À l’Abri de la Tempête Corne de Brume

Brewed by À l’Abri de la Tempête
Style: Scotch Ale
L’Étang du Nord, Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Canada

What a surprise this was! A heady pour of bright magenta with bronze highlights, tan head with white skin sits dutifully atop. Gorgeous! Aroma is amazing: papery seaweed, like sushi wrapping, curry, light smoke(never acrid), vanilla, allspice, and the biggest dose of peat I’ve ever encountered outside an Islay single malt. This kept oozing with layers of complexity, I had yet to even taste it. More in the aroma after the initial peated malt shock, in the way of cinnamon, caramel malt, detergent, roastiness. The flavor was just as incredible, more of the same, but also with notes of molasses and brown sugar. The smoke is looming, booming forth like an out of control wildfire, building in a finale that is both lingering and wonderfully satisfying. Palate was full and lively. Sweetness builds in the recesses of my mouth throughout the lingering finish. An absolute masterpiece, novel and brutish, complex throughout. I’m stunned, and I need more.

Bottle from Secret Santa (beerbuzzmontreal), split with boboski. Poured a dark brown-red color with a thick tan head that lingers. The aroma is so unique that I’m almost wondering if I got a weird bottle. The aroma an intense boggy peat odor. I don’t mean peated malt, I mean wet hunks of peat. It reminded me of a wet kelp/seaweed odor, but in a pleasant way, because there were honey and smoke odors assisting. The mouthfeel was silky and the carbonation is low. The earthiness translates into the flavor, but malt dominates and a smokiness is present also. More please.

Bottle thanks to MartinT, another great hookup. Shared with gotmos and friend. Poured into a small tulip glass. Nice dark brown color with a small head. What I like about this is its really a niovel flavor. I wouldnt call it a Scotch ale but there really is nothing closer. Its got a really nice blend of cocoa, roastiness, and coffee. A very novel blend where the flavors greatly meld together yet are independent of each other. It is rather easy to drink and -feels like it has great aging-ability. The mouthfeel is nice and silky with a low carbonation and a nice thick body. Some moderate bitterness. Very good stuff, thanks again Martin.

Bottle shared with GregClow, my bottle. Dark brown with lots of amber hues, big orange/brownish head - looks great. Nice malty aroma - hints of dark fruit and a little alcohol. Great taste - very rich sweet malt, lots of complimenting alcohol, touched off by a maple syrup sweetness. Warming. Doesn’t really have the earthiness and smoke aspects I look for in an incredible Scotch ale. Good beer.

Bottle shared tupalev - his bottle. Lovely deep brown with ruby flashes and a good sized off-white head. Aroma of sweet malt, molasses, dry cocoa - nice! Flavour has lot of maple and brown sugar sweetness, along with notes of roast malt, bitter cocoa and a hint of coffee. Believe the hype, his is some damn good stuff!

This is an excellent scotch ale. It pours a dark walnut brown with a one finger creamy tan head. The flavor is sweet, yet smooth. Notes of molasses, brown sugar, and other goodies hit you. It’s very nice.

A damn fine scotch beer, a bit on sweet side which also makes it very quaffable. Barley, scoth and carmel taste. Some fruitiness. Better than a rusty nail. Must have again.

Last HWOH. Pours a medium maber with a nice light beige head. Aroma is sweet caramel malts, good fruity esters, some diacetyl, and a light prickly alcohol characteristic. Sweet full malty mouthfeel and flavor with some toffee, light roast, some chocolate, dried fruits, and some tobacco. Pretty smooth and easy to drink. Clean aftertaste.