La Shawinigan Handshake - Le Trou Du Diable

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle at Barhop. A weizen bock is only part of the story, fresh and well hopped. Banana and hops, lots of fruitiness. Fuller mouthfeel. lasting head and thick looking. Not something to have every night, and is a nice production. Aromas are toward wheat and spice.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 00:19:10 | More by northyorksammy

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.93/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Max's today.

The beer pours a slightly hazy, honey gold color with very good head retention and considerable lacing. The is attractive, if a bit light, showing the expected clove and nutmeg. This really smells like your typical German hefe (which ain't not bad thing). Flavors replicate the nose pretty closely in this well crafted beer. There is some moderate sweetness, but the considerable spice keeps it check. The beer has sort of a bitter finish, that I'm not sure is from hops (but doesn't come across as alcoholic heat either). I just think it's an accumulation of a lot of spice. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, but with a fairly long, spice filled finish. Drinkability is good, though after a while the spice comes across as a bit much, and detracts just a bit from the beer's drinkability.

This won't have me switching over from Weihenstephaner any time soon, but nevertheless, this is a very nice take on the style.

Serving type: on-tap

11-05-2010 21:54:18 | More by johnmichaelsen

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle poured into tulip 11/9/12 sent out by unibroue4ever cheers Yannick

A hazy dark orange and a well sustained two finger tan head, 4 thick distinct rings of lace and there may have been more but I'm drinking a little slow today, great looking beer

S a hint of winter spice mixed with candied pineapple and banana chips, faint pine and some grapefruit rind, some wheat and caramel as it warms

T some more tropical notes and some yeast, but for the most part it mimics the smell quite well, well concealed booze pretty nice stuff

M fairly full bodied with a nice creamy feel, just a little bitter bite and the booze is faint but there

O no complaints from this guy, solid beer for sure and I'm not sure if a few months has helped or hurt its cause. hops are still strong but the booze is mellow and the flavors mingle

I try not to judge books by their cover and if I were to judge a beer by its label this one would be one of the best. the liquid itself is also quite nice and I'd drink it again for sure, thanks again Yannick for the want

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 01:40:20 | More by wordemupg

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle received in trade with iguenard, thanks!

Appearance – Slightly hazy gold/amber colour with an average size fizzy/foamy white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation and there is some fairly decent lacing. The head lasted for around 3-4 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Grains/wheat, citrus, yeast/spice, metallic

Taste & Mouth - The beer has an above average amount of carbonation. I can taste grains/bread mixed with lemon and a yeasty spiciness. There is also a fair bit of metallic and astringent flavour. As it warmed I could taste a bit of banana. It ends with a grainy and slightly spicy aftertaste.

Overall – I was expecting more from this on based on other reviews. There's just a bit too much of a rusty/acidic/metallic flavour and scent in it for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 00:02:54 | More by spinrsx

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had a glass of this at the Trou Du Diable event at Wvrst in Toronto.

Beer is a cloudy dark amber, slightly golden. Moderate sized white head.

Smell consists of sweet malty, wheat, banana, bread.

Taste is similar to the nose. Bready with a crisp wheat side, and a bit of spice. Caramel. Muted fruit- banana, some other fruit flavours.

Medium bodied, moderate carbonation. Pretty smooth.

Overall, good stuff. Would certainly like to have this again.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 20:52:12 | More by jrenihan

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to hoppypocket for this one.

Poured from a 500ml. bottle, bottled Feb. 2012.

Appearance: A light brass color with a huge fluffy head that has thick lacing blurring the line between the side of the glass and the actual head. A big rush of bubbles upwards after each pour.

Smell: Good dose of banana, bread, hops and pine.

Taste: Banana & cloves mixed with resiny hops. Plush fruit, grapefruit minus the acidic bitterness with tangerines and a touch of honey. Spicy cloves and pine.

Mouthfeel: Everything about this one is mellow, nothing harsh and very palatable.

Overall: A real nice hybrid of a beer. Worth enjoying but don't hang on to it too long as there's no potential of aging that i can see.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 11:29:10 | More by papat444

ZorPrime

Quebec (Canada)

4.8/5  rDev +20.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This beer is looking superb in the glass. Copper color, slightly veiled. Head is white/beige color... and very sticky.

In the nose, it explode with hefeweizen notes and some hops that makes everything shine. Bananas with tropical fruits. Excellent aroma. Taste is another wow... so tasty, so good. Bananas and tropical fruits again... Brewery should make more beer tasting like this... and TDD should make this one a regular! Dry finish. Bitter. Some spiciness in the mouth. Slightly effervescent. Warmth. This is almost perfect beer. Next time I buy a case of this one!

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 15:56:59 | More by ZorPrime

firkinhophead

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

on tap at Rustico in Alexandria.

pours a cloudy reddish brown with a decent head that fades to a thin ring. some clingy lace.

aroma of spicy yeast, bready malt, clove, a hint of booze and cotton candy. right on target.

taste is yeasty and full of earthy spice with a solid underpinning of bready, sweet malt and flour-dusted brioche. Grassy, herbal hops in the finish become quite pronounced as it warms.

Medium-bodied but with a good bitter bite that keeps the balance. a tad prickly, but that keeps it from being cloying. Not as slick or rich as Aventinus, but quite drinkable.

Excellent example of the style, with a bit more bite than the German versions. Hits all the right notes of malt and spice. Highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2010 23:19:58 | More by firkinhophead