La Huit
Microbrasserie Pit Caribou

 

This was a decent beer but the pinot barrels completely drowned out the base beer, making the porter notes almost untraceable. Huge vinous quality and oak from the barrel that are really all that you really get in this one. More balance could make this a really good beer.

The 3 is on the positive side, felt the pinot noir flavour was overkill. The acidity was too high in my opinion and felt like you were drinking an unfinished beer. Idea was good however, and obviously original.

 

 

 

Bottle: Poured a black color porter with a medium size brown foamy head with OK retention and some light lacing. Aroma of roasted malt with some vinous notes is intriguing. Taste is also a mix of roasted malt with light bitter notes with some vinous tart notes from the Pinot barrels. Body is lighter than expected with medium carbonation. Interesting mix of flavours but not something I would seek on a regular basis.

 

Service: Bottle

A:
Pours a thick black ink with a monstrous solid cap of brown cream that settles at a solid film. Pretty good retention; sticky rings of lacing. (4)

S:
Big nutty roast chocolate and wine. Nuts, smoke, red wine, woody, brown sugar, tart. (3.75)

T:
Roasty and slightly tart/fruity. Toasted nuts, coffee, some sticky sweetness, tannins, black tea and a pronounced sour cherry wine kind of flavor that rises at the end. (3.75)

M:
Thinnish and slightly astringent, active fine carbonation with a lingering tart/woody finish. (3.75)

O:
Pretty good, interesting beer.
The adjuncts (and there are a ton) don't come through that awful much in my opinion, but the figs and dates give kind of a sticky-sweet aromatic quality to it. Aside from that it is hard to taste past the wine barrel. It gets a little roastier as it warms but is definitely more sour and vinous than is is toasted, chocolatey, figous (?!) or smooth. Glad these guys have been around 8 years and I hope they are many more.
Probably wouldn't have again, though. (3.5)

Pitch black with a small creamy head. Really interesting nose. At first I get the brett yeasts then some dates and a subtle chocolate/cacao smell. Taste amazing, nice chocolate flavors with funky notes from the brett. Really good and suprisingly not really boozy for an aged beer.

A: black and capped by a thick mocha head of solid retention and thick lace.
S: moderately faint, but fortunately the kitchen sink doesn't come through. Mild roast, light dates, slightly vinous and musty, with a trace of wood.
T: a bit roasty sweet up front but a dry wine finish through and through with a fair linger.
M: Medium thick bodied with fairly low carbonation. A touch oily.
O: quite good and even a bit reminiscent of Isseki Nicho Pinot BA, if a bit more vinous and less yeasty.