La Vache Folle Imperial IPA - Mélange D'Hiver
Microbrasserie Charlevoix

La Vache Folle Imperial IPA - Mélange D'HiverLa Vache Folle Imperial IPA - Mélange D'Hiver
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From:
Microbrasserie Charlevoix
 
Quebec, Canada
Style:
Imperial IPA
ABV:
10%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.52 | pDev: 16.76%
Reviews:
5
Ratings:
11
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 10, 2015
Added:
Dec 04, 2014
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BrunoPettipas:
Photo of BrunoPettipas
Rated by BrunoPettipas from Canada (QC)

3.65/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Apr 09, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of johnnnniee
Reviewed by johnnnniee from New Hampshire

3.03/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
Bottle served at the brewpub.
Fairly sweet caramel maltiness with hints of hop flavor and aroma. Oh I see, this was bottled in November, yeah maybe thats why.
Jul 10, 2015
Photo of Haydn-Juby
Reviewed by Haydn-Juby from Vermont

1.89/5  rDev -46.3%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 2
Note: Take this review lightly; I opened the beer almost 5 month after it was bottled.

L: Hazy orange. Some visible sediment. Looked rather viscous on the pour. About a finger of head.

S: A bit of sweet malt, and if you really look for it, some hops.

T: Intensely bitter with no hop flavor and minimal malt flavor. It's slightly sweet but more of just a crazily bitter alcoholic mess. I didn't get any real hop flavor. Really just gross. Maybe a bit of citrus, but it's more or less beat into submission by the bitterness and astringent alcohol flavors.

F: Thick, almost chewy. I read on the back it had 83% attenuation, but it was still pretty syrupy.

O: I hated this so much I drain poured after 4-5 sips. I absolutely love this brewery but this was just vile. I was probably just to old. I still highly recommend that people try other beers from this brewer, it's a real Quebec legend, but steer clear from this one if it's not fresh.
Mar 29, 2015
Photo of Phyl21ca
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

3.73/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Bottle: Poured a clear deep copper color ale with a large foamy head with OK retention and minimal lacing. Aroma of light earthy hops with some citrus notes and some caramel malt notes are also perceptible. Taste is also dominated by some sweet caramel malt with some earthy and citrusy hops notes. Hops notes are pretty tame and malt backbone actually dominated this mix which ends up tasting more like a barleywine than an IIPA. Body is light for style with good carbonation. Off for the style but still an enjoyable beer.
Jan 04, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by Socialiste from Canada (QC)

Jan 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by TimWakimika from Canada (QC)

Dec 27, 2014
 
Rated: 3.46 by groleau from Canada (QC)

Dec 21, 2014
Photo of papat444
Reviewed by papat444 from Canada (QC)

3.48/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
Poured from a 500ml bottle, bottled Nov. 19, 2014.

Dark orange body, candied hop aroma. Cinnamon and spices hit first, also candied sugar but not much hops. Not really a hoppy DIPA (or even a DIPA IMO). Veers more towards a winter warmer. Good but nothing more.
Dec 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Mack from Canada (QC)

Dec 14, 2014
 
Rated: 3.85 by mtomlins from Canada (ON)

Dec 09, 2014
Photo of TheDoctor
Reviewed by TheDoctor from Canada (QC)

3.62/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
SERVING: Bottle
Bottled on: 11-19-2014 (Consumed 12-3)


A:
Pours an orange gold with a little haze and 2 fingers of soft beige head that gassily drops to an eneven film. Meh retention; no lacing to speak of. (3.75)

S:
Sweet and herbal. Sweet tea, leafy hops, licorice, baking spices, medicinal hops, some diacetyl. (3.5)

T:
Sweet and dusty. Black tea, brown sugar, herbal/medicinal hops, rum, some diacetyl. (3.75)

M:
Coating, slick, tingly little bubbles, medium-full body, slow and mellow finish with lingering medicinal twinge. (3.5)

O:
Pretty okay beer in some respects.
That said, I would never peg it as an IIPA if the label hadn't told me it was.
Based on my reading of the BJCP guidelines it is a pretty straightforward English Barleywine. The ratings here are as an IIPA. As a Barleywine if might score a little higher on mouthfeel and taste, but probably not tons.
Pours alright although the head evaporates pretty quick (not so bad since it is 10%, I suppose). The nose is spiced and über sweet right off the bat and both it and the flavor follow suit with the Demerara sugar definitely being center stage. There is a pretty strongly bitter medicinal, herbal, earthy hop character throughout. The alcohol is also fairly prominent.
Drinks all right enough, but the pill bitterness and slight booziness kind of wore me down after a while. I would be genuinely curious to see how this aged.
Upon first seeing it I was shocked at the idea of a Christmas IIPA, but here we are and I'd be lying if I said it didn't taste like winter. Good, but not what I was expecting. Worth a shot, but don't expect a bone-dry citrusy hop bomb... (3.5)

**On a personal note, this beer made me consult the style guide and has given me a new found appreciation for how close (stylistically) IIPAs and Barleywines can be.**
Dec 04, 2014
La Vache Folle Imperial IPA - Mélange D'Hiver from Microbrasserie Charlevoix
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 11 ratings