Kichesippi Natural Blonde

Name: Natural Blonde
Style: Blonde ale
ABV: 4.9%
Serving: 20oz pint
Where: Pub Italia, Ottawa
Brewery: Kichesippi Beer Co. (whoever they are...)
Location: Ottawa, ON, Canada
Weblink: Kichesippi Beer Co.

Bit of a mystery this one. It just appeared in the "Beer Bible" at Pub Italia recently, and there isn't much info out there. It is listed as being brewed "less than 5km from Pub Italia" but I can't find anything else out about the elusive Kichesippi Beer Co. And yes, they do appear to spell Kichesippi with only one "s" and an "e"; it appeared as such in both the bible and printed on the pint glass. Whether this is a beer brewed by Heritage/Scotch Irish or The Clocktower (possibly specially for the pub) or whether this is a completely new brewery isn't clear. Anyway, I'll update this when I get more details... probably tomorrow!

The beer arrived with a dense white head of small bubbles perched on top of a deep yellow-amber body, supported by almost lager-like effervescence. The aromas were mostly fruity, with a hint of hoppy florals behind it, dominated by an orange and grapefruit palette. In the mouth there is a surprising amount of body for a blonde ale, with plenty of malty goodness to be had, but cut with a fresh citrusy zing. The aftertaste was all yeast and malt, and lingered for a good long time.

All in a very impressive summer beer. Definitely on the right end of the alcohol scale for volume consumption during the summer and one I can see me enjoying on and off for many months to come. I'll be very surprised if this turns out to be a Hertiage beer as it seems like quite a departure from their usual offerings, but in the same breath it just doesn't strike me as a Clocktower brew either. Expect an update tomorrow!

Update 20/05/10: As promised, enquiries were made... Turns out I had the spelling wrong (it is even more odd than I had originally remembered) and when corrected it means that they do have a website! A completely new operation brewing using the Heritage facilities just off Carling Avenue, apparently.

Don de Dieu

Name: Don de Dieu
Style: Belgian ale
ABV: 9.0%
Serving: 341ml bottle
Brewery: Unibroue
Location: Chambly, QC, Canada
Weblink: Don de Dieu

"Gift of God", eh? Well now, if that isn't a statement of intent then I don't know what would be. Ok, so the excuse for such a bombastic name is that it was what Samuel de Champlain called his ship when he sailed for the New World in 1608. This initial trip resulted in the founding of Quebec City, so he is a pretty popular chap in Quebec as a whole, but he eventually found his way all the way up to Lake Nipissing in 1613, dropping his astrolabe up river from where I live in Ottawa. There it rested for 254 years until a boy found it in 1867, at the now appropriately-named Astrolabe Lake. Poor little mite never received a penny for it though. Anyway, enough history lesson, I'm sure you can go and find out all about that if you want. To the beer!

The beer pours a surprisingly bright orange-yellow, with only a faint yeast haze. (Unless you provoke the bottle!) The head is a thick layer of fine bubbles that fades gracefully to a thin film. On the nose the beer is surprisingly flat, with only a faint orangy and bready tone. In the mouth and, hello... where did the champagne come from? That's right, the first flavour is almost identical to the first rush of a good bottle of Reims' finest. It has the same toasty and sharp quality that a good blanc de noirs brings. The mouth feel is also surprisingly Champagne-like, with a soft mousse effervescence and the tingle of alcohol. This slides seamlessly into an orange and coriander combination, underlain by Greek honey. As the beer slips down your throat the toasted bread and yeast notes return. These fade after 20-30 seconds, leaving the honey to savour.

So... gift of God? Well, not bad, certainly. A very classy beer. It almost feels like you should be sipping it from a flute, not quaffing from a tulip. It has some of the qualities of a Trappist tripel, but with added zing. If this was how brewers 400 years from now choose to commemorate me then I'd be head over heels.

Blonde d'Achouffe

Name: Blonde d'Achouffe
Style: Belgian ale
ABV: 8.0%
Serving: 341ml bottle
Brewery: Les Brasseurs RJ
Location: Montréal, QC, Canada
Weblink: Blonde et Brun d'Achouffe

So... another of the booty snaffled on the weekend dans La Belle Province. Just to confuse things a little, this is a Belgian beer, brewed under licence in Montreal, with a Walloon dialect name. As if Quebequoise didn't have enough linguistic oddities of its own now they are importing les mots Belgique. Alors! (3-0 !!) I did have a couple of these the other night but wasn't really concentrating (something about being inundated with undergraduates...), although now I come to try it sober it is indeed a miracle that I woke up without a hangover the next morning... (4-0 !!) Just in case your Walloon isn't as polished as mine (I did once stop at a service station in Belgium, so I'm practically a native) the mascot is a pun on the town of Achouffe (where Brasserie d'Achouffe is based), as "une chouffe" is a gnome.

The beer pours a vibrant and surprisingly bright orange-yellow colour, with quite a cloudy body. Its head is initially voluminous and fluffy, with big open bubbles, but it fades away very quickly. Almost before I manage to put the glass down in fact. Considering the alcohol content this isn't really a surprise. (4-1... hmm) The aromas are dominated by a rich, honey-like scent, underlain by a classically Belgian banana-and-orange fruitiness and a subtle hint of spice. As the smells die away you are left with a slight tingling inside your nostrils... reckon there's some alcohol in there! Trying it cold the other night it didn't seem much special, but warmed up a touch it really opens out. In the mouth the spiciness really kicks in, with a strident clove and coriander seed bouquet warmed by the alcohol's black pepper notes. This is supported by banana and toffee flavours, which evolve into a rich butterscotch as the beer slips toward the back of your mouth. This lingers for 30 seconds or so after you swallow, but is unfortunately rapidly replaced by a harsh, hard liquor-like, alcohol residue. This is a shame as the beer really doesn't deserve it. Still, as long as you keep sipping you'll never notice...

All in all a very nice, mouth-filling beer of distinctly Belgian heritage. The notes I have found online seem to suggest that this offering isn't up to the standard of the European-brewed original, but if that is the case then I really need to get a hold of one of those as La Chouffe should be amazing. (4-2... better stop writing before the Penguins claw all four goals back!)

Update: 5-2 !!

B&F Délivrance

Name: Délivrance
Style: Scotch ale
ABV: 7.4%
Serving: 341ml bottle
Brewery: Brasseurs et Frères
Location: Dunham, QC, Canada
Weblink: Brasseurs & Frères - Les Bières

This could be the first of many posts... the product of a hasty trip over to the Eastern Townships this weekend. Well that's what you get for travelling with a car chronically under laden. Besides, dog number one appreciated the sterling job that the boxes performed in supporting her bed on the way home! So, as we were in the Townships let's start with a beer from the Townships, brewed only 25km by road (or 16km as the crow flies) from the gorgeous little chalet that was my home for a wonderful 48 hours. One small confession though: I bought the beer itself in the Sutton IGA supermarket... if only Ontarian supermarkets sold beer.

The Délivrance pours a rich, deep, mahogany red colour, with a thin head of small, tan bubbles. This head dies back to a persistent ring fairly quickly, with only very subtle effervescence to support it. The aromas released as it does might initially lead you to believe that it is in fact liquid mahogany in your glass. There is a dense, woody, smokey quality, a rich tobacco essence. This is cut by a slightly sweet burnt caramel note, and the whole washes up into your nose with a final wisp of something that is almost soapy. In the mouth it is the tobacco and caramel that assault your tongue, with distinctly more sweetness than was apparent in the scent. Layered behind these flavours are a traditionally Scottish peaty texture, with a side helping of damp roggenbrot. The sweetness contnues to the back of the mouth and evolves into a more toffee-rich palette, with the smokey tobacco notes lingering in your mouth afterwards. A little like you had chewed a partly smoked cigarette, I'd imagine, perhaps.

All in all this is a superb beer. Definitly one to be sipped in moderation (7.4%, remember...) if only so that you can remain conscious long enough to be able to put away two or three in a night. It is just a shame that my nearest source is a three hour drive away. Ah well, Pyropette is still there, perhaps she could be persuaded to tuck another couple of bottles into her travelling garter? Hmm...