Beer revew 9: "Porter Robuste"

A Porter with Chipotle Peppers.

I had my first Porter with my late father as a young adult of barely 18. We were in Ontario and after work he stopped at the local beer store and got several beers to try. The porter is what stood out in my mind. So dark and rich in flavour it almost tasted medecine-y.

I was almost hoping for that same taste I had many years ago, to see if my palate had developped an acquired taste for it. This was not that kind of porter.

First I must address the peppers. Yes it  has the benefit of giving the beverage a spicy kick after a swig. But what it also does is, is numb the palate to the other flavors. So, thought I enjoyed the novelty of the sensation in the carbonated drink, I also couldn't help feeling like I wasn't getting the full taste of this porter from the "Brasseurs du Monde" brewery. I could not pick up the subtleties of the beverage.

But perhaps that is the desired effect. A neat clean taste with a kick.

It plainly deserves it's name strictly on it's alcoholic content, which averages from 8.8 to 8.5%. But considering the addition of the chipotle peppers, even more so.

I did enjoy this porter. And since it was a 750 ml (26 oz) bottle I was glad it was not a waste (a good friend of mine deserves the credit for it's discovery as it was a gift). As an afterthought I believe that it would have been a good idea to have it with some mild cheese, such as cheese curds or a fine mozzarella.

You give it a try and let me know in the comments! 

Beer review 8: Équinoxe du Printemp

This a neat no-fooling-around, above average bitter beer.

Another great product from the brewery Dieu du Ciel.

With a 9.1% alcohol volume it is not to be trifled with. It demands something as exquisite as a dish fit for red wine. As such, it was served with a double smoked sausage calzone. As you can see it's main fermentable, was maple syrup. I can't say it was an obvious flavour in it but it was distinctively there. All and all it adds a faint "mineraly" taste to the final product that I always found refreshing and thirst quenching.

If you are not fond of IPAs (Indian pale ales) this might be a bit rough for your palate. On the other hand it may very well be one of the best ways to introduce yourself to IPAs.

I give it a solid 4 our 5 burps.