. I'm inclined to believe that if you can pull off rauchbier, you can pull off anything. Clearly these young Quebecers have already learned the ropes, found their footing and feel fully comfortable in whatever style they are doing. I can't wait to try every beer in this impressive Série Signature lineup.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2011 18:54:44 | More by biegaman

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from the LCBO, found hiding away in a 'Vintage Clearance' portion of one of the stores. Never imported by the LCBO as part of any seasonal release, so I'm excited to find a few bottles of this here. 750ml into an imperial pint glass.

Pours a dark chestnut brown, unfilitered with a big mocha head. Fluffy and dense that retains exceptionally and laces just as nicely. Gorgeous. Nose holds some smoke, burnt toast, sharp and brief charcoal notes, underscored with a nice caramel base. Some cream and earthy notes also. Taste has more smoke, molasses, touch of hop bitterness, a mild metallic note that disappears as the beer warms. Smoke is left lingering in the aftertaste. Medium mouthfeel, slightly higher than med carb. Very nice, well done and something I'm glad I've got a couple bottles of to share.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2011 16:10:29 | More by liamt07

Gavage

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours a dark brown color with a wispy head. Some larger bubbles stick to the side of the glass.

Smell: loads of smokey goodness rises from the glass.

Taste: loads of roasted malts, nice smoke flavor, some bitter chocolate, prune sweetness, a hint of licorice, and a moderate bitterness creates a well balanced beer.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Lightly crisp to start, smoother towards the finish. The smokey flavor lingers long into the aftertaste.

Drinkability: this was very drinkable since the smoke flavors were nicely balanced and not overwhelming. Good beer for BBQ.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2011 19:26:39 | More by Gavage

July2Nov

Hawaii

4.22/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Dark brown color with a thin lacing.

Smell: Buttery dough scent with some smoke rising up.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Molasses flavor is the first thing that hits you, then the subtle smoke flavor. Has a buttery smoke biscuit flavor at the tail end of it.

Drinkability: Nice smoky flavor that would go well with some grilled meat. Nice example of a Rauchbier. Very pleasant!

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2011 03:47:45 | More by July2Nov

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

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

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

51mmz0rz

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a mug. (Bottle art looks different, tan checkered background on the label, abv listed as 5.9%)

A: Black opaque body, dense tan head (matches the label shade). Good retention, good lacing.

S: Rich roasty notes blended with smoke. It's a natural fit. Really deep stout aroma.

T: Smoked Baltic porter comes to mind. Everything from the aroma comes through nicely in the flavor. I tend to quickly acclimate to the smoke flavor, so I wish it was a little more pronounced.

M: Maybe a little too carbonated, otherwise good.

D: Highly drinkable, nicely balanced.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2010 01:06:21 | More by 51mmz0rz

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

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

Dark chocolate brown that proves to be (barely) translucent with the brilliant orb of the morning sun blasting through the pint glass. Scarlet and orange highlights abound. An attractive crown of light brown sugar colored foam hangs around and leaves a decent amount of lace when it starts to melt.

The nose is an enjoyable combination of medium-dark malts and smoke, with neither one assuming the upper hand. Pungency is definitely not a problem, which will hopefully be the case on the palate as well.

Rauchbier may not be as all-fired delicious as some the Bamburg brews that it emulates, but it's still tasty beer. Or is that bier? Even though the malts are slightly darker than most rauches, we aren't talking stout (or even porter) territory.

Specifics include toasted brown bread, hints of cocoa, figs, black tea leaves, and multiple tenrils of wood smoke. This offering isn't over-the-top enough to bring comparisons with smoked meat into play, which means that it would be an excellent place to start for those who are curious about the style.

All things considered, the body/mouthfeel is fine right where it is. Sure, bigger and more creamy would have been better, but that's just my big beer bias talking. In terms of quality and quantity, the carbonation is neither a positive nor a negative.

Rauchbier is my first bier from this brewery, which means that my impression of Les Trois Mousquetaires is a positive one right out of the gate. Too bad their lineup isn't more widely available in the states, because I'd love to taste what else they can do.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2010 14:23:26 | More by BuckeyeNation

flipper2gv

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Super nice darker cola color. The head is semi creamy looking with beige color. Retention is quite good considering the alcohol, but the lacing is minimal.

S: The smell is wonderful. There is a good smoke smell in this. Reminding me a lot of maple wood smoke, and not tobacco smoke. Then, there is a good level of caramelized sweetness: dark chocolate, toffee, molasses, caramel malts, maple sugar and even some vanilla. Only issue is that the smell is a bit light.

T: Much more aggressive than the smell. Smoke is much more present and it is still about wood like smoke. The sugars are even more caramelized in the taste: powdered chocolate, strong toffee, strong molasses (both quite dry and not really sweet), caramel malts, light maple sugar and some vanilla. Some almonds in the taste too. Light earthy hops that really goes well with the caramelized sugars. Very complex for the alcohol content.

M: Medium feel with medium to high carbonation. Wish it could be at bit heavier and less carbonation.

D: The taste is quite strong and focused. Still pretty drinkable but not their best in that department.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2010 02:47:32 | More by flipper2gv

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

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Smooth smoked lager, very drinkable. SLight edge to the smoked malts. Sweetish smoke and also some lighter fluid. A bit of licorice, caramel and nuttiness. Pours brown with generous white head. Medium mouthfeel. Suitably carbonated. Good balance overall.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2010 13:33:44 | More by northyorksammy

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

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

danadeny

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pours a dark brow body and frothy light brown head. already i can smell the smoked malt and i am not even trying. smells sweeter than i imagined. This is almost a sweet sugary smoke, not like the famous Bamberg stuff that smells more like a campfire / smokehouse. no real hop smell. again in the flavor is a sweeter smokey flavor, maybe due to the alcohol. sweet up front, blends into smoke in the middle, with a bit of a tangy finish with no real hop flavor. to me it seems this may be a smoked english brown style beer. Overall very balanced. mouthfeel is watery and thick, surprisingly not as heavy as you may think. similar to a english brown ale in drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2010 01:01:15 | More by danadeny

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