Ol' Keeper
Microbrasserie Le Castor

thx jani. brett there all right. not too aged. some hop. brett integrated.

From a 500ml bottle, 2017 bottled 04/19/19. Served in a 13oz tulip.

Pours a very pretty translucent golden plum or burnt caramel color with a mighty fleet of clinging bubbles. A scant finger of loose, bubbly head lasts a few seconds before subsiding into a floating cap - that’s shaped almost exactly like Iceland!

The nose is a little faint, probably on account of being served too cold, or ‘of kalt’ as they’d say in Iceland. I looked that up while I was waiting for the beer to warm up (hitið upp). OK, I’m ready now... Smells of brandy-soaked raisins and tobacco, sweet and warm with a barely detected bretty edge.

Taste is mildly, caramel-ly sweet with a hay-strewn barn floor sort of sharp earthiness. Brown bread and fig preserves, finishes with the brandy-soaked raisins and fruity, boozy fumes in the sinuses.

Feel is smooth, sweet without being either sticky or cloying, seems like it should be heftier but is really only medium bodied and, with relatively bright carbonation, it feels even lighter than that. A comfortably modest boozy warmth in the gullet.

Overall, a very tasty beverage. One possibly odd complaint is that, at 9.8% abv, this beer should be a sipper but, with so little indication of its high-octane nature in either the taste or feel, I’m afraid I more-or-less chugged this bad boy resulting in some small difficulty in composing this summation or in concluding this sentence... there! Perhaps the easiest drinking high abv beer I’ve ever tasted, this would be an excellent vehicle upon which to get epically shit-faced although I anticipate that there would be regrets in the morning.

★★★★½
Riche et chaleureux
Lorsque j'ai aperçu du coin de l'oeil cette bière, je me suis immédiatement dit que j'allais probablement découvrir un produit d'exception. Après avoir découvert le Moine Féral l'an passé, je voulais découvrir davantage de produits provenant de la cache du castor. Je réitère mon engagement cette année. Je pense que je vais y aller full trottle parce que c'est délicieux!

Delicious boozy flavor that is as good as the Bourbon-aged brews. Brandy comes through powerfully in the aroma, and then it's quite luscious in the flavor. Hot and malty at the same time, and just nicely sweet. A tangy note of acidity in the finish, but modest carbonation. This is the 2017 edition. The Old Ale flavors have been smoothed and mellowed, it seems, from a couple years of getting older. From the 500 ml bottle purchased at Expérience Bière in Montréal.

 

Serving: Bottle
Bottled: Jan-28-2017


A:
Pours a hazy orange-copper with a short-lived finger of fizzy beige head. Meh retention; a couple lacing globs. (4)

S:
Red fruits, musty Brett twang, brandy sweetness, sugar caramelized on bread crust. (4.25)

T:
Black tea, bready malts, toffee, a suggestion of tartness, some oak and brandy hues. (4.25)

M:
Medium body, a bit thin with fizzy carbonation and a finish that has an ever-so-slight warming from the alcohol. (4.25)

O:
An interesting beer with a cohesive mix of flavors.
It pours a little hazy with a glowing copper color and a skiff of head. Both the aroma and flavor have some Brett funk and a hint of tartness. The aroma is fairly fruity while the flavor showcases the malt and barrel character more. Alcohol is well-hidden and just present enough to warm you as you drink it.
A very nice beer that I'd have again. I would be really curious to try it aged in a plain oak barrel. (4)

Bottle: Poured a clear amber color ale with a large off-white foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of caramelized malt with light fruity Brett notes with some oak notes also noticeable. Taste is a well-balanced mix between some caramelized malt with light toffee notes, subtle residual sugar notes, some fruity Brett ester with some Brandy notes clearly apparent. Body is about average with good carbonation with light warming alcohol notes. Great beer with nice layers of complexity while retaining some very good drinkability. I’m not sure I would age this since I believe the Brett might take over the other flavours.