La Vache Folle - Milk Stout - Microbrasserie Charlevoix

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Review from BeerAdvocate magazine Issue #26:

A strong Stout sweetened with lactose sugar. "Vache folle" means "mad cow."

Jet black with a tightly laced, coffee-colored cream head that cascades and rises. Awesome head actually, with good retention. Slightly acidic in the nose, with dark berries and some faint coffee and chocolate beneath. Bitty and prickly on the palate, but creamy beneath, with a firm, full body that's a bit chewy, too. Sharp carbonation and roastiness up front. Mild astringency. Rich notes of dark chocolate, coffee, brown sugar, some toffee, earth, bark and smoke. Burnt raisins, too. Sweetness is well rounded and tame, with a distinct, semi-sugary, lactose character. No discernible hop presence, but we didn't expect one. Hints of dried cherries and pronounced alcohol as the beer warms. Lingering, dry chocolate in the finish.

Nothing to get mad about here. This is a delicious Milk Stout that crosses into Imperial Stout territory and is a must try if you find yourself in Québec.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2010 19:56:09 | More by BeerAdvocate

yancot

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

05-16-2013 05:41:20 | More by yancot

metalgdog

New York

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

05-10-2013 00:17:03 | More by metalgdog

jvillefan

California

2.7/5  rDev -34%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

I am going to take a point off of each category due to the vast inexperience that this brewery clearly has. The beer was vastly overcarbonated and nearly exploded after opening despite no reason to do so. After the fountain of beer on my ceiling and carpet there was only enough to fill 4 oz of my glass.

A: A dark brown body with a huge brown head.

S: Not great. It has a homebrew aroma when homebrewing is done with extract. There is sweet chocolate aromas present as well.

T: Light flavors. There is a chocolate flavor with some creamy flavors in the background. There are many better milk stouts out there.

M: The carbonation is way to high and this leaves the body deceptively light.

O: Could have been good if the brewery had more skill when it comes to their process. Very poor execution. This will be my last beer from Microbrasserie Charlevoix.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 03:46:05 | More by jvillefan

NorthernSoul

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3/5  rDev -26.7%

04-17-2013 22:42:59 | More by NorthernSoul

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.96/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark chocolate brown, thick and murky, very large bubbly coffee colored, leaves webs of lacing.

Nose is fairly dry lactose, milk chocolate and dusty cocoa, vanilla, some light blueberry or grape. Light bitterness.

Taste opens with the same blueberry/grape fruit character, sweet milk chocolate, some lightly bitter roast, sweet lactose. Not incredibly sweet for a milk stout but very tasting. There is a slightly cardboard like thing in there too but it's not too distracting.

Mouthfeel is nice and rich, lots of carb, feels fairly thick and dry.

Very nice milk stout! I really like the dark fruit character.

7.9/10

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 01:56:20 | More by AlexFields

IanSpindler

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev -2.2%

04-14-2013 14:18:47 | More by IanSpindler

sdm9465

Nova Scotia (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +10%

04-08-2013 16:26:02 | More by sdm9465

Ivanhoes_Backpack

New Brunswick (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%

03-19-2013 00:52:27 | More by Ivanhoes_Backpack

BlackAura

Alberta (Canada)

3/5  rDev -26.7%

03-17-2013 02:44:15 | More by BlackAura

Vandelayindustri

Alberta (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

03-12-2013 22:17:35 | More by Vandelayindustri

Haydn-Juby

Quebec (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served from a bottle to an English tulip glass.

A: Dark but not pitch black. Some ruby red highlights are visible on light contact. Minimal head about a little less then a finger with some lacing.

S: Coffee and espresso on the nose.

T: Deep rich roasted malts. Dark chocolate like flavor as well. Very nicely balanced but slightly sweet with the aid of the lactose sugars in the beer. The alchohol is very well masked and I probably would have no idea this was 9% if the bottle didn't say so.

M: Maybe slightly thinner then I would like but I tend to lean towards oatmeal stouts. Good creamy mouth feel and smooth going down.

O: This was a pretty good buy. One of my friends suggested it. Its pretty pricey but it would make a nice treat every once in a while. Good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 21:15:02 | More by Haydn-Juby

ThickNStout

Georgia

3.84/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

500mL bottle from La Duchesse D'Aiguillon (Quebec City). 4.99. Bottled 11/1/12. Served in a Microbrasserie Charlevoix goblet.

Pours dark cola brown with one and a half fingers fluffy sand head. Nice sheets of lacing on the way down.

Smells of dark cocoa, sweet cream and roasty malts. Simple but nice.

Taste is bittersweet cocoa, lightly creamed coffee, burnt caramel, chocolate milk, roast malts, lactose sweetness and slightly nutty. Very little alcohol bite.

Medium full, creamy feel with initially too-sharp carbonation that calms down a bit as it warms. Mildly bitter creamy cocoa aftertaste.

A nice find on my recent trip to Quebec City (thanks for the reccomendation ricochet173!). One of the better strait up milk stouts I've had with plenty of robust notes that make it significantly more interesting than typical brews in the style. Definately worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 05:51:12 | More by ThickNStout

lgmol

Nova Scotia (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +10%

02-27-2013 23:24:39 | More by lgmol

SEG1975

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -2.2%

02-24-2013 12:16:30 | More by SEG1975

LarryAppleton

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev -2.2%

02-15-2013 03:16:17 | More by LarryAppleton

Muhly

Alberta (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into a mug.

A-opaque black colour. Couple of fingers of creamy tan/brown head.

S-coffee and sweet, slightly sour chocolate milk.

T-a hint of sweet dark malts with a powerful hit of bitter coffee and dark chocolate.

M-initially thinner and more carbonated than I anticipated, but as the carbonation dissipates, it seems to become creamier and fuller. The creamy mouthfeel adds to the enjoyment. No astringency detected and finishes with a bit of sweetness.

O-I think this is a pretty bang on sweet stout with the exception of the initial mouthfeel which I wish was creamier and a bit more full. Oh well. After sitting for a couple of beats, the mouthfeel comes into focus and everything is beautiful. I'm grabbing one the next time I feel like a sweet stout!

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 03:58:55 | More by Muhly

Luk13

Quebec (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -20.5%

01-23-2013 00:49:20 | More by Luk13

JonnyBeers

British Columbia (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +10%

01-11-2013 18:05:03 | More by JonnyBeers

Colvil

Quebec (Canada)

5/5  rDev +22.2%

01-09-2013 19:15:16 | More by Colvil

philmen

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

12-22-2012 00:31:23 | More by philmen

MTLChris

4/5  rDev -2.2%

11-29-2012 04:43:16 | More by MTLChris

KalanM

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev -2.2%

11-29-2012 01:32:06 | More by KalanM

veifokorp

4.5/5  rDev +10%

11-21-2012 01:00:10 | More by veifokorp

CurtisD

New Brunswick (Canada)

4/5  rDev -2.2%

10-18-2012 02:13:29 | More by CurtisD