La Vache Folle Double IPA - Amarillo
Microbrasserie Charlevoix

La Vache Folle Double IPA - AmarilloLa Vache Folle Double IPA - Amarillo
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From:
Microbrasserie Charlevoix
 
Quebec, Canada
Style:
Imperial IPA
ABV:
9%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.08 | pDev: 10.54%
Reviews:
26
Ratings:
35
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 23, 2016
Added:
Mar 12, 2010
Wants:
  11
Gots:
  3
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by theDuck:
Photo of theDuck
Rated by theDuck from Canada (QC)

4.65/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Dec 29, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of Shanex
Reviewed by Shanex from France

4.09/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A great Canadian ipa..purchased online as it's not on the shelves here. Easily drinkable despite a high ABV, though it was shipped here so it wasn't exactly fresh, expensive too obviously. But worth it even for Europeans.
Nov 23, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by SmithyAlan from Canada (QC)

Sep 26, 2016
 
Rated: 3 by -chii- from Canada (QC)

May 23, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by GoHabsGo from Canada (ON)

May 09, 2016
Photo of DaveBar
Reviewed by DaveBar from Canada (ON)

4.59/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Purchased at Depanneur AS in Montreal for $5.00 for a 473ml bottle. Served at 4deg C in a draught glass

A- Opens well and pours a 1/2" high white head that is gone in seconds. Medium gold colour and filtered clear

S- A ton of hops and malt

T- Hops galore. You can tell this is a IIPA and the single branded hop variety is nice. Amarillo is a good bitter hop and I like it. An American IPA base hop all the way. Mix it with a C hop and here you go. Sweet at the end.

M- Super tart and sickly sweet mouth

O- Nice brew. Will buy again if I see it. These guys brew good brews.

Food Pairing

This wonderful brew went well with...... Pretzels- hot and large fresh baked ones. Not the ones in a bag at the grocery store. I mean fresh baked ones. A touch of salt and some mustard. WOW that was good

Enjoy
Mar 22, 2016
Photo of smcolw
Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

4.12/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Stringy lace from the one-finger head. The color of the broth is light amber. Mild haze.

Creamy, caramel aroma. Sweet to the nose. Good flowered hop presence. Very pleasant blend.

Starts with a solid pale and toasted malt flavor. The swallow becomes all hop quickly. The hop bitterness is less complex than the smell suggests. It's a direct white pepper wallop. I also note some definitive alcohol warmth in the lingering aftertaste. The carbonation is a bit muted and the full body enhances this.
Feb 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.8 by BrunoPettipas from Canada (QC)

Jan 17, 2016
 
Rated: 3.92 by Max8787 from Canada (QC)

Jan 07, 2016
 
Rated: 3.05 by Whatup14 from Canada (QC)

Jan 06, 2016
 
Rated: 3.81 by groleau from Canada (QC)

Dec 25, 2015
Photo of papat444
Reviewed by papat444 from Canada (QC)

3.3/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Bottled 2015/11/25

Pours a thick ecru head with hanging lace; copper color but a bit too clear. Resiny hops in aroma are nice as well as hints of orange but OH MY is the flavor underwhelming! Creamy but very mild, no boldness and hops seem muted. A DIPA at 9% should have more character but this is like a strong amber ale, not impressed.
Dec 17, 2015
Photo of VbolieuV
Reviewed by VbolieuV from Canada (QC)

4.21/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Looks really tasty! Nice clear amber color with a small foamy head with some slow moving carbonation bubbles. Really hoppy smell, really earthy, you get an intense citrus and grapefruits aromas. You can almost feel the bitterness in the nose! Tastes a lot like the smell really bitter but it has a nice caramel malt taste that rounds it really well. I preferred the Simcoe Double IPA but this one is really good also.
Dec 13, 2015
 
Rated: 4.06 by TimWakimika from Canada (QC)

Dec 12, 2015
Photo of TheDoctor
Reviewed by TheDoctor from Canada (QC)

3.75/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Service: Bottle
Bottled on: Nov-25-2015 (Consumed Dec-7-15)


A:
Pours a clear orange-copper with with a finger plus of virgin white soap-like head that quickly drops to a messy film. Meh retention; little to no lacing. (3.75)

S:
Citrus, earthy hops and caramel malt, red fruit, light pine sap, old dish rag. (3.75)

T:
Resinous fruit, grapefruit peel, some slight sweetness, metal. (3.75)

M:
Mediumish body, medium carbonation, some detectable alcohol, sticky finish, not super drinkable. (3.75)

O:
Pretty tasty single hop IIPA.
This is not my favorite one of these from Charlevoix, but it was good. It showcases the hop as well as they ever do. But it also simultaneously showcases why multiple hop varieties are used and why too much malt can get in the way on a beer like this (as pointed out by someone reviewing another of these). The beers are always decent, but they are quite able to shine, as they all have a similar thick, sweet, malty character. Some citrus and a little resinous hop flavor throughout the experience, but not much above and beyond that.
Pretty good; worth a shot just to get a better idea of hop characteristics, I suppose. (3.75)
Dec 08, 2015
Photo of Viggo
Reviewed by Viggo from Canada (ON)

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
500 ml bottle, thanks to grub for sharing.

Pours a very lightly hazed dark amber/orange, nice colour, very thick white head forms and settles down to a thick ring around the glass, leaves a lot of thick and chunky lace.

Smell is nice, quite sweet and malty, caramel, honey, some citrus, light pine and floral hoppiness, a big of grapefruit, quite fruity, some apricot and mango, alcohol, biscuity, nice hoppiness.

Taste is nice too, a bit light at first, but nicely malty, sweet and caramelized up front, light banana bread, pine, biscuity, some grapefruit, alcohol, citrus, big bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with low to medium carbonation, well balanced but nice assertive bitterness, a bit of warmth. Thanks Russ!
Aug 27, 2010
Photo of grub
Reviewed by grub from Canada (ON)

4.18/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
got this one in a recent trade with papat444. thanks pat!

500ml bottle. sampled july 17/2010.

pours nearly clear orangey amber with a nice off-white head. the head drops slowly and leaves lots of lace.

aroma is good. orange, tangerine, bit of apricot. light grapefruit. multi-grain bread. cracker. bit of biscuit. light alcohol. light caramel. bit of toffee.

taste is great. tangerine and apricot. bit of orange and grapefruit. caramel and honey. whole wheat bread and cracker. hint of biscuit. light alcohol. just under medium bitterness level.

mouthfeel is great. just over medium body. medium carbonation level.

drinkability is great. good balance. nice hop character. amarillo is a fairly mellow hop, making this feel somewhere between an IPA and a DIPA, but still very tasty and enjoyable.
Jul 25, 2010
Photo of MasterSki
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)

4.08/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Bottle thanks to papat444. Dated February 18th, 2010 - unfortunately this was the earliest I could get to it, as I left Canada a few days before it was released and didn't get back until June. Served in a tulip glass.

A - Pours with two fingers of soapy white foam that dissipates to a thin cap and leaves plenty of lacing behind. Transparent golden color with some slow-moving bubbles rising lazily to the top of the glass.

S - While the hops have definitely fallen off there is still a decent amount of pine, citrus, and tropical fruit flavor - particularly pineapple. A brown sugar and caramel malt backbone is apparent, as well as a touch of spice. As it warms there's a slight hint of alcohol. Probably a 3.75 here, but I'm being a pseudo-homer.

T - Taste is quite nice, but at this point is clearly malt-forward. That being said, it's a nice caramel and biscuit flavor that morphs into strong bitterness from the Amarillo hops and suggests ripe grapefruit. The bitterness lingers into the aftertaste but never becomes oppressive. Probably better when fresh, but still quite pleasant.

M - There's a bit of zesty but soft carbonation, a medium smooth body, and a nice bit of dryness and enamel-coating hop oil in the finish. No obvious heat.

D - I like the half-liter serving size. It's a good beer to have while watching a few innings of a ballgame. Bitterness might get a bit fatiguing beyond the first bottle, but otherwise pretty enjoyable. Wish I'd had this one fresh.
Jun 27, 2010
Photo of Seanstoppable
Reviewed by Seanstoppable from Canada (NS)

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A recent gift from folks in the Quebec area. Told to have it quickly, while the hops are still fresh, so here we are.

Pours an orange/gold color with tons of sticky white head. Head leaves tons of lacing on the glass. Retention is pretty good as well.

Picking up some citrus and pinapple from the nose, as well as other hoppy characteristics.

First taste is a bit of an alcoholic/bitter rush. After allowing some time for my tongue to adjust to the flavoring, I'm able to distinguish more. Tropical fruits are still there. Pineapple for sure, maybe some tangerine, and something that reminds me a bit of melon? Alcohol is present, but beyond the initial rush, it is fairly well masked. Some nice hop bitterness at the end, but again not as pronounced as the initial rush.

Bottle I have was bottled Feb 18, so it is probably a bit past its prime. Still there is a lot of really good stuff going on here. Would love to try it fresher/on tap. Good beer, but a big beer - I don't think I could drink too many of these in one sitting.
Jun 17, 2010
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Orange colour, solid looking, with some off white head. Orange resiny hop aromas. A tad astringent though the flavour overshadows this and allows for decent drinkability. More like a 1.5X IPA, not your normal mix of hops and malt, bulking up mouthfeel. Perhaps the recipe calls for this based on the hop.
Jun 13, 2010
La Vache Folle Double IPA - Amarillo from Microbrasserie Charlevoix
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 35 ratings