El Diablo
Microbrasserie du Lièvre

El DiabloEl Diablo
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From:
Microbrasserie du Lièvre
 
Quebec, Canada
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
9.5%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.67 | pDev: 11.17%
Reviews:
11
Ratings:
20
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 15, 2017
Added:
Sep 07, 2009
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Franck:
Photo of Franck
Reviewed by Franck from Canada (QC)

3/5  rDev -18.3%
Smell of oak and vanilla. Hint of toffee.
Very smooth in mouth but flavorless. Small vanilla and butterscoth. High presence of hops and alcohol.
Moderated bitterness and small astringency.
Nov 23, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.33 by aaronyoung01 from New Mexico

Feb 15, 2017
 
Rated: 3 by -chii- from Canada (QC)

May 23, 2016
Photo of biegaman
Reviewed by biegaman from Canada (ON)

3.85/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
El Diablo doesn't look so sinister. It has a delectable apricot jam complexion and beaming - dare I say, angelic - highlights. Though murky at first glance, closer inspection reveals near spotless clarity. The contents of this bottle are now well over a year old but don't look a day over 10 months ;)

I didn't know the beer was aged in oak barrels when I opened it but it took exactly one sniff and one sip to figure that out for myself. The presence of vanilla, butterscotch and raw oak are all plainly evident. These three flavours comprise the majority of the profile. Heck, there isn't much else beyond them...

In fact, some may even consider their presence overwhelming. The flavour of untreated oak is even more abundant on the palate; it tastes like something pulled off the wood pile. That said, there's also cupcake-levels of vanilla, a big helping of butterscotch pudding, cinnamon stick and a fat orange peel.

Come to think of it, after a while, all that oak, spice, toast, citrus zest and vanilla frosting all really start to resemble bourbon (even more so once the alcohol starts to show). Indeed, this is an enjoyable thing to sip. There's no need to rush through it - the 750ml bottle comes with a resealing flip-top for a reason.

'Sessionable' is the buzz word du jour in the craft beer industry lately. So far as I'm concerned it's the microbrewery translation for "lite" beer. The presumption is that lower-alcohol beers can be drunk in copious amounts over an extended period of time. Poppycock! I get bored of bland, straightforward beer - why would I want several of them? A "session" can be about quality as much as quantity.

What I consider "sessionable" are big, complex ales that warrant - whether by necessity or by choice - a night of sipping. What's more "sessionable" than a beer that provides hours of contemplation?! This one is a little one-dimensional but still fits that category. Bourbon lovers will especially appreciate it. El Diablo is a hell of a lot better (pun intended) than the rest of Microbrasserie du Lièvre's portfolio.
Apr 01, 2016
 
Rated: 4.2 by FrankHashimoto from Illinois

Sep 06, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Christian_Champagne from Canada (QC)

Aug 09, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by groleau from Canada (QC)

Jul 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Socialiste from Canada (QC)

Jun 29, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Krakpoff from Canada (QC)

Aug 07, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Whatup14 from Canada (QC)

Apr 17, 2013
Photo of duracell
Reviewed by duracell from Canada (QC)

4.08/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
1L bottle into a tulip glass. Bottled in November 2011.

A - Bright copper color with red hues. Small head, dense and creamy but dissipating quickly to leave a collar at the surface which clings nicely to the glass.

S - I pick out grapes and dark fruit. Generous amount of malt. Relatively sweet with a touch of alcohol.

T - Considering the smell, I was expecting a strong taste. At the contrary, it is relatively gentle. The malt, dominant at first, progressively leaves space to hop flavors with a nice herbal, almost grassy, finish.

M - Very smooth and featuring a perfect carbonation.

O - A really good Barleywine, well thought out! Excellent drinkability and balance. A must try!
May 24, 2012
 
Rated: 3.75 by oldp0rt from Canada (QC)

Mar 15, 2012
Photo of bylerteck
Reviewed by bylerteck from Canada (ON)

2.75/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Bottle from Marche Omni. From notes.

A - Poured dark brown with a very small head. Minimal carbonation. No retention or lace. Bright.

S - Sugars, dark fruits, brown sugar.

T - Sugar, dark fruits, raisin, brown sugar. Dominated by a sugar taste that doesn't really remind one of a tasty beer.

M - Full body, mild carbonation, sweet but not fully cloying finish.

O/D - Just really sweet. The bottle was split between 2 and neither one could finish our glass and there was some left in the bottle. Lacking in that really nice dark fruit malt character. Maybe it needed some age, but it just wasn't complex or flavourful in the ways I expected and wanted.
Nov 20, 2011
Photo of Glory
Reviewed by Glory from Canada (QC)

4.17/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
I've been keeping this 1L bottle in my cellar for the past 8 months. Its a big 10 % ABV Barley wine at its best !
Poured in a snifter after a long night's work, I served this beer at about 57 f. (Cellar temp)

The appearance is all I was hoping for...a clear brownish color with redish reflections, very little foam retention, I guess a Barleywine isint really supposed to have much foam and this probably comes from the aging. There is a few bubbles in the glass tough.

The smell is great, a blast of sugar coted nuts, rich vanilla mixed with grain esters and just by smelling this beer...you know its been aged in oak barrels.

The taste is quite strong, first comes the oak mouthfeel...it may be a little to oaky to be perfect, its like bitting in a piece of wood wich is not that great but then comes the rich grain taste complemented with vanilla and a touch of carbonation on the tongue to keep it fresh. You actually dont feel the 10 % abv when you drink it, but after a glass of El Diablo, it hits you like a knife in the back...Well done Microbrasserie du Lièvre !!
The taste has a very long mouthfeel on Grain and oak, this is a great beer to have amoung friends at the end of a meal.
I am very happy this product comes from one of Québec's flourishing microbreweries.
To drink in moderation

Cheers lads

WS
Nov 11, 2010
Photo of Viggo
Reviewed by Viggo from Canada (ON)

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
1 liter swingtop bottle picked up in Montreal a while ago.

Pours a clear reddish orange, some dark amber highlights, thick off white head forms and settles down to a big ring around the glass, drops a ton of lace chunks, sticky looking, not too bad.

Smell is alright, sweet and malty, lots of caramel/toffee sweetness, raisin, brown sugar, bourbon and some solid oakiness, a lot of vanilla, nothing too complex but a neat maltiness.

Taste is similar, sweet up front, lots of caramel and brown sugar, raisin, some light fruit, vanilla, quite woody, bourbon sweetness, very malty through the middle, lightly boozy, finishes a touch on the sweet side.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with low to medium carbonation, some warmth going down. Feels a bit thin but overall is not too bad.
Aug 12, 2010
Photo of kwjd
Reviewed by kwjd from Canada (ON)

4.12/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I picked this up at Peluso in Montreal because who can resist a huge swingtop bottle of barleywine named after a devil? It pours a mahogany brown with big head. The oak jumps out at you in the smell, so I imagine this must have been oak aged. I get some spiciness too, but the oak dominates a little bit, which I still find delicious. Very malty and sweet. Very smooth mouthfeel.
Aug 12, 2010
Photo of grub
Reviewed by grub from Canada (ON)

3.88/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Viggo shared this one. thanks eric!

1 litre swingtop bottle. sampled july 1/2010.

pours crystal clear light red with a small pale tan head. the head drops fast and leaves a few spots of lace.

aroma is nice. burnt caramel and toffee. juicy citrus - orange, tangerine, grapefruit. white bread. cracker and a bit of biscuit. light alcohol. vanilla and raw oak.

taste is good. bit of buttery toffee. caramel. whole wheat bread. bit of biscuit. cracker. grapefruit and orange. bit of tangerine. lightly toasted. medium-low bitterness level.

mouthfeel is good. medium-large body. just under medium carbonation level.

drinkability is good. nice balance. bit of barrel character. good depth. a pretty nice barrel-aged beer.
Jul 25, 2010
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.63/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Bomber brought by Ken, via Peluso.Light brown sugary appearance with a big head. Sugary, oak aroma. Some wood in taste,honey and caramel. a soft mouthfeel, easy drinking but boozy and not a thick mouthfeel. Suitable enough carbonation.Not that rich, but within the style.
Jul 13, 2010
Photo of Yoonisaykul
Reviewed by Yoonisaykul from Canada (QC)

3.79/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5
Another bottle I've been seeing for a while but never picked up.
Just noticed there is not a word about volume on the bottle. First time I've seen this missing from the info on a bottle. I'm guessing it must be a bit more than a liter (1,1l maybe)

A- Light tan head doesn't last. Lots of bubbles rise through the light cola-like liquid.

S- Smells like wood. Tart red wine. Take a deep breath and I definitely get the alcohol and woody profile of a good whisky. Cinnamon.

T- I sipped this slowly and gave it lots of time to warm up. It really reminds me of whisky. Wood aftertaste.

M- Thin. Fleeting in-mouth carbonation. A bit of red wine-ish astrigency but it's countered by the sweetness.

D- I like drinking this. I had the whole... I don't know how much is in this bottle... and I'd drink more. Having found this in a bar I would probably keep ordering it.

Summary: Pale ale/Wood/Whisky. This isn't really delicious but I enjoy drinking it. It's not cheap but not really expensive either. It reminds me of whisky and I like whisky. Great big pop-top brown bottle to keep for homebrewing.
Feb 20, 2010
Photo of Phyl21ca
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Tap: Poured a amber color ale with a small foamy head with minimal retention and no lacing. Aroma of rum is quite strong with some residual sweetness. Taste is also dominated by rum-like notes with some sweetness that verges on gross. I must admit that I was quite surprised by the rum notes and thought there was no noticeable oak. Body is full with good carbonation and no signs of alcohol. Better then expected.
Sep 07, 2009
El Diablo from Microbrasserie du Lièvre
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 20 ratings