La Vache Folle - ESB - Microbrasserie Charlevoix

Muhly

Alberta (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 65cl bottle into snifter. Label indicates that it was bottled May 2012.

A-Pours a clear and true copper. Two fingers of tight knit head forms easily upon pouring. Head retention is ok, but a thin film stays on top of the glass. Lacing is decent with lines and dots.

S-Malty sweetness highlighted by some dried dark fruits, namely prunes. Can't detect any hops on the nose.

T-Sweet malts and a decent hint of fruit esters. Hop bitterness is prominent, but balanced by the sweetness.

M-Moderately round and full mouthfeel. Sweetness lingers longer than the hop astringency.

O-A nicely balanced ESB that tends towards the bitter. Would have been nice to get more hops on the nose, but maybe that's just my lack of sense of smell...

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 00:36:56 | More by Muhly

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled November 8, 2011

Amber/orange in colour with a moderately sized white head. Decent retention and lacing.

Biscuity malt in the nose along with grassy, earthy hops. Not a strong smell.

Taste is full of biscuity malt, a bit toasty, with some grassy/earthy hop flavours. Well balanced- some sweet malt tastes coupled with mild bitterness from the hops. Slight flavours of light citrus fruit. Nice.

Moderate carbonation, medium bodied. Chewy.

Overall, a nice ESB. Would like to find a fresher bottle, but I'll take what I can get.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 01:13:02 | More by jrenihan

NightINgale

Quebec (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is my second attempt at this beer. The first time I got a really old bottle and found the beer bland.

A - Looks more like an American IPA than and English ESB: slightly hazy orange body with a rich and creamy white head. Really good lacing and solid head retention.

S - Biscuit notes, some nice fruitiness (apples, pears and plums), some slight citrusy notes (orange, grapefruit), and a very solid malt aroma base (toffee, caramel and toasted bread).

T - The taste doesn't disappoint! This beer is fruity, yet fairly hoppy (with a nice flowery taste to it), slightly citrusy, and quite malty. There is a noticeable level of bitterness, which does a great job balancing the fairly strong sweetness of the beer. This definitely tastes like a true ESB.

M - Medium-bodied. Not very carbonated. It gets just a little hefty after a while, though. No hint of booze. Drinks really well.

O - All in all, this is a good ESB! Complex yet drinkable; original enough yet true to the style. All one has to do is make sure the freshness date is not years away from today!

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 23:23:23 | More by NightINgale

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance – Pours a pale amber/topaz hue with a ½ finger width of white head.

Smell – Citrus and tropical fruits, piney hops, honey sweetness.

Taste – Nice balance of citrus/tropical fruits and hops, that leaves a little touch of bitterness in the aftertaste. This light bitterness lets us know its presence but subtle at best. Honey flavours are present in the finish.

Mouthfeel – Medium bodied with light carbonation. Good dry finish.

Overall – An enjoyable ESB from La Vache Folle. There are some great flavours in this brew that are well balanced with one another. Very nice touch with the honey. An easy drinker that is worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 19:50:17 | More by leaddog

hoser

Alberta (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A full bodied extra special bitter that makes Fuller's ESB weak at the knees and that is saying something. To steal a line from Todd and Jason Alstrom's Imperial Milk Stout review the beer is nothing to get mad about. It actuality the name translates to Crazy Cow and is a tongue in cheek poke at something else. All in all love this nutty version of an ESB.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 22:36:06 | More by hoser

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - poured into a tulip, clear copper with tall tan head that retained well
S - citrus and earthy aromas, biscuity with a hint of caramel
T - biscuity malt with hop notes of citrus, pine, and spice, and a hint of caramel sweetness
M - mild carbonation with a smooth medium weight, just right bitter and spiciness on the finish
O - a nice full flavour ale with heathy bitterness, a great example of one of my fave styles

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 00:13:31 | More by joemcgrath27

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

amber in color with a smooth even white head on top that held on for a good long while, dropping nice amounts of side glass lacing along the way. Aroma was light, hints of citrus hops, a touch of light grassy notes and a noticeable touch of light spice all coming together rather lightly, but pleasantly. Taste was light as well, clean and crisp with a smooth profile. Light touches of hops sprinkled throughout a light bready and grainy base that shone through pretty strongly. Light touches of peaches and pears actually popped up as well as a nice light touch of spice and hops

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 23:55:09 | More by mikesgroove

fostachild

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

bottled on: 2011/09/09

pours a nice clear medium-light bronze hue, tons of white foamy head - lasts forever.

smell was sweet - had hops, malt, fruit/citrus.

taste was bitter, malty, with an even maltier aftertaste. maybe a hint of caramel in there too.

good carbonation and drinkability. pretty enjoyable esb.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 04:02:01 | More by fostachild

ctgui

Quebec (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottled on 14/08/2011.

A - Poured a clear copper with some amber, about 2 inches of off-white head. The appearance is good.

S - Biscuit and booze, but not overly so. Notes of bitter floral hops.

T - The taste is not too intense, a nice balance between the sweet malt and the bitterness of the hops that sticks for a while. I enjoyed the overall simplicity of the taste. Well put.

M - Medium mouthfeel with a bit over average carbonation. The finish is not too dry.

O - Another good beer by the Microbrasserie de Charlevoix. My first ESB I believe, and I truly liked the style. Very drinkable. Looking forward to having this one again.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 21:52:45 | More by ctgui

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from Broue HAHA.

A - Pours a nice light copper colour. Hazy with a good one finger white head. Mildish carbonation. Good filmy retention and some soapy lacing.

S - Oh ya. I've always loved EBSs from my first by Fuller's. This is no different. Balance is so key to a beer IMO and ESB just show it so well. A rich, fruity malt character combines with a great, earthy, fruity sorta hop character and just meld so well. I'd say the malts come out a little stronger than the hop profile but damn, it's well put together.

T - The taste is surprisingly weaker. I get some yeast and oranges. Strong malts with bread and biscuits. While the hop comes out in an earthy/spicy character. Weaker than the aroma but still nice.

M - Good carbonation, medium body and a lightly sweet finish with a bitterness that is quite light.

O/D - Quite a nice ESB. Not aggressive but easy to drink. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 02:28:51 | More by tbeckett

MaliciousMatt

Quebec (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First and foremost, I must admit thatcher I don't drink a lot of ESB. It seems to be a style that is overlooked by some brewers and it is unfortunate, this great offering proves it.

The look is nice. Slightly hazy light cooper with a good fluffy head that looks like a cloud you would like to sleep in!

Smells goood! Floral and subtle. Straight foward.

Taste is clean and pleasant. Once again, nothing too complex. Notes of sweet and toasted malt well balanced by the bitterness wich is present but not overpowering.

In the mouth it fits the rest of the experience, round fulness with medium to light bubbling.

So this is a great overall beer that is well constructed. It may not be the most shockingly innovative beer but does it always have to be? This is a great session style and this beer is a great interpretation of it.

Thanks to brasserie Charlevoix. Long live your brewery!

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2011 01:52:48 | More by MaliciousMatt

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Grabbed this at Atwater Market (along with some incredible cheeses).

A: Nice orange-copper colour but a thick and milky head steals the show. Frothy head dissipates to a grouping of beautiful bubbles. Great stuff.

S: Lots of earthy spice with sweet honey. Picking up faint banana and grapefruit aromas aswell. Other reviewers noted plum, and I'm picking that up a bit too.

T: Subdued earthy-flowery hops up front, with a taste of grapefruit. Finishes with a lingering bitterness, but malty sweetness balances it out nicely. Overall well balanced and very smooth.

M: Rather viscous and quite oily with mild carbonation.

D: Easily drinkable. Would be great to have acouple pints of this on-tap.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 02:34:12 | More by Digimaika2

HopBacchus

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I confess I have an affinity for ESBs. I like the way brewers can transform the lackluster style that is English Bitters and make something relatively complex and interesting while still remaining true to the Bitter's roots.

Served in a Stein glass. Pours a rusty orange with medium lacing throughout.

Candied fruit comes to mind, plums and raisins as-well as lightly toasted malts. Citrusy hops are also detectable.

Smooth and well balanced with a surprisingly robust hop character. More citrus, certainly lemon with an addition of orange and apricot.

On the lighter side of medium bodied with mild carbonation.

I could sesh this thing all day, goes down wonderfully.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2011 02:58:48 | More by HopBacchus

Glory

Quebec (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bought this ESB while saying to myself...I like pretty much everything they make at Microbrasserie de Charlevoix so I guess I could pick this one and have no worries ! Yeah... doesn't really happen as planed.

The Beer is served in a small Weizen Glass. Its copper to orange in color and very clear from any sediments. There's a little head of foam but not much to say about it... It kinda looks like a regular cheap Red Ale.

The smell is quite nice and probably where this beer is at its best.
You get caramel malt with floral essences. A little hint of rust as well and for some reason it kinda smells like my mother's Pecan bread !! You tell me...

The taste is a bit flat and watery at first but then you really taste Mash of sweet caramel Malt. After two second you get a small kick of bittering hops and adds a pine sorta foresty taste and finishes with a pretty bad after taste of....you know, when you take some tylenol and you don't quite swallow it right away and you get this very bad medecin tast in you mouth for a while...well...that !!
The carbonation is quite low..I did swearl it alot to get the esters but still pretty flat witch is nice because its similar to real English Bitters.
Overall, I didn't get as much fun as I though and probably won't buy again but I still love the Microbrasserie of Charlevoix!

Cheers Lads

WS

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 23:44:34 | More by Glory

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance. Poured a cloudy orange with a hint of red. Half a finger of nice white head that falls slowly to a film that lasts the duration.

Smell. Plums, green grapes, herbal hops and a hint of roasty malt. Real nice.

Taste. Bitter herby hops. A little apricot and pine and a long bitter finish. Yum.

Mouthfeel. Medium, prickly carbonation and just a little thin.

Drinkability. Went down quick. A great drinker.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2011 00:57:46 | More by Rutager

Matt1516

Quebec (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured into pint glass.

Shows ambers and cloudy with a thick frothy head that sticks around.

Looking at other reviews, I notice I'm not the only one who was put-off by the initial smell. It's sour and grassy.

The bitterness is impressive, however. It has a sourness that puckers up your mouth. There are some notes of fruit (banana?) In the taste. Compares well to a Fuller's ESB

Drinkable--much more impressive on tap--especially at their Baie St. Paul brewery.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 03:21:47 | More by Matt1516

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle courtesy of ZorPrime, 500ml into a pint glass. Charlevoix always dates their stuff, but this one is missing a stamp on the back.

Pours a translucent golden brown, couple fingers of sudsy and soapy white head that really sticks around. Phenomenal retention and a bunch sticky lace. Lots of fruit notes in the nose, apple, pear, honey and some earthy hops. Taste follows for the most part, light bitterness and more fruit, again the apple and pear are prominent, and potentially some honeydew melon? Slightly sweet malt backbone lies underneath, bready. Good stuff. Medium carbonation and smooth going down; a touch watery. Moderate lingering bitterness. Another winner from Charlevoix.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2010 01:05:07 | More by liamt07

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle poured into a pint glass

Appearance - The beer pours an amber colour with a fair size foamy/fizzy off white head. There isn't much carbonation showing. There is a lot lacing to be seen, and the head stuck around for a few minutes.

Smell - The beer has a slightly off-putting scent. I can't put my finger on it, but it is something along the lines off a wet fish/dog. I can also pick up on some caramel and some hops

Taste & Mouth - Thankfully the beer doesn't taste like it smells, I can taste a sweet honey and some hops. Also some caramel and some floral notes. There is a fair amount of carbonation, I wouldn't mind a little bit more, but it is still decent.

Drink - An above average beer that is worth a try - not the best I've ever had; but still a fairly good brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2010 00:41:09 | More by spinrsx

MattyV

Ontario (Canada)

2.73/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle dated 9:37, April 21, 2010... poured into a pint glass.

Pours a hazy copper orange with a dense, off-white meringue head with excellent retention.

The aroma seemed a little off-putting at first; I was hit with a strange yeasty sour milk smell. Once I could get past that, bready/caramel malt and earthy hops were also detected.

The taste followed the aroma, with the bready malt slightly dominant over the caramel and spicy hops. I could also pick up the off-flavour noted in the aroma, but it wasn't quite as dominant as it was in the nose. I'm wondering if I got an infected bottle, or if it was stored in poor conditions at the depanneur. Aside from that, the malt and hops were well-balanced and close to what I expected with the spiciness from the hops lingering just slightly in the aftertaste.

Moderate to low carbonation, somewhat thin mouthfeel.

The off-flavours definitely affected the drinkability of this one, but the sour-milk notwithstanding I can see this being a nice session beer being well-balanced, flavourful and not too heavy.

I'm pretty disappointed in this one given the positive reviews I had read prior to purchasing this on my last trip to Montreal. The beer was stored unrefrigerated in the store so I'm wondering if it was caused by poor storage or something else. Will have to pick up another next time in la Belle Province to see if I have a different experience.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2010 00:13:27 | More by MattyV

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep orange colour with a hint of amber. Thick white head with great retention and small amount of lacing. Smells of earthy hops and lots of caramel and bread malt. Quite sweet taste, but has lots of bitterness still, more than the IBU would seem to imply. Very balanced and delicious. I typically use Fuller's ESB as my baseline for a good ESB, but I think I prefer this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2010 22:09:52 | More by kwjd

DoreenAndDave

Maine

4.1/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer is a hazy golden amber with a nice off-white, creamy head. Aroma is interesting; some sturdy, generic hops with some bready malt as well, and possibly a hint of pineapple or mango. The taste is very nice. Stiff and solidly bitter, start to finish. The mouthfeel and drinkability are excellent. It's nicely carbonated and very refreshing. All in all, an excellent example of an ESB. A good, straight-ahead, well balanced beer. Definitely one that we'll look for the next time we're in Quebec.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2010 03:27:32 | More by DoreenAndDave

Long813

Nova Scotia (Canada)

3.08/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Dated: 2009 OCT ** 11:29. ** are blurred.
From: Zorprime, 500 ml

A: Cloudy copper body with two fingers of white head. Head dissipates rather quickly and leaves minimal lacing.

S: Pretty weak aromas consisting of biscuity malts and hops. Faint notes of cloves.

T: Following the aromas, it's pretty weak. Biscuit malts and mild hops are dominant. Hints of cloves at the end.

M: Light bodied and medium-high carbonation. Watery texture and leaves a faint bitter aftertaste.

D: Thanks again to Zorprime. This beer didn't hold up quite as well as the other I image. The flavours and aromas are very faint. Not off putting, but it doesn't do anything for me. I'd like to try this fresh.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2010 20:19:20 | More by Long813

Dawkfan

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours a clear copper with a slightly off white soapy looking head. Coats the glass nicely! My second pour didn't have the same clarity as the first.

S- Biscuity caramel malt. Spicy earthy/grassy hops.

T- A fair bit of biscuit malt up front, which fades to a caramel middle. Earthy hops in the finish, spice sits on the tongue and lingers with a hop bite.

M- Medium body with an appropriate amount of carbonation.

D- Yet another nice beer from Charlevoix. The bitterness sticks around for awhile, something that I think a lot of ESB's are missing. A nice example of the style IMO and one that I'll revisit again soon.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2010 23:39:31 | More by Dawkfan

ZorPrime

Quebec (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Never reviewed this one... don't know why. This one is coming from their new brewery.

The beer color is copper with light carbonation. The head looks like ice cream. It's white and sticks well to the glass. The aroma is mainly caramel malts with some earthy hops. The taste shows a very crisp bitterness and dry finish. The beer is well balanced between the malts and the hops. I would say this is a very good ESB. Medium body beer and carbonation is more present. There is more than what we can see would suggest.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2010 23:46:41 | More by ZorPrime

keithmurray

Louisiana

3.43/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle poured into a chalice

beer pours a nice deep bronze colour, fluffy white head that lingers long

aroma - slight floral notes, some minerals, yeast, toffee

taste - hops up front, nice malty flavor, toffee adn caramel on the back end

mouthfeel - carbonation is sort of light, a bit bitter on the front end, light to medium body

drinkability - at 6%, getting this all down shouldnt be a problem

overall a decent representation of the ESB style

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2010 01:50:29 | More by keithmurray