Dominus Vobiscum Lupulus - Microbrasserie Charlevoix

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle picked up in Spring in Trois Riviers, glad I didn't miss it. Smooth drinking yeasty ale, not complex but certainly smooth wth a good mouthfeel. Some candi. Foamy head. Pleasant aroma, bubblegummy.Citrus in finish from amarillo and simcoe. Saaz did not provide high carbonation, everything smooth.
Lateral tasting July 2010 against the Hibernus, and the latter is a clear winner. Yes the latter is a Belgian, but I think so is this and the yeast is the story. Funky yeast is more popular by e-raters.
Had again summer 2012 and shows itself as popular, sweet fruity drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2008 01:26:01 | More by northyorksammy

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to dickinsonbeer...
Appears a hazy, light gold with a 3 finger white head that slowly drops into a mild cap. Tons of streaky lacing is left around the glass.
Smell is of hoppy, sugary, cream, with peppers, pears, and pumelo.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with poached pear, apricots, and bananas.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, yeasty, estery, and fruity.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2008 01:46:59 | More by weeare138

illidurit

California

4.13/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to wetherel for sharing this rarity at the RBSG 08 Grand Tasting. Poured into my La Chouffe goblet. Clear gold with a white head that leaves incredible lacing. Aroma is spicy dough with raisins and citrus. Flavor is, again, spicy dough with notes of citrus, grass, apricot, and banana. Pretty weird but very tasty. A little alcohol on the palate, but otherwise smooth.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2008 18:47:46 | More by illidurit

Quej

Ontario (Canada)

4.58/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured into a nice chalice it is a light orange colour, with heaps of fluffy white head. Beautiful and violent carbonation spiral up towards the surface.
S - Really quite hoppy smelling, and a little boozy. There are some sweeter notes detectable, hints of caramel and brown sugar. A sour smell of Belgian yeasts accompanies the nice hop bouquet.
T - Lots of hop flavours up front with a strong bitter bite. It lingers long and dry. The yeast remains and builds a sour base on the palate to frame the rest of the flavours. The typically Belgian taste of the yeast lingers with a boozy finish. Very strong beer, in many ways.
M -Very drying beer, with light to medium body. Quite rough alcoholic. Very mouthwatering and refreshing.
D - Pretty good drinkability. Had no problem finishing a 750mL bottle myself. The hops keeps the high alcohol from killing the appetite for more.
All around a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2008 23:26:43 | More by Quej

blaje

Quebec (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Very nice presentation. Pourred in a ball-like glass (Fin du monde) and revealled an hazy light amber colour with a THICK creamy/foamy white head. Head so thick that temper down the smell, but still revealing lots of spices, earth and yeast smell comes afterward. Still young and should be cellered for a while. Should handle long cellearing (5-10 years)if you can wait that long!

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2008 13:32:05 | More by blaje

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

4.45/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours pale gold with a slight chill haze. A carefull pour released a torrent of spongy, white foam.
Half the glass was lively, airy head, before a quick retreat.
Within less than a minute there was only footprints of lace, and a coned center on the surface.
Aromatics are spicy and bristling with Belgian essense. Peppercorns, cloves, peaches, pears, melons, mint, coriander, pineapple, and wet grass leap forth. Phenolic, zesty, and earthy. Borderline medicinal.
Certainly not over-the-top hoppy, but a great balance of spice, hops, and yeasty funk.
The mouthfeel falls a bit short. The promise of a high level of carbonation doesn't follow through after the beer settles down.
Light in body, but certainly could use some additional liveliness.
The Pallet is spicy and dry. The hops are more subdued than in the nose, leaving room for plenty of zesty, peppery crispness.
Bitterness is firm and lingering, and the beer is well-attenuated with a Brett strain, no-doubt.
The beer finishes with pepper-dusted orange oil, crushed mint, clove-studded pine boughs, and warming alcohol.

Wowza, this beer really opens up as it breaths and you get to know her. I had to kick up the numbers twice as I sipped, and I'm only finishing my first glass.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2008 02:15:43 | More by brewandbbq

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4.75/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottle: Poured a deep lightly cloudy golden color ale with a huge pure white foamy head with perfect retention and some great lacing. Aroma of West Coast hops with some notes of citrus and grapefruit and some nice floral notes can also be detected. Taste is perfect balance between some light sweet Belgian malt with huge notes of floral hops with notes of grapefruit. Full body with a somewhat creamy texture with some great carbonation and no apparent alcohol. I really enjoyed how the hops presence brought aromatic notes but left a light controlled bitterness. As much as I had enjoyed the Chouffe Houblon I believe this one is even more enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2008 18:46:22 | More by Phyl21ca

Beersignal

Quebec (Canada)

4.83/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Haven't reviewed in nearly 6 months from lack of drive, or interest, or time, or suitable beers, or... pick one. I'm not the type to review everything that pops up on the shelves of my local outlet, but when I saw this bottle along with its darker counterpart I couldn't resist despite its $12.99 price tag. That is how much I respect this brewer of belgian styles and his offerings. A good start to 2008? I hope.

Handsome presentation, crown capped champagne bottle with wrap over the cap. Looks more like a Brut from the Champagne region than a beer. Real classy, eh. As I pour the liquid, a rush of carbonation and a thick creamy wall of stark white foam rises so quickly that I stop serving for fear of spilling some of the contents. As the cap settles I contemplate a polished gold coloured beer topped by the same frothy head and sit and admire a column of bubbles that feeds the head relentlessly. A thick veil of foam builds on the far side of my glass methodically, after every taste almost like if it were trying to hide something from onlookers.

I plunge my nose into the glass and immediately I am served with a wave of floral, spicy, earthy, piney and fruity hops through which only a touch of malt can escape. It is quickly followed by the trademark aromas of Simcoe and Amarillo as is stated on the bottle. Gentle hints of cloves ride along with the rest of the aromas and balance the smell nicely for me. (I think this is the triple IPA they released last summer on tap at Le Saint-Bock)

The first sip goes down, and then a second. So tasty and, unsurprisingly, dominated by the hops. The warmth of the alcohol permeates my tastebuds but is not aggressive. Rather, it is gentle and residually sweet allowing a touch of freshly cracked pepper to express itself before the bitter bite of co-humulone puts its foot down. Sip after sip reveals more and more complexity. Vanilla, banana, cloves, candied sugar, another round of cracked pepper... the list is endless. Before I know it I'm at the bottom of my glass and the bottom of the bottle is not far off. Hazardous in its extreme drinkability.

This beer seals it for me. MicroBrasserie Charlevoix has, without a doubt, become the reference in belgian styles in Québec and perhaps Canada. Steep price, worth every penny. I can honestly say I concentrated on every sip of this 750 ml bottle. If I find this again, I will have no problem putting down $12.99 for this beer. A great start to '08.

Santé and Happy New Year

SMD

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2008 21:25:08 | More by Beersignal