Hors Série Double IPA Bavaroise
Les Trois Mousquetaires

Serving: Bottle
Bottled: Mar-15-2017


A:
Pours  a bright chamomile yellow with 3+ fingers of active snow white head that eases down to a chunky film.  Decent retention; swooping streaks of lacing. (4)

S:
Citrus soaked animal crackers dropped on the first floor.  Orange/lemon, musty pine needles, sweet tarts, hint of pot, funky white wine barrel. (4)

T:
Bitter but not, aromatic, bright. Earthy with a lot of the same from the nose. There is a kind of funky wineish almost astringent character in the finish. (4)

M:
Fairly substantial body, medium carbonation with a lingering hop oil finish. (4)

O:
This is a very different, drinkable, aromatic IPA.
It looks nice and inviting, with an ample white head that settles down eventually and a bright yellow-straw kind of color. The beer itself has a nice feel to it and a noticeable malt middle. The hops give it a bright funky floral aroma and the flavor follows suit. There is some white wine/pseudo-funk character as well which goes well with the rest but is a little different. As it warms a little a there is a little hint of flower-wine warmth that comes out (by the end this was a touch distracting so I shaved off .25 from my original overall). It is not the best or worst I have ever had. It  is a well-made, to-style IPA with novel hops that are not what you'd expect.
Would have again. (4)

 

 

 

Slightly hazy dark straw color with low activity. Gets cloudy with the yeast pour. Foamy and softly frothy white 3 finger sparkling head, lasting around 15 minutes, with okay legs and a good swirl effect. Flavors of mangos, pineapples, orange, grapefruits, pepper, soft clove, banana yeast, wheat and floral hops. Thick and smooth oily full body with sharp and extra crispy carbonation. Medium to strong strength finish, quite balanced and accessible at first while getting more tropical, citrusy and piney as the yeast is poured. The fruit flavors are deeply rich and the floral dry hops bouquet impressive. Great complexity and damn delicious. Very fresh yet filling. Solid double IPA with the intensity of a single, overall this is a superb quality craft. Highly recommended, almost as good as their Signature IPA.

From a 750ml bottle, corked-and-caged, dated 15-03-2017. Served in an outsized tulip. (Hardest cork-pull ever - ended up having to use a corkscrew and then a box-cutter to cut the cork off the corkscrew).

Pours a just barely cold-hazed, champagne-straw colour with two-plus fingers of soapy, cream-coloured head. Retention is very good leaving a solid cap of bubbly suds and a few clumps of lacing.

Faint nose of clean cereal malts, orchard fruits and grassy herbs.

First impression is that it tastes like chamomile tea. Grassy and herbal as all get-out. White bread toast, peach, apple, lemon peel and hay. Nice malty undercarriage. Finishes with some bitter, grassy herbs, a little sweet white wine and a nice, yeasty funk. Zero detectable alcohol.

Feel is clean and semi-dry, smooth, medium bodied and well carbonated.

Overall, an unusual, unique and very enjoyable beverage - sort of a hybrid between a pale ale and a nice sauvignon blanc. I enjoyed the bejeezus out of it and I'd love to have it again.

Bottle: Poured a slightly hazy blonde color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of dry floral hops notes with light grassy undertones is quite pleasant. Taste is a mix of dry floral hops notes with some light grassy undertones which are quite pleasant. Light residual sugar notes can also be detected. Body is about average with good carbonation. Enjoyable with an interesting use of lesser known hops.

 

A: Pours a pale yellow color, fully translucent, with a pure white head. Very little retention or lacing despite the ABV.

S: Smells quite exotic with papaya, passionfruit and ripe pineapple. Some light simple sweetness is definitely there, just the right amount for a DIPA. There is a light medicinal smell in there that is a bit unexpected.

T: Taste is a bit bland if you ask me. Everything is there, there are exotic fruits, a little sweetness, it's super refreshing, but the taste is just too light for the genre. It's not bad for sure, it's just underwhelming.

M: Mouthfeel is correct for the genre. A tiny bit too sticky if you ask me, but it is light with a nice soft carbonation.

O: This is a good beer, that's for sure. I just expected more from LTM. I wonder if their American DIPA is closer to what I expected.