Boréale Cuivrée - Brasseurs Du Nord Inc.

Kloug

Quebec (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +22.3%

02-07-2013 00:39:59 | More by Kloug

Whatup14

Quebec (Canada)

2.75/5  rDev -25.3%

04-17-2013 13:51:30 | More by Whatup14

TheDoctor

Quebec (Canada)

3.24/5  rDev -12%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A:
Pours a really nice, clear copper color without much of a head. You can watch what head there is disappear at break-neck speed. There is a slight film with a tiny bit of lacing, but nothing too impressive.

S:
Has a really clean malty, boozy smell. It smells like rich, warm, slightly burnt caramel; not overpowering, but definitely there.

T:
Tastes like an ESB. Crisp and kind of watery but with a tinge of malty sweetness with a barely perceptible hoppy bitterness to balance it out.

M:
Nice and smooth. A little crisp, carbonated sweetness up front, some hoppy notes in the middle and a really caramely finish.

O:
Smooth and quite drinkable. I like most of these guys' beers but I don't think that this is their best. It ain't the worst either, though. Enjoyable and (if not for the alcohol content) a good session beer. Definitely a crowd pleaser (with all the good and bad things that that implies).

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 21:24:35 | More by TheDoctor

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A decent but not revolutionary ESB. Pours a beautiful copper colour with reasonable head, and an unexpected oiliness that does not translate unpleasantly in the mouthfeel.

Malt-forward aroma appropriate for the style, with nice rounded caramel notes. The finish has a hint of bitterness that does not linger.

Well crafted and a beer that would appeal to a wider populace than many micros.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 23:12:52 | More by hopsolutely

Kremlock

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Cuivre for sure. Looks just like copper and very clear. Pours a 1/4 inch head and then settles to a white film. Lacing is not present.

S: Caramel, hints of diacetyl, little alcohol present, red licorice,

T: Caramel/toffee, raisins, citrus, sweet malt, bitterness present

M: Medium body, low carbonation, starts with a nice sweet flavour, goes dry and then finishes sweet with a balance biterness to it.

O: This is a good ESB. Sweetness to bitterness is well balance. Not a session beer which is a shame because it's a good beer. Then again, for the price, you get some free alcohol

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 00:41:13 | More by Kremlock

KalanM

British Columbia (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +1.9%

11-29-2012 00:32:59 | More by KalanM

Tuey13

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours a beautiful copper color in my pint glass, since Cuivrée means copper in French this is spot on :-)
Little head but very carbonated... Looks refreshing for the cool Québec day.
I can smell a little yeast but mostly sweetness like caramel and toffee. I think this more of an ESB/Bock hybrid than a Belgian style in my opinion.
Taste is definitely sweet, a little alcohol, but very smooth. Definitely has some strong malt flavors and a bit of bitter hopiness... But very smooth as I find with all Boréale beers. They are one of my favorites when I'm here with my fiancé who is Québecoíse.
I enjoyed this beer.. A bit thin as evidenced by the lack of lacing, but I thought it was quite well balanced and smooth for 6.9abv.
A bit too sweet for many, but I thought it complimented the cool Canadian air, sweet and fresh. ;)

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 00:06:29 | More by Tuey13

oldp0rt

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -4.9%

11-24-2011 02:21:58 | More by oldp0rt

Matt1516

Quebec (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This bottle was part of a promotional sample pack that included a taster's guide with malted grains to smell and chew while your beer warms in the glass. A nice touch.

The appearance is copper as expected, the head disappears quickly. The smell has hints of caramel and the mouthfeel hints at its carbonation. I enjoyed how despite the higher ABV, there was no alcohol punch. It tasted like a classic ESB: nice hoppiness and yeasty as well. Very drinkable

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 03:57:02 | More by Matt1516

Yoonisaykul

Quebec (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Haven't had this one in a while. Best before date was 3 days ago. I don't think it'll make a big difference.

A- Cuivrée is right. This is a very nice clear copper. Groups of bubbles come up regularly but the head let up very fast on both bottles I sampled.

S- Sweet malt and brewer's yeast. A little alcohol. Red licorice.

T- Like the smell. Very malty. Really reminds me of yeast food supplements. I remember the first time I had this (maybe 3 years ago) I thought the alcohol was so strong. Feels a lot smoother to me now. A little metallic in the end.

M- Medium to high carbonation. Far from dry.

D- Pretty good. 6.9% is well hidden.

The first time I had this I already liked it even though it was a little bit of a challenge for me to finish. Tasting it again, I'm pretty sure this is my favorite Boréale beer. It's not as flavorful as I remeber it being though...maybe because of the bit of age on it.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2010 04:00:11 | More by Yoonisaykul

NightINgale

Quebec (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Nice copper colour to the body. The head is nice and fluffy, then dissipating into a foamy ring. Not much in the way of carbonation.

S - This is where this beer loses a few points. The smell is rather faint, with some maltiness, caramel and grains.

T - Malts, malts, malts. That's what this one is all about. Not much hops to speak of. Hints of caramel, toffee, orange, and a little tartness. Some slight bitterness.

M - Quite smooth and a bit dry. Medium body to it. Very moderate carbonation.

D - For a 6.9% beer this drinks easily. Pretty nice and smooth. The problem I've got with this beer is it's strangeness in terms of style. It doesn't taste unique either, though...

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2009 04:36:36 | More by NightINgale

jneiswender

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured out of a 12oz bottle into a hotel water cup.

A-off-white head-very thick, gem brown amber body

S-toffee and fruit, raisin like

T-sweet malt front for most part with a bitter orange aftertaste

M-medium

D-very drinkable. Nice flavor overall but not a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2009 18:54:50 | More by jneiswender

OnThenIn

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: an inch and a half of slightly off white head that dissipates quickly. This brewery seems to struggle with good head retention. No lacing on the glass. The beer is a nice very dark copper, amber color.

Smell: There is a definite fruityness to the smell. It is quickly backed by some sweet malt aroma. There is some piney hop aroma but it was at the backed end of the full smell. There is a hint of alcohol.

Taste: Sweet malt with a fruity flavor and with a bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: This is a very nicely carbonated beer with a medium to full body. Really enjoyable mouthfeel.

Drinkability: This is a pretty decent beer, but its definitely enjoyable once in a while. The mouthfeel makes a deliciously drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2009 00:13:41 | More by OnThenIn

eat

Quebec (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've always thought this to be my favorite Boreal. When I was first getting away from macro beers I used to drink their rousse all the time but ended up getting really sick of it. Their blonde is nothing special while their white and stout are terrible. So I'm going to start with cuivree, the Boreal with the best chance of getting a good review.

Not a bad looking beer at all. Cuivree translates to "coppered" in English and they've got the colour right on; a bright, clear copper. It started off with a decent, creamy looking head and now has a respectable layer of foam with some lacing.

Strong wild-flower honey smell along with some yeast and light roasted malt. Not a bad smelling beer at all, though it's a little sweet.

Tastes almost exactly like it smells. A bit too much on the sweet side for my taste, but there's a nice honey flavour there along with some roasted malt. Not particularly well balanced; all malty-sweetness with almost no bitterness and absolutely no hops present. At 6.9% ABV, it's just as smooth as any of their standard 5% beers and sold at the same price. Not amazing in any way but if you have to drink Boreal, I think this still gets my vote as their best. Tastier and more potent than their other offerings; at the same price this is the one to buy.

Medium bodied with medium-high carbonation. Maybe a bit too carbonated but not a bad feel.

Yeah, this is drinkable. I hold a prejudice against Boreal since they're kind of like Quebec's Sleemans but this beer is pretty alright. For the price it's not a bad deal, especially with the 2% extra ABV for free.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2009 03:21:57 | More by eat

01121987

Quebec (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

pale-golden copper color
smells of caramel and faintly of fruit esters
tastes of sweet caramel and light esters in backround, a bit sweet. nice alcohol warmth.
smooth and sweet mouthfeel with little perceived bitterness
very drinkable but not my favorite beer.
i would not classify it as belgian in my book. some sort of strong ale.
probably wont buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2009 20:33:20 | More by 01121987

bloberglawp

Quebec (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is not a belgian style ale, get your facts right. This beer yells ESB.

Aroma of british malt, orange blossom honey and hints of pear. Flavor of pure malted barley with a firm
(but not overwhelmingly aromatic) bitter finish.

Think Fullers ESB when you try this one, its a awesome english styler strong ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2009 23:47:36 | More by bloberglawp

hopdog

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

341ml bottle shared courtesy of Josh. BB Apr '07.

Poured a medium to deeper golden color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of soem fruitiness, driied citrus rinds, and caramel. Tastes of caramel and lighter fruitiness.

Notes from 7/11/08.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2008 16:56:49 | More by hopdog

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The bottle says its malty, the name is Belgian. A decent little beer here. Pours whitish like a wheat beer and big white head. Aroma is a tad fruity and spicey. Easy mouthfeel, comes to a bit of funky yeast in the finish. Well quaffable.Not too sweet.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2008 01:20:04 | More by northyorksammy

albern

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Of the Boreale brand, this is the best offered. It is labeled as a strong Belgian, although that label is a bit of a stretch in my view.

This pours a clear amber with a white soapy head that dissipates quickly. There is little carbonation to this beer, it is a bit syrupy in consistency, and tastes a bit like a sweet bock.

There are sweet malts and warming alcohol in the nose. The taste is rum soaked sweet pineapple, there is some amberish tastes, slightly peaty as well. The beer takes on more Belgian characteristics as it settles where you will find more of a throaty sweet Belgian ale with a peppery finish. There is also some caramel in the taste.

Not a bad beer. I had this recently in Canada, and compared to most other brews up North, excluding of course Unibroue, this was one of the better brews off the shelf.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2008 09:58:52 | More by albern

simskl

Arizona

3.85/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured into a tall beer glass it gave a smallish head that receeded quite quickly. The color was very nice, copper/amber and clear.

S: The smell was clean, with only a hint of the hoppiness that I was hoping to get a sense of.

T: Taste was kind of malty (IMO), maybe it's the brewing style but I expected more of a hoppy bitterness than I got with it. Overall though it was very pleasant.

M: It wasn't as heavy as I expected, and dissapeared almost as soon as I swallowed. There was a hint of alcohol bite but not too much.

D: Very drinkable, for a 6.9% ABV, it went down a little too easily. I had to be careful not to overdo it.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2008 18:10:19 | More by simskl

toddsschneider

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A = coppery, small head, interesting and appealing
S = spicy, malty, but not hoppy, slightly alcoholic, seductive
T = sweet, not bitter, complex, not too strongly alcoholic, pleasant and fairly clean aftertaste
M = medium but pleasing, good carbonation
D = recommended, easily available in corner stores and supermarkets (Quebec). One is enough but tastes like more.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2007 23:11:06 | More by toddsschneider

JOaikido

Quebec (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Best before 21 December 2006 (notched).

A- Coppery-amber colour. Acceptable bubbliness. Smallish off-white head that settles rapidly to a thick ring and thin foam middle.

S- Malt, fruity notes, faint smokiness. Alcohol more and more noticeable as the beer warms.

T- Caramel malt. Yeasty taste (strong considering it is not bottle conditioned). Alcohol quite noticeable, but not bad. Mice maltiness, but the bitter aftertaste is a little off and doesn't mesh well with the rest.

MF- Soft, full mouthfeel. Possibly the beer's best quality. Makes it pleasant to sip.

D- Lack of balance, strong flavour and alcohol character combine to limit drinkability.

I enjoyed this beer, but less than I expected from past experience.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2006 16:39:04 | More by JOaikido

allergictomacros

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Clear copper, with a decent head. Recedes quickly barely leaving any lace. A touch too dark for a pale Belgian, IMO. Lively bubbles though, and not bottle refermented. Overall, looks inviting.

S - Strong sweet malt smell. A touch of grain and raisins.

T - Grainy, with a solid hop presence. Some toastiness too, but the bitterness is more hoppy than roasted. Not too sweet and some noticeable alcoholic flavours.

M - A little bit chewy. Kinda heavy actually.

D - Not a session brew. Tasty, probably good with a meal, but certainly a little on the heavy side.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2006 22:18:47 | More by allergictomacros

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.13/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Very clear amber topped by a thin lace of off-white head. Sweet, grainy malt aroma with some fruitiness, honey, and a bit of alcohol. Low bitterness with malt sweetness and a syrupy kind of sugary sweetness. A bit spicy, but this is quite subdued. Seems a little out of balance with too much sweetness. Very dry, slight grain astringency at the finish with just a hint of alcohol flavour and warmth. As it warms, a sugary stickiness appears in the finish as well. Carbonation is on the high side, but is well integrated as tiny bubbles.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2005 20:49:55 | More by DrJay

EMV

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This copper beer, at 6.9% alcohol, from Boreale, is definitely better than most of their line. Picked up in Montreal, this is a solid cut above the macro junk, if not up to Unibroue standards.

Appearance is a gorgeously hazy amber/copper beer, with about an inch and a half of head that fell pretty quickly. The smell is complex, with plenty of malt (no hops) and a woody/spicy aroma, and it's easy to tell why this is called Boreale "Copper".

The taste is sweet, pleasant, and the malt is very strong. The aftertaste is not bitter, and the flavour really hides the strong alcohol content. It would be quite easy to throw back a few too many of these in a short period of time. It's only 6.9%, but compared to US beer, it packs a punch. The carbonation is pleasant, without being overpowering, giving this one a good mouthfeel.

The drinkability is excellent, and I'd pay to have another one (one of the higher praises I can give a beer). Strong without being overpowering, with a more complex flavour than one would expect from a Boreale. Easily the pick of their litter, and a darned good beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2005 00:48:26 | More by EMV