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

Sampled old (8.7 %) and new (9%) versions vertically at Timo A’s. This rating is for the older version which I prefer. Hazy dark ruby color with creamy beige head. Thick, sweet, malty, vinous and berryish aroma with red currants, toffee and chocolate. Sweet flavors of toffee, caramel, toasted bread and red currants. Smooth thick milk shake like palate. This is much smoother, thicker and barley wine like than the new version. Rating for the new version: Ruby color. The aroma and flavor is malty, nutty, toasty, toffeish and warming. Good malty ale. 7-4-7-4-14.

Bottle from glouglouburp. Thanks again Dany! Bottle pours brown with ruby red highlights. Aroma is potent and invitiing. Chocolate, maple syrup, brown sugar, dates, and toffee. Flavor is some sweet malts, bitter chocolate, and pretty well balanced. Not overly sweet. Slight touch of alcohol, but quite complimentary. Really impressed with how smooth and accessible this beer is. The alc. is a perfect compliment to this treat of a beer. Awesome. I want to have this again!

Robe rubis. Arômes d’érables et d’alcool fruité. Mélange de scotch ale et de quadrupel. Très bonne bière aux saveurs de caramel, de sirop d’érable, de fruits rouge et d’alcool. Très bonne finale de caramel, toffe. Une des meilleures bière que j’ai dégusté provenant du Québec.

341 ml bottle from Trappe a Fromage, served at cellar temperature in a tulip glass. AP 08/09.

App.: Clear deep copper, fair tan foam. Aroma: Bright and tangy, some cherries, some light warm spices and roasted malts (sweet), is this bordering on infected? Palate: Medium body, moderate effervescence. Flav.: Slightly tangy malts, dark dried fruits, cola-like herbals, light bright fruitiness, some light warm spices, ginger?; sweet with fair bitterness and some spicy malts left over.

Didn’t quite live up to my $5.49-induced expectations...

341ml bottle acquired in trade with Sammy (thanks!). Poured a deeper amberish/copper color with a huge sized off white head. Aromas of smoke, earthiness, caramel, and I was getting some spices in there too (cinnamon and maybe some ginger). Tastes of the same spiciness, toasted caremel, some brown sugariness, and earthy. Alcohol content hidden.

This beer has a very nice color and smell, but the first sip gives a mouthfull of flavours! I’m pretty difficult with beers but this one is a keeper. I have the chance to live right next this Microbrewery and with time and patience I keep my "corne de brume" and let it age a year before I drink it... well parts of it! This beer ages incredebly well!

Clear, dark brown brew that produced a very nice bright tan head (actually the colour is somewhat strange) about one thumb thick, tons of 360 degree lacing, decent surface coverage left over. The aroma is very interesting and unlike anything I’ve had before: firstly, I can detect the tomato that some others have noted (thx), brown sugar with the sweetness kept under control, dark berries that seem smoked, caramel, prune?, some kind of cooking chocolate, biscuit, interesting spice that only reminds me of a very candied version of spices found in the typical Speyside Whiskey. The aroma is ever changing as well while never producing an "off" smell. The flavour is not as interesting but still very appealing. More tomato juice mixed in with a healthy dose of well chosen spices (most obvious is licorice), roasted malts tied directly to the overall sweetness, salt... this gets more and more like Motts’s Garden Cocktail which is much spicier than V8, plums, peat - all in no particular order. The only impression of alcohol that I get is loosely found in the lingering after taste. As I go I’ve noticed that this beer sometimes comes across thinner than I assume. Nice subtle sweet yet spicy grain finish with slight chocolate that I can only notice as the lingering goodness begins to wane. I picked this one up randomly and damn it if I didn’t chose one of the best beers I’ve had in months.

Bottle - 341ml. Dark amber body with low carbonation and a lasting beige foamy head. Strong malty/hoppy aroma with caramel and cinnamon hints. Alcohol is well hidden. Well balanced hoppy taste with roasty, caramel and plummy notes. Ends with a warming bittersweet finish. Enjoyable 1400th rating!