Indian Pale
Micro-Brasserie L'Alchimiste

Poured out an orange tan color, semi cloudy with a nothing off white head. The nose was piney and slightly citrusy with a bit of yeast. The taste was light and toasty, with some strong piney bitterness. Mouthfeel was a bit oily. Drinkability is on the poor side, this one was not a treat.

Bottle: Poured a dark hazy amber color ale with a medium slightly off-white foamy head with average retention. Aroma of citrus hops was easily identifiable with also some caramel malt. Taste of bitter and citrus hops are well balance with the caramel malt. Body is above average with low filtration is very enjoyable. Overall, this is better then expected from this hit or miss brewery.

Thanks, Matt! Received in CANBIF 2006.

There is w-a-a-y too much malt in this beer for me to give it high marks as an American IPA.

It doesn't look much different from its hoppy brethren when you pour it: a coppery body verging on brown, topped by a bubbly two-finger head.

The smell is the first hint there's something different going on: floral hops engaged in a tooth-and-nail battle to be noticed above an assertive caramel aroma.

This beer tastes pleasant enough, but the malt profile is too aggressive and the sweetness mostly crowds out any noticeable bitterness. There's a bit of a bitter, drying finish but it's simply overpowered by sweet caramel.

All the required elements are there for an IPA, but they seem out of proportion in relation to each other and lack any cohesiveness. With so many better IPAs out there, I really can't find any reason to go back to this one.

A solid all around IPA, highly quaffable. If only most people would drink well balanced, full bodied beers like this one. Perhaps not as "completely, full bodied" as other IPA's but a nice session beer damnit! Pours a nice amber/copper colour, good head formation. Head did not dinimish what so ever. A seemless combination of fruity/grassy hops and some more buttery ones. Great blend that makes for an extremely pleasent aroma. Really quite well defined and crispy. Flavour follows suit. This is all around quite solid for a simple IPA. It has the right hops that are alive and bold, decent malt, pleasent aroma and hits the spot. This brewery reminds me of a Canadian version of Rogue. This was very nice, hats off.

12 oz. bottle with a green label poured into a harpoon glass.

clear deep orange, near amber, with an off-white head that sticks nicely to the glass.

graham crackery, brown sugary, bready malts in the aroma with a little butter and vomit. a touch of citrusy hops; this is definitely not an american ipa.

lots of bready malts in the taste as well. sweet alcohol, sweet malts, some citrus rinds. nice moderate carbonation and a medium body. if it were made in america it'd be called a pale ale, but i think this qualifies as a canadian ipa. judging it based on what's inside the bottle, not on the outside, it's a very balanced, very drinkable brew with some decent complexity.

Served in pint glass at 12-14 celcius....

I like it . Smells, taste and looks like what it should . Hops are balanced . Cabonisation is a little weak . Head retention was enormous ! Why is it I only got myself one bottle ?

Aw well . Live and learn... .

Very decent IPA. Hey better than Sleeman's effort. Quite drinkable rounded and balanced IPA. Medium mouthfeel, the grapefruit taste and bitterness is there and not overly hoppy. Not too aromatic and not as hoppy as it could be. Second bottle 4 months later was more like ginger ale taste and smell.

Revisiting this ale after I tasted it a year ago. It seems less appealing than it did the first time but I was not really in shape to remember enough to write a competent review.

This time round I see a mildly opaque copper-amber ale in my glass with a remarkable puffy white sticky cap which laces well. Aromas of sweet tangerines and brown sugar. Nice chewy malty body... flavors of toffee and grapefruit in almost perfect balance...light drying finish...very drinkable.

Quebec is starting to see more and more IPAs pop up from both creative and renowned breweries and from less popular and established breweries alike. This falls into the latter but is quite respectable.

Fully amber with some copper and caramel highlights topped with a head of creamy foam that is short lived, only leaving a fine ring of scum with no staying power.

Aromas are dominated by hops but do allow for some maltiness and mild fruity esters to permeate. Earthy organic overtones emerge in the finish along with a characteristic citrucy signature.

The mouthfeel is dry and firm and the flavours mimic the aromas. This beer is all about the hops at all levels. Very mild fruity maltiness flows around the hop signature but never manages to take its rightful place. The finish is long and bitter but satisfying.

Certainly a very drinkable brew, lacks some complexity and perhaps could allow more of the malt to manifest itself, lending added body.

Santé

SMD

Light copper in colour with meduim-high carbonation. Cascade-like citrus aromas with quite a bit of pine influance. Lots more pine flavor wise, with more citrus fruit, light malt, and some black pepper creeping in on the finish. Not as heavy bodied as some IPAs, but still good in that regard. One of the most "woody" IPAs that I’ve tried.

Pours a clear amber orange/brown, big white head, nice lace, very clear. Smell is sweet malts, citrus hops, very clean. Taste is suberb malty backbone, lots of floral hop undertones, very well balanced with a clean dry finish. Slightly bitter. Mouthfull is medium, carbonation is medium, surprisingly tasty. Thanks a lot DrJay.

Clear, dark amber with a generous, fluffy white head that left lots of thick lace hanging from the sides of the glass. Very citrusy hop aroma with plenty of bready and caramel maltiness. Flavour started with toasty malt and balanced bitterness, followed by floral/citrus hops. Good malty backbone melds well with the hop bitterness. Citrusy towards the end, with a long, dry, resinous pine and bitter finish. Fine, moderate carbonation produces a creamy texture. A very good IPA with a nice balance, plenty of hops, good flavour profile, and not over the top with bitterness.

They just put out this Beer in the new 12oz format, so time for a re-rate.

Appearance: Bubbly and bronze, with a nice caking head that was mother of pearl.

Smell: Caramel malt, which is very nice, but where the hell are the hops?

Taste: Just a big old mouthfull of malt, caramel, social tea cookies. The hops show up in the aftertaste, seems as though they only used bittering hops, and ran out of aromatics for this batch.

Smells like a scottish ale, tastes like a pale ale, it must be a Québec IPA! I still enjoyed this Beer, especially poolside on a hot day, but someone should explain to these local brewers what an IPA really is.

Appearance: A really wonderful reddish orange amber with some quick lasting lace. It is also very clear.

Smell: The aromas are also very nice. It is very inviting and a thousand miles away from chemical euro lagers and adjunct macros.

Taste: Really tasty and easy to drink. It is very hoppy with a malty bed.

Mouthfeel: The carbonation is just perfect. A good lasting bitter aftertaste with some sweetness. It is not too creamy, just half-bodied. Perfect for drinking.

Drinkability:It is tough to find L'Alchimiste products, but Dépanneur Garde-Manger (Proprio) on Girouard Street in Victoriaville carry lots of Quebec micros, including this gem. I have to give them that credit. Also, I know very well the canadian beer scene and I didn't know that micro before reviewing it today. According to what I saw on the picture here and to my bottle label, the brewery improved their label design and they corrected the name from Indian to India Pale Ale. They added their personnality to this style and it result a beer with attitude. It is a little expensive (CAD 3.99 for 500ml bottle), but it is a good choice. Highly Recommended.

Head is bumpy, yellowy-tan and dense. Stratified, sticky lacing. The beer is clear, deep red-copper-brown. The nose gives up grapefruit, sweet caramel and a touch of cucumber. Bitter grapefruit and darkish caramel up front; milky sweet, caramel malty middle; very bitter, very grassy grapefruit finish. It's very good. A solid, sweet, grapefruit, grassy IPA.