I.P.A
Micro-brasserie Saint-Arnould

An unusual bottle, bomber with a cemented shield of armour. A little label around the kneck. A slightly below average IPA however inside. The hop taste and aroma are there, its a bit aggressively carbonated. But it just doesn't satisfy.Orange-tangerine taste and aftertaste

bought when visitin montreal at a grocery store in verdun with an incredible beer selection

pours a dark orange/amber with red highlights, thin beige head dissipates quickly leaving light lacing as tiny bubbles rise to the top and collect on the sides

big hop aroma held up by faint citrus and berry notes with subtle wet meadow

dissapointingly flimsy mouthfeel due to the lack of strong malt backbone, big almost harsh bitter grassy flavor, like the flowery tartness that might remind a few of you of dandelions (if you ever tasted them as a kid)...theres a perfect word here that alludes me, a word that describes that sort of citrusy, flowery/perfumy bitterness you get from the rind/zest of a cirtus fruit...this beer is spot on that flavor

a drinkable and satisfying but very forgettable IPA

This brew is sold in a 750 ml champagne style bottle, foil wrapped crown and a generic heavy pewter insignia bearing the likeness of Saint Arnoldus is glued on the bottle... cost is $14.00 plus $2.50 deposit. Yet another example of over-the-top packaging which leads the buyer to expect a revelation from the gods.

Pours a warming deep caramel hue with raspberry highlights beneath a dense cap of beige foam that shows some tenacity as a random and gentle bead rises to replenish the head in a futile effort.

A blast of malt and hops laced with notes of caramel and fruit assaults the olfactory initially. Hints of freshly mown hay weave their way through the citrus complex midway but fail to dethrone the resurgent malt and resiney hops.

With such a powerful aroma profile, one would expect the flavours and mouthfeel to present an equally potent response, but this is not the case. The brew is on the dry side, teetering on watery. Notes of malted cereal open onto faint hints of caramel and hops but stop short. The finish is a long, biting, and complex bitterness with leafy notes intertwined. As the beer warms a gentle maltiness surfaces to lend some necessary balance to the whole, rendering it a pleasant experience.

If the brewer could offer this beer in 341 ml bottles I would surely return to this brew. In my opinion it has the attributes required to convert those not really into hoppier beers while containing enough complexity and appeal for those who are fully initiated BeerAdvocates.

Santé

SMD