Seigneuriale
La Brasserie Seigneriale

Wow, another awesome Qubecois brewing acheivment! This beer pours out a ruby red/brown colour with an off-white head that lasts and provides some awesome lacing as well. The aromas are not too strong, but I smell some wonderful fruits, fresh baked bread, spices (including cloves, coriander, cinnamon and more) pumpkin pie, and apple pie. The taste is wonderfully fruity and spicy. The spices hit up front with some wonderful sweet fruit notes in the middle, and a dry bready flavor in the finish. The mouthfeel is creamy and smooth. It is medium bodied-full and the drinkability is quite excellent! Wow, I've never really heard of this brew, but this is an awesome Quebec beer! Better than some of the best Belgian Strong Dark Ales! Thanks Martin!

Bottle: Poured a red colored beer with a huge head with excellent retention. Carbonation is perfect with lots of bubbles coming back on top minutes after the beer was poured. Aroma is comprised of a very enticing mix of spice and some sweet fruit such as orange. Wow, this one really does it for me and it’s a shame that this brewery was bought by Sleeman and those are the last bottle we will see.

Pours out a wonderful cloudy brown with a big fluffy off-white head. Woah! This tastes way better than I expected! Very smooth. Has a big malty goodness to it. Touch of fruity, but not over the top as is the case with many dark belgian style ales. Very well balanced. I am so glad that I picked this brew up in Montreal. I look forward to trying the other Seigneuriale beers on my next visit.

Came in a 500 ml brown bottle. Best before date on the side of the label (which I failed to notice until AFTER I bought it) clearly states best before 2001. It's a 7.5% abv ale 2 and a half years past that time, but I shall review it for the sake of science, after stating the above conditions.

Pours out a very pleasant looking hazed orangy amber, decent off white head that recedes to a thin ring. Nose is fantastic after all of these years, bready caramel malt, cirtus, sour cherry, light spices. Flavour is still retained, however I sense that it has mellowed out over time. Citrus and coriander hit the palate first, a little sourness, definitely some pumpkin, with a bready malt finish. Mouthfeel is somewhat watery and oily at the same time (odd combination). Not bad at all for an ale past its prime, I bet it was quite something in it's heyday. Plus I'll be far more careful to pay attention next time I am buying new beer, this just happened to be a happy accident.