Mea Magna Culpa
Les Brasseurs Du Temps

Mea Magna CulpaMea Magna Culpa
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From:
Les Brasseurs Du Temps
 
Quebec, Canada
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
9%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.8 | pDev: 12.11%
Reviews:
6
Ratings:
16
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 14, 2018
Added:
Nov 14, 2010
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  4
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Ultrarunner100:
Photo of Ultrarunner100
Rated by Ultrarunner100 from Canada (ON)

3.81/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

May 10, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of TheBierdimpfe
Reviewed by TheBierdimpfe from Canada (QC)

4.19/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Veiled copper color with moderate activity. Creamy and frothy dark beige 3-4 finger head, lasting around 15 minutes, with strong legs and good swirl reaction. Flavors of butterscotch, dark grains, raisins, orange, molasses, and herbal hops. Slick and creamy medium to full body with prickly carbonation. Medium to strong strength finish with a light barrel aged effect. Quite fruity and sugary, less hoppy and bitter. Good freshness while warming and delicious. Great balance and intensity. Overall excellent quality craft.
Mar 14, 2018
Photo of biegaman
Reviewed by biegaman from Canada (ON)

3.92/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Mea Magna Culpa translates from the Latin as "my big fault" but frankly it couldn't look more perfect; its dim but gleaming to the light candy-apple red colour is desirable for a barleywine and the thick, tenacious head isn't just becoming but unusual for a beer of this strength. I'd want to be the one taking credit for something that looks like this!

The aroma is textbook barleywine: rich, intoxicatingly smooth and slightly sweet. The impressions of dried figs, dates, and prunes are vivid - it's an invitation to indulge. The enticing caramel malt flavours are just that, providing even more ammunition for this spicy-sweet bouquet to seduce. If I wasn't light-headed before I certainly am now...

The flavour is not for the faint of heart; prune-y, figgy, bruised plum and dried cherry fruit flavours abound along with a puff of cinnamon powder and teaspoon of chestnut honey. It's the kind of thing you'll want to hog all to yourself but is definitely best shared with buddies; it's not heavy or excessive but you'll probably need help with the 750ml.

Mea Magna Culpa has the charm and sweet caramelly/fruity kisses to be playful and seductive but also the intense dried fruit and impressionably rich flavours to be taken seriously. The year-and-a-half aging this bottle was afforded did little to diminish the intense flavours but allowed for more integration between hop and malt; it's a great candidate for the cellar.

I can't speak to what Brasseurs Du Temps was like 5 years ago but at least since 2015 when I've been visiting there they've had an excellent brewer, constantly evolving lineup and bottle shop full of age-worthy offerings. Mea Magna Culpa is certainly among those and speaks to the high-standards I've come to expect from these guys.
Dec 22, 2016
 
Rated: 3.67 by Coronaeus from Canada (ON)

Apr 02, 2016
 
Rated: 2.96 by Triat00 from Canada (QC)

Nov 17, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by groleau from Canada (QC)

Oct 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by koopa from New Jersey

Nov 25, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Whatup14 from Canada (QC)

Apr 17, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by phirleh from Canada (ON)

Apr 04, 2013
 
Rated: 2.75 by Yoozeo from Canada (ON)

Jan 03, 2013
Photo of wordemupg
Reviewed by wordemupg from Canada (AB)

4.3/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
750ml bottle poured into tulip 15/9/12 thanks unibroue4ever for the bottle

A murky dark amber with a few very slow bubbles but I have a feeling there's more bubbles then I can see because a massive dense light tan foam just sits there. After several minuets the foam falls but not before leaving 5 distinct rings and lots of random patches afterwords. pretty sexy looking barley wine

S sweet brown sugar in all its forms, caramels are strong with this one, all sorts of sweet malts with some dried fruit and faint citrus, there's some sweet orange peel and more caramelized sugar. faded hops from a year in the bottle but it still adds complexity too the burnt sugars and keeps the sweet malts from completely running away with this one

T flavors are similar but not as strong as the nose, some mandarin orange and faint tangerine are quickly overwhelmed by the massive amounts of caramels, the amount of tasty sugars impresses almost as much as the complete lack of booze

M thick, syrupy, sticky and the bubbles react slowly but give a nice creamy feel after a couple seconds. dried fruit and caramels linger and I'm still waiting for the booze

O doing great for having a year on it, mellow as can be with zero booze, and I mean 0, looks great, smells awesome and tastes pretty solid. I could drink myself stupid with this one as its going down like water.... water that fills you up that is

Wow, what a pleasant surprise from an obscure brewer I need too a explore in great detail. Not the Mea Culpa I was expecting (thought I was getting DDC, didn't think there was more then one of the same name) but not in the least disappointed. Thanks again Yannick for this hidden gem I'd never have tried otherwise.
Sep 16, 2012
Photo of bylerteck
Reviewed by bylerteck from Canada (ON)

4.19/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Half pint at the brewpub. From notes.

A - Poured amber with a slight haze. No visible carbonation, one finger of tan head with good lace and half finger of retention.

S - A very inviting blend of raisins, port, sugar, and dark fruits. Very rich smelling. Perhaps some caramel too.

T - Dark fruit, sugar, raisins, some hops, orange, and port. Caramel is there in the background again but the taste is very much a combo of great fruit notes and sweet malts with a definite hop presence.

M - Smooth. Good carbonation, full body with a sweet finish that leads to a hop bit.

O/D - Nice. Very tasty and easy to drink. Smooth and complex, while blending all flavours in balance. A great barleywine.
Jan 29, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by unibroue4ever from Canada (QC)

Jan 23, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by oldp0rt from Canada (QC)

Jan 16, 2012
Photo of Phyl21ca
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

3.65/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Tap: Poured a cloudy beige/orangey color ale with a large frothy head with some retention and light lacing. Aroma of citrus and bitter notes are quite dominant with a non-descript malt backbone. Taste is also dominated by loads of green hops with distinctive notes of pine and citrus/grapefruit. Malt backbone is present though not very expressive. Body is quite full with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol since there is so much hops. Well brewed though I like my barley wine more on the English side with less hops.
Feb 06, 2011
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.62/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Enjoyed on tap at the BDT brewpub. Hits the style though not extraordinary. Barleywine aroma. Average mouthfeel. Lacey. Some bitterness,mostly sweetish, would like more presence of hops or more rich malting.Mild spicieness. Some ageing, perhaps?Worth having.
Nov 14, 2010
Mea Magna Culpa from Les Brasseurs Du Temps
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 16 ratings