trouble understanding why some breweries are so hyped

A few years ago Trou de diable was very hard to get, kinda like Auval is now. It would sell in a couple of stores and sell out very quickly. Thats where the hype came from, but Im not sure its still very hyped. I dont see a high demand for it on trading boards anymore. They still make some draft only one-offs that are very good, but the regular line-up is pretty average in my opinion.
Breweries that have hard to find beers will always be hyped. When Bellwooods has 3 breweries open next year and is sold all over north America, its almost a lock that their hype will die down and be replaced by some other hard to find new brewery.

 

I hope what you say about Bellwoods is true. I can't wait to get my hands on some ;-)

La Trou Diable is a solid brewery. I've really enjoyed the In Memorium Mactavish and Tracteur Saison.

 

Mediocre may be a little harsh. I gotta agree that their beers aren't as good as they were before. The quality went down a little bit since a few months, but it's still a pretty good brewery.

I have not tried l'Impératrice yet but their others special releases are part of the best Quebec beers IMO (Dulcis, Hérisson, Buteuse BS, Le Coq).

They have decent regular/seasonnal offerings but maybe not what you would expect from a brewery with this potential and with this reputation. They might tend to be a little overrated but they're far from being mediocre.

 

speaking from the west coast, as far as I can tell they arent that hyped over here. We get some of their beers, but they dont fly off the shelves or anything. Think the price point makes it a bit of a harder sell as well

 

Saw Dulcis Succubus for 24.99 in Montpelier and 28.99 recently in Buffalo. It was flying off the shelves in Vermont but not really moving in Buffalo (from what I could tell).

 

TDD has the best graphic designer of any brewery in Quebec, but I've never been very impressed by what's in the bottles. I did have a lighter variant on their saison on tap a while back that I thought was pretty good, but the rest has been forgettable.

 

I rarely buy anything from Trou du diable. Don't like many of their beers. Have a Dulcis in the cellar, I buy Tracteur once in a blue moon, their pils was nice, but yeah, nothing too crazy.

 

I think the thing with TDD is that they're such a big brewery now that they CAN make "everyday" beers as well as wood-aged specialties (and they're drastically increasing production on that side right now). Sounds like you had an off batch of Imperatrice, it's usually a really solid beer. Dulcis remains one of the best mixed-fermented beers in Canada I would say. Their regular line-up though, I mean, it's meant to be kind of pub stuff, which is fine. If you're looking for a solid dry Irish stout, drink Sang D'encre. If you're looking for a head turner & chin scratcher, try Dulcis or Buteuse BS. TDD is deserving of any hype they get, I say!

 

I've been hearing all kinds of shit about Four Winds and how great they are, and after having their wild IPA I can tell you that the hype is 100% justified. Feels good to have high expectations be met.

 

There are definitely way better breweries out of Quebec (LTM, for example).

I disagree on the Bellwoods comment. As a Torontonian with plenty of access to their stuff, I rarely have anything from them that isn't stellar. For me at least, there is no hype.

 

Was Boogie Monster stellar in your opinion?

 

I think Bellwoods might jump up into the ranks of Dieu du Ceil and Unibroue with wider distribution. I can definitely see Jutsu becoming a favourite in the USA. Their stouts are also going to increase in reputation as they become more widely known.

 

Part of the perceived "value" or hype in anything is scarcity...

But at the same time, sometimes it's also just one's own personal taste. There's a fairly popular BC brewery that I don't think I've ever had a beer from that I personally enjoyed. *shrug* It's not like they're doing anything wrong. Many people love them. I just don't buy/order their stuff anymore.