IPA Classique

Whole Foods, DC six-pack ($8): I saw this was marked down from $20 to $8 and figured I would give it a try seeing as Quebec beers have a generally good reputation. It pours almost like a brown ale; ’tis definitely on the dark side of IPAs. Has a tan head. Aroma is all caramel malt. Taste is really on the malty side for an IPA. There are sweet notes involved, along with some bubblegum like flavors. A little off it seems. There are hops, but not enough of them to correctly counterbalance the extreme maltiness. For like an India Brown Ale than a proper IPA. Unfortunately, this was a disappointment.

First of two IPAs rating of the night (the other being Le Bilboquet Colonel Cornwallis). I really like the labels of this brewery: simple, loads of good information and all of the Simple Malt have a consistent look. Pours a copper-amber colour with a big beige creamy head that stays a while a leaves lacing everywhere. Carbonation is to a bare minimum with tiny-tiny little bubbles here and there. Not as hoppy as I thought for the smell, but it is there with some notes of nuts and roasted malt. Smooth mouthfeel with a medium body. I do like the taste with a good balance between the hop bitterness and the burnt of the roasted malt in the finish. The smoke really lingers into the aftertaste and stays on the tongue quite long. So, not a crazy bitter IPA, but not a watery one either, just well brewed right in the middle.

Bottle courtesy of Butters on 07/12/2010. Clear deep amber body with a small rocky white head. Sweet caramel and earthy hop aroma. Sweet earthy and toasty malt flavor, some caramel, with an earthy hop background. Medium body with moderately low carbonation.

Bottle, $2.49 from Beer Run, Charlottesville. Pours brown with an inch of fluffy off-white head. Much darker than the traditional IPA. Sour citrus in the nose followed by a light floral aroma and slight grapefruit. Flavor of bittersweet grapefruit and light pine. This is tasty.

Location: 12 oz bottle from Norm's, 1/26/10

Aroma: Resiny pine, grapefruit, and caramel on the nose
Appearance: Pours a burnt orange color with a fizzy off-white head
Flavor: Taste is resiny, light-medium sweet and medium bitter
Palate: Fairly smooth, medium body, a nice creamy mouthfeel
Overall Impression: I liked this beer, a nice resiny IPA with a solid amount of caramel/toffee malts to balance it out. I really felt like this one worked pretty well, though it is not a bitter American IPA, it is a rather nice beer. I would definitely drink this one again.

Bouteille 341ml. De couleur ambrée et claire. Nez malté de caramel avec des notes de noix, de biscuits et de pain, de houblon herbeux, moyennement floral et aux notes terreuses et citriques ainsi que des notes fruitées (agrumes). Moyenne-ronde en bouche avec un pétillement moyen et une texture légèrement crémeuse et aux petites notes huileuses. Goût moyennement amer de houblon légèrement floral et auxc notes citriuques (pamplemousse, une amertume présente toute la gorgée) accompagné de notes fruitées (agrumes) et de traces de légumes bouillis lors de l’entrée en bouche auquel se rajoute rapidement un goût malté de caramel aux petites notes rôties et terreuses, un léger goût de toffee avec des notes de biscuits puis en finale l’on assiste à un regain d’amertume de houblon plus herbeux (herbes fraîches et mouillées) avec un léger goût de noix asséchant. Post-goût moyen-long et aux notes sèches, moyennement amer de houblon herbeux et aux notes florales et citriques avec des notes de noix et de zest d’agrumes.

Deep copper coloured body, almost cola coloured and a very thin tan head with a fast-fading top and a deep brown tint - odd for the style. Aroma of caramel, nuts, malt and a bunch of hops - not the predominant smell though! Medium-bodied; Nutty and chewy texture at first showing deep malt notes, caramel and nuts throughout. Aftertaste has some of the grapefruit and floral hop bitterness, but more caramel and malt flavours emerge. Overall, definitely an IPA bordering on the malt side of things, with less reliance on hops, but also showing caramel, burnt sugars and a ton of nuts too. Decent, but nothing great, but this is what I’ve come to expect from Canadian IPAs. I sampled this 341 mL bottle purchased on THIS side of the border at Norm’s in Vienna, Virginia on 02-October-2009, sampled at home in Washington on 10-December-2009. A great beer to try without having to goto Montreal or Quebec to grab it!

Bottle: Poured a deep copper color ale with a medium foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of floral hops with deep rich caramel malt is quite pleasing. Taste is also more oriented towards caramel malt and floral hops then most other IPA out there. Body is about average with good carbonation. This one is a lot more geared toward floral notes then an actual hops bomb I usually taste – well done and definitively something I could drink a couple in a sitting.

12 ounce bottle from Market Street Wine Shop, Uptown, Charlottesville, VA. Pours a clear copper color with a thin head. Fair head retention and lacing. Aroma is caramel, toasted malts and leafy, citrus and floral hop notes. Taste is bitter resinous hops with slight metallic and citrus notes along with caramel malts. Tart finish. Medium bodied. Interesting.