La Vache Folle Double IPA - Aramis - Microbrasserie Charlevoix

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

3.13/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

From a 500 ml brown bottle. Pours out a bright clear light coppery hue, creamy off-white head that settles to a thickish cap.

Sweet bready malt on the nose, some toasted malt, with strong notes of floral and perfumey hops.

Granted that this is a single hop varietal DIPA, however the flavour still seems to be lacking some cohesiveness, let alone balance. The malt is almost cloyingly sweet up front, and is eventually joined by spicy, leafy green hops that never seems to overpower the malt, let alone balance it in any way.

Mouthfeel seems to be on the fuller side, silky slick texture, with assertive carbonation.

Once again Charlevoix puts out an ambivalent offering from their single hop DIPA series, where the malt almost completely overshadows the hop in question, making one wonder where the DIPA is in all of this, let alone the spotlighting of the single hop varietal. Not a bad beer, but Charlevoix is capable of much more than this.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 05:22:39 | More by IronDjinn

tonyf55

Alberta (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottle into a Steamwhistle footed pockal

Visual (4): Lighter golden hue, with a bit of haziness. Pure white, creamy head that settled from 2 finger into 1 and lasts. Amazing lacing right from the start. Small carbonation bubbles float through the body

Aroma (3.5): Light but prevalent aromas. A slightly grainy malt base mixes with slightly sour citrus and spice aromas. A definite fruity hop with lemon-lime and scents of apple.

Taste (4): A real sweet & bitter balance. Malts lend a light sweetness that coats the pallet, and the tasting ends with a kick of bitterness that has a slightly spicy hop finish sticking to your pallet. Despite the DIPA name, this beer really has light and sweet malt flavours that step-up to the bitter kick on the finish.

Mouthfeel (3): Light and creamy body with a light, but active, feeling of carbonation on the pallet. Light but holds impact.

Overall (3.5): Not a big DIPA, but rather a beer that plays between sweet and bitter flavours letting each have their day in the taste. Malt flavours were lighter than expected but the hop flavours were interesting, and would warrent another tasting in the future.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 15:34:42 | More by tonyf55

Mrtrp

Quebec (Canada)

1/5  rDev -71.2%

12-07-2012 14:58:52 | More by Mrtrp

KalanM

British Columbia (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%

11-29-2012 01:33:04 | More by KalanM

jmdr

Alberta (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%

09-27-2012 02:57:33 | More by jmdr

Molson2000

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%

09-13-2012 21:04:23 | More by Molson2000

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I've never had these hops before... interesting.

A: Hazy golden-bronze with a white had, bit of retention, leaves a bit of lace.

S: Papaya, mango, bit dank, sponge toffee, candied pineapple.

T: Candied tropical fruit (papaya, mango, pineapple), sponge toffee, restrained bitterness, alcohol is subtle.

M: Some residual sweetness and hop acidity.

O: Hop candy. It's good, but I'd prefer a little more attenuation to let the bitterness come through.

It's not as pretty as their Columbus DIPA, but I like this one a bit better.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 01:12:20 | More by Derek

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - very hazy golden orange, two finger of white head retained well and left all kinds of sticky lacing
S - mild hop notes of pepper and herbs, some citrus, grainy, surprisingly subtle aromas
T - sweet butterscotch, light pepper and mandarin, some bready and toastiness, very balanced flavours but a little light on the hoppiness for a DIPA, but super tasty none the less
M - medium with solid carbonation, juicy and smooth, finishes with a slight bitterness, and 9% ABV is nowhere to be found, dangerously drinkable
O - very well balances, tasty, and easy drinking, not hop heavy like you would expect from a DIPA, a must try for any beer fan, hop head or not

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 23:51:06 | More by joemcgrath27

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Props to joemcgrath27 for procuring this selection, which also happens to be my 800th review.

A - Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a pale orange hue, thumb of head with solid retention and nice chunky lacing.

S - Scent is rather mild, fruity citrus notes, musty caramel malts, and a touch of burnt sugar and honey on the finish.

T - The hop notes are mellow, but in a good way, offering a solid dose of earthy herbal flavors alongside some sweet lemon iced tea notes. The caramel flavors shine through on the finish and linger alongside a bitter citrus flavor. ABV is undetectable.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and a touch of dry on the finish.

O - Incredibly well balanced DIPA whose high octane is dangerously well hidden. Solid hop flavors which offer up more earthy tones that are complemented by the caramel malts. A pleasurable ale and certainly worthy. Glad I was able to test this brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 22:50:58 | More by andrenaline

jbowes

4.25/5  rDev +22.5%

05-21-2012 20:23:22 | More by jbowes

mmurphy525

Nova Scotia (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -6.3%

04-09-2012 23:16:58 | More by mmurphy525

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a cloudy pale amber colour with a finger width of foamy white head.

Smell - Grapefruit, slightly spicy, light hops, floral notes.

Taste - Surprisingly sweet flavour with hint of citrus and moderate hoppiness. Touch of bitterness in the aftertaste, but not as powerful as I was expecting.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with light carbonation. Feels a little sticky on the teeth.

Overall - Not your standard DIPA. I was surprised by the sweetness and a little disappointed by the lack of hops presence. Besides that, still enjoyable and worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 03:59:48 | More by leaddog

Ruds

United Kingdom (England)

3.53/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Papat444 for the trade on this!

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a goblet to an almost clear golden/amber colour with a small white head.

On the nose hops, citrus, alcohol and a little herb/spice.

The flavours are of citrus fruit, nameley grapefruit allied to yeast, dough, bready maltiness. Not a particularly sweet tasting IPA in my opinion with a fair bitter aftertaste. The alcohol is fairly well disguised in the flavours so reasonably well balanced in this respect.

Medium carbonation and body, a little lacing on my glass as I drank.

Overall a good enough beer but not quite the real deal for a DIPA in my opinion, something not quite ticking all the boxes, can't really get a handle on what though !?!

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 10:22:47 | More by Ruds

oldp0rt

Quebec (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%

03-15-2012 13:15:54 | More by oldp0rt

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared by sprague11, thanks John. Bottled December 12, 2011, 500ml into a tulip.

Golden yellow, lacing is spiderweb-like and a good amount of retention. Nose has bright citrus zest, some straw and pale grain notes. A hint of corn. Taste again has the citrus zest, but is a bit gentler than the nose. Breadiness, slight honey and grain in the malts. Sweet, with some orange and subtle grapefruit fruitiness. Medium feel and on the much sweeter side for a DIPA, understated bitterness. Not the best beer available in the single hop DIPA series.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 04:09:49 | More by liamt07

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.4/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Very piney aroma. Coconut, citrus lemon lime, a good bitterness, just not all that drinkable.Overcarbonated.Middling mouthfeel. Boozy.The series of DIPAs starting out strong, not as strong with these newer ones. Fresh bottle from Montreal, thanks John.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 05:59:13 | More by northyorksammy

NightINgale

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev +15.3%

02-24-2012 19:45:40 | More by NightINgale

Intrinsic

Quebec (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Aramis has a very nice colour - a light golden amber-ish hue with a head that just doesn't quit. Great lacing too. Great looking beer.

The smell is fantastic. Loads of things come into play, such as the fruit aromas, malt, and alcohol esters. The taste is pretty good too but I find the alcohol a little overwhelming to be honest. Its really pungent. Interesting hop character, although not as hoppy as most Imperial IPAs. The mouthfell is just above average - slightly dry, well carbonated. That's about it.

Overall, this is a pretty good beer. The only real problem I have with it is the alcohol. Its a little strong. Good Belgian beers can hide strong alcohol content amazingly well. Mix their techniques with this recipe and we may have a winner.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 00:15:35 | More by Intrinsic

duracell

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%

02-09-2012 20:26:31 | More by duracell

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

500ml bottle. Another heretofore unknown to me hop breed, again used in a new DIPA experiment - between Charlevoix' crazy cows and Alley Kat's multi-chromatic dragons, I feel like I'm totally getting schooled. So...very...schooled...

Anyway, this beer pours a clear, somewhat pale golden copper hue, with three solid fingers of puffy, cushiony, foamy ecru head, which settles to a chunky flotsam scene, some splattered lace adding to the debris-field effect.

It smells of warm caramel malt, a strong floral perfume character, and an earthy, spicy, hoppiness. The taste is quite in line with the aroma - relatively soft toffee/caramel malt, in the face of a forceful metallic spicy, herbal, floral character, that has more than fleeting echoes of saucy muscat grapes. Interesting, I guess, and definitely outside expectations, if there were any to begin with.

The bubbles are not that pervasive, but still quite tight, the body a decent medium weight, and mostly smooth, but for a lingering flinty alcohol stripe. It finishes off-dry, sure, but that spicy, floral, perfumed, edgy otherness just seems to run the whole freaking show.

Not a bad brew, per se, and the tingly booze is generally well integrated. However, as these new hops get the sink or swim treatment by being thrust into the spotlight all by their lonesome, it seems that the newer, unknown types lack the oomph needed to keep up with their DIPA host. Anecdotal evidence, I admit, but, drudging through this makes me wistful for the Columbus or Amarillo incarnations, maybe strictly out of the attendant familiarity.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 01:47:09 | More by biboergosum

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a hazy amber/orangey color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some good lacing. Aroma consists of light citrus notes and medium dry caramel malt. Taste is mix between light fruity and citrusy hops with a touch of resin and some dry caramel malt. Body is quite full with good carbonation. Interesting though missing some dry hops qualities.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 19:14:08 | More by Phyl21ca

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle poured into tulip 23/1/12

A clear copper with some tiny bubbles feeding a three finger foam that slowly falls too a dense thick film that leaves a couple partial rings of lace

S sweet floral notes with a little tropical fruit candied pineapple perhaps

T now I get the spicy hops the bottle says and some leafy hops too, there's some wet wood and other earthy aspects, its a little sweet and I'm getting more booze then I'd like

M full for the color pretty sticky and a little heat, not too bad though but keeping it from being great

O decent beer but not what I was hoping for after others in this series, a little sweet and boozy but still pretty good

perhaps my least favorite from this series but still well worth trying,

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 05:59:13 | More by wordemupg

ZorPrime

Quebec (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled on 1st december 2011.

The beer color is copper. It is a clear beer as all the ones from this series. Not much carbonation is observed from the glass. Nice head on top of it. Always sticks to the glass. In line with the others from this series. The aroma is light, but I get some fruity notes and floral too. Its not very aggressive. Aramis is a nice fruity hop. Inviting aroma. I like it. The taste is dominated by fruitiness. Not overly bitter, as one might expect from an IBU of 80, however I think this one is the most bitter of them all. As the beer warms up, it gets a little spicy. Nice little touch here. I really liked it. Some might not like the lacking of bitterness, but I don't mind a lot.

A nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 19:58:27 | More by ZorPrime

fostachild

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -13.5%

01-06-2012 02:07:59 | More by fostachild

ctgui

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%

01-03-2012 23:28:19 | More by ctgui