Vapeur Cochonne - Brasserie à Vapeur

Cozzatoad

Italy

3.53/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

330ml cochonnette bottle, best before november 2012

A- Pours a murky light brown colour. One finger of quite dense and nicely persistent slightly off-white head, nice amounts of lacing on the sides of the glass

S- Dark fruits aroma, with a bit of spiciness to it, among a quite earthy yeast/brown sugar feel. A hint of acidity may be detected on the back of things. Lively and fresh aroma

T- Very much yeast-forward with a distinct earthy feel and some notes of brown sugar. Some plain alcoholic notes and a bit of estery spiciness bring a bit of a rum-like feel. Some dark fruit notes on the back of things, not as vivid as in the aroma though. Slighlty acidic (not so distantly reminds of a flanders red ale) as the smell suggested, but it a way that does not really fit with the beer's overall feel. Very flavourful, but flavours are not well integrated. I can't even say that they may have not yet mellowed, cause the beer is actually quite close to it's best before date

M- Medium body. Low carbonation but still a bit crisp on the tongue with what seems to be sugar. A slightly tart finish hides flavours in the aftertaste. Odd

O- A very flavourful and actually quite interesting beer. The 9%ABV is quite nicely hidden but as already mentioned flavours have just not mellowed. It's a bit of a mess and also feels quite heavy on the stomach with dominant yeast. A lucky bottle could be a great pick though

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 11:08:55 | More by Cozzatoad

oglmcdgl

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +19.4%

05-09-2013 16:01:19 | More by oglmcdgl

SStein

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +11.9%

04-18-2013 07:28:12 | More by SStein

jfmorey

Virginia

1.9/5  rDev -43.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

On tap at Pizzeria Paradiso in Georgetown (DC).

I do not understand calling this a Belgian Strong, a style that I have always enjoyed. The appearance was not bad, a hazy orange amber, and the smell was tart and funky, not unusual for a Belgian.

The real disclaimer that I must make is that this review is based upon only two sips, I could go no further. The predominant flavor was spoiled orange peel. Reminded me of the oranges with cloves stuck in them used as home-made room deodorizers when I was a kid; strong enough to smell up an entire room.

Now looking at the other reviews, and the variation in description of color and taste, I have to wonder if this is the same beer everyone else drank.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2013 03:34:54 | More by jfmorey

beernads

Florida

2.75/5  rDev -17.9%

04-11-2013 05:48:54 | More by beernads

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +30.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

A - Murky brown body, thin carbonation on top. Brown soot on the bottom, swilled and poured.

S - Tangy, fruity esters, aromas of apple butter and fig newtons. Carmel mineral water.

T - Good complexity with flavors of apple skin, wild cherry, honey, apple butter and dry wood. A certain mineral twang, sweet, tangy and metallic.

M - Fizzy carbonation, medium body, clean the whole way through.

O - A wonderful beer; complex yet clean, fruity and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 23:51:39 | More by BeerForMuscle

huysmans

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +19.4%

04-04-2013 11:56:34 | More by huysmans

jmann40

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -25.4%

03-03-2013 03:03:24 | More by jmann40

Phillyz

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +11.9%

02-12-2013 21:19:07 | More by Phillyz

vicsju1991

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +19.4%

02-09-2013 03:22:41 | More by vicsju1991

poiuytr

Virginia

5/5  rDev +49.3%

02-08-2013 04:43:36 | More by poiuytr

flagmantho

Washington

3.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from 330mL bottle into a tulip.

Appearance: whoa nelly! Despite being properly refrigerated and gingerly handled, this beer started outgassing and exploding immediately upon opening. Definitely one of the fizziest beers I've encountered. Upon pouring, I got mostly a big, frothy foam; inconvenient, but at least it dissipated somewhat quickly. Body is a hazy, medium-dark brown. Good color, but despite its huge original size, the head neither stuck around nor left much of a lace on the glass.

Smell: sweet caramel malt with a hint of fruitiness and a tart bite. I don't know if this is a bottle infection or an intended aspect of the beer, but I find I like it. It reminds me of a nice Flanders oud bruin.

Taste: dark caramel malt with dark fruit flavors: plum, cherry, raisin. The tartness is here but it's much, much more subdued than the aroma; plus, there is a definite alcohol bite. This beer is a bit of an odd duck, but I find I like it.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body, but despite its prolific outgassing this beer has a massive carbonation and fluffs up to a light foam the moment it hits my tongue. Despite this mammoth creaminess, it's also both quite light and evanescent, which makes the creaminess not as satisfying as it could be.

Overall: a weird beer that is pretty decent. It's worth a try if you are a fan of the style, but it's probably not a good introductory point for those interested in BSDAs.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 16:20:50 | More by flagmantho

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.81/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Beer is reddish amber, with an enormous light tan head. I can't even pour that much of the bottle until the head has taken up the entire glass. A little ridiculous. Fades steadily but not quickly.

Smell contains cherry. other dark fruits and some sweet malt. Some Belgian yeast as well.

Taste is quite fruity, with cherry, orange and apple. Sweet caramel malt. Bready. Some coriander. Despite the sweetness, there is a pronounced dry side to the beer. Yeast is there as well. A bit of booze.

Medium bodied and hugely carbonated. Very active in the mouth. Almost like pop rocks. Distracting.

Overall, a bit unusual but fairly good. I am surprised by all the negative reviews here for this one. It is not a world-class beer, but it is pretty good and I enjoyed the bottle I had.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 21:52:15 | More by jrenihan

yamar68

Minnesota

4.04/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

1996 vintage - the same year that:
- eBay was launched
- "Wannabe" by The Spice Girls was no. 1 on the US music charts
- gas cost $1.22 per gallon

The bottle is definitely showing it's age... cap is covered in rust and the cork is beginning to disintegrate but still manages to produce a quiet "pop." It pours out a nice looking burnt tangerine colored body, producing a thin beige collar that actually leaves behind a bit of lace with some booze oil. It looks as though this particular bottle fared better than many of its brothers and sisters. So far so good.

As others have noted, this has taken a distinctively tart direction. Apple skins, wet hay bales, some tart pear qualities. A bit of oxidation is also beginning to surface, like soggy newspaper. Lemongrass and some more of those pale fruits. A faint skeleton of caramel malt is buried deep beneath all of that.

Not quite as focused on the palate. Tart apple cider character blended with pear or peach juice - maybe even a bit of pineapple as well. I was worried that some of those spices would still be hanging around to sabotage the unexpectedly tart palate. Instead, it finishes up nice and dry with some mellow chardonnay flavors and apple skin. I can't see this one improving but if you've got one sitting around, don't hesitate to open it up - very unique stuff at this point.

As you might expect, the first taste caught me completely off guard. But as I sit here nursing the bottle, it's definitely growing on me.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 01:10:04 | More by yamar68

laurastradford

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +19.4%

12-16-2012 20:12:13 | More by laurastradford

cliff1066

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -3%

12-10-2012 05:07:02 | More by cliff1066

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Going into this beer knowing its a sour Belgium ale (based on other reviews)
Picked up an old bottle for 6 bucks at the House of 1,000 beers

A - Even though it's old its still lively with carbonation. Bubbles throughout form a 1/4 inch of off white head that reduces to a thick lace ring. Color is a Hazy dark amber brown with no sediment (always good)

S - Smell is a bit funky with a weird vinegar like malt sweetness. Yeasts do smell rather fruity. Smells like an amp'd up Flanders brown ale.

T - Not as tart as I expected. The work "musky" comes to mind on first taste like wet cardboard. Flavors then take a turn for sweet with chocolate like malts and some bread that finish with a slight woody taste.

M - Goes down rather easy giving me a sort of sour cherry like bite. ABV is well concealed.

Overall an interesting brew which is not too big on taste yet smooth enough to drink with no off flavors. No where worth 12 bucks a bottle but interesting enough to try for 6 bucks.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 00:32:12 | More by DrDemento456

kbrown

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +11.9%

10-04-2012 00:41:29 | More by kbrown

yossarian14

Massachusetts

2.25/5  rDev -32.8%

09-12-2012 16:47:02 | More by yossarian14

t0rin0

California

3.5/5  rDev +4.5%

08-29-2012 01:52:59 | More by t0rin0

mlazzaro

Massachusetts

3.1/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

750ml bottle.
Unique amber/rose color. Khaki colored head that holds up just so-so. Good looking beer though.

Smells a lot like raisins - ripened fruit. Mostly yeast aroma. Mixed with some darker caramel malts. Bit of spice a fig notes as well.

Sweetness front sip and yeast flavored end. Kind of taste like barley pops- the lobster ones if your from New England. Alcohol is present. Aftertaste is acidic and slightly odd.

Not my favorite Belgian beer. I found myself not wanting to finish the glass. Never had another quite like it though, and there is something to be said for that.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 02:02:43 | More by mlazzaro

djrn2

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -10.4%

08-25-2012 21:48:29 | More by djrn2

illini4x4

2.25/5  rDev -32.8%

08-08-2012 03:01:45 | More by illini4x4

WilstonOreo

Germany

3.75/5  rDev +11.9%

07-22-2012 22:54:04 | More by WilstonOreo

harpus

Alabama

3.5/5  rDev +4.5%

07-22-2012 16:09:27 | More by harpus