Brasserie Des Rocs Triple Impériale

Grade: C

A couple of weeks ago, my town was one of many who lost power due to the snowstorm here in the Northeast.  Five plus inches of snow in October?  Unreal.  Fall is my favorite time of the year and I was feeling like we got cheated.  After spending the first evening with my family having breakfast for dinner and playing board games by candlelight, we realised that our power wasn't coming on for a while.  Lucky for us, we had friends and family who were not affected by storm and lived close by.

Why the long intro?  Well, because before we left the house for our first night (of two) at a friend's place in Summit, I decided to go to my cellar and pull something out that I had yet to try.  After rooting around for a few minutes, I decided on the Brasserie Des Rocs Triple Impériale that I've had down there for about 4 months. 

After a dinner, I got it out and shared it with my hosts.  It had great online reviews and we all were looking forward to a nice after dinner drink by the fireplace.  Unfortunately, we were all a bit dissatisfied.  Full disclosure: on the drive over, the bottle tipped over (unknowingly) and spent about 15 minutes on its side.  That may or may not have disturbed the sediment and impacted the taste. 

Appearance: Dark amber with a great deal of suspended sediment.  It was so carbonated that upon opening, the beer came spilling out.

Smell:  Fermented fruitcake (a group description), prunes, alcohol and rum.  As it warmed, I could detect spices and malt.

Taste: Probably the most disappointing aspect.  Sour prunes, yeast and dates.  A very medicinal aftertaste with only the taste of dates saving it from total disaster.  Even after warming, the sour flavors seem to dominate.

Mouthfeel: Very carbonated and medium-bodied.  The texture is probably the best thing about this beer and kept me sipping.  My hosts, however, were not as determined.

Overall:  One of my hosts kept mentioning that maybe it was a bad bottle and possibly skunked.  It wasn't until later on that I realized that the bottle was on its side on the ride over.  Perhaps a combination of both?  Either way, this was a beer that did not live up to expectations.  The sour, medicinal taste really turned me off.  Nonetheless, it didn't dissuade me from getting another bottle to test out our theory.  It will be a while before I try it again...

Founders Breakfast Stout (2011)

Grade: A+

My first review and I have to start off with a classic from one of my favorite breweries!  Founders holds a special place in my heart as their beers have really gotten me interested in drinking and collecting craft beer.  I've had this stout many, many times before and will (at some point) review last year's batch for a comparison.  Enough of the small talk, let's get down to it:

Appearance: pitch black with a good two finger mocha head.  Moderate lacing as you go on.  Lovely to look at!

Smell:  Smokey coffee and chocolate.  As it warms and with a bit of agitation, I pick up more chocolate (mocha?).  Faintly boozy.  Can't wait to sip...

Taste: Follows the nose.  Chocolate and coffee up front with a slightly bitter aftertaste.  Very smooth.  The finish is dry.  The lingering taste of chocolate and coffee is extremely pleasant and forces you to take small sips and savor.

Mouthfeel: Again, very smooth and silky.  The light carbonation adds to the smoothness.  It's a beer than you'll find yourself rolling around your mouth before swallowing as it coats the tongue nicely with that smokey chocolate flavor.

Overall:  Probably my in top five of all-time favorite beers.  It's a very balanced beer.  The flavors are very distinct and present but the overall effect is very subtle.  At 8.3% ABV, it goes down surprisingly well.  If you're lucky enough to find some, buy multiples and try to age a few.  Look forward to my review of last year's batch.  Enjoy!