La Marie Stuart
Brasserie Bièropholie

got this one as a bonus in a recent trade with papat444. thanks pat!

12oz bottle. sampled sept 20/09.

pours hazy deep red-brown with a thin layer of very fine tan head. the head quickly fades to a thin ring around the glass and leaves no lace.

aroma is nice. caramel and toffee. touch of smoke. biscuit. multi-grain bread. big berry-like fruity character too. bit of alcohol.

taste is nice. big fruity character again. bit of toffee. multi-grain bread. bit of smoke. touch of tea-like herbal character. medium-low bitterness level doesn't seem quite low enough for the style, and the pronounced fruity character seems a bit too much.

mouthfeel is good. medium body. medium carbonation level.

drinkability is pretty good. seems a little odd for a wee heavy, but hides its alchol pretty well and is mostly enjoyable.

12 oz bottle, thanks for sharing grub!

Pours a hazy dark reddish orange, some brown highlights, very thin tan head forms, quickly settles to a thin ring around the glass, some lace spots stick. Smell is very sticky and sweet, toffee pudding and dark fruit, raisin, bread, sherry/iron, tons of fruit, caramel and brown sugar, alcohol, candy, very sugary and sweet aroma. Taste is similar, very sweet and fruity, brown sugar, berries, raisins, caramel, very bready middle, pudding, alcohol, iron, very sweet, light bit of chocolate roast in the finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, kind of syrupy, with low carbonation. Some warmth going down. Touch too one dimensional and sugary for me, but not too bad. Thanks Russ!

Bottle conditioned, yet the yeast doesn't really stick to the bottom?

A: Hazy, DEEP copper with a thin ring of tan head. Zero retention, but it leaves a little leg.

S: Earthy mineral & a hint of smoke is almost peat-like, plenty of dark fruit, alcohol & toffee.

T: Dark fruit, dark caramel & toffee, roasted nut, a little earthy mineral, warming alcohol, with some bitterness for balance.

M: Fairly full body with some residual sweetness that's balanced by the drying alcohol. Almost no carbonation (which explains the lack of head). What's with the carbonation? I think some bubbles would make the whole package a little more appealing.

D: A nice sipper, though I could use some more bubbles!

Bottle: Poured a cloudy murky amber color ale with a small foamy head with minimal retention and no lacing. Aroma of toffee and caramel with light notes of alcohol at the end. Taste is a mix between some toffee and deep caramel malt notes with some light residual sugar. Body is full with limited filtration and low carbonation with some alcohol showing. Interesting though I like my scotch ale with more peats malt; noticeable alcohol is also a bit too apparent for my taste.

This beer was brewed for Xavier, owner of La Barik, a beer store in Trois-Rivières.

Enjoyed while watching the final period of the Habs-Pens game last night (take that Crosby!).

Poured from a 341ml. bottle.

Appearance: Dark, thick body. Staring down on it looks dark brown but in the light it's more copper & amber. Thin line of head.

Smell: Caramelized is what first comes to mind. Big time sweetness (sugar) & malt.

Taste: A bit if tea floating around in the beginning but lots of malt and sweetness. Caramel & toffee in there also. The impression i get is not soft caramel but hard caramel, like licking a caramel apple. Finishes with just a hint of smoke.

Mouthfeel: Very, very smooth like velvet coating the mouth. Carbonation is very low but that's ok by me.

Drinkability: Very drinkable, dangerously so. Perfect sipper for a cold winter night though difficult to sip rather than gulp :).

Overall: A solid offering from this brewer and better than the scotch ale he released last year (though i liked that one too). I thoroughly liked this one and would definitely seek it out again.