Brasseurs et Frères Délivrance

Crystal clear deep pumpkin coloured. A surprisingly bready, spicy nose offering crunchy cereals paired with the typical clean earthy caramel from Brasseurs et Frères. Considerably pronounced hop flavours give both some spicy, leafy, foresty aromas and a cutting bitterness. Alcohol remains in the background, never imposing. Certainly not the malt explosion I expect from a scotch ale, but that’s not what I mind, the beer could be pleasant enough without the rather annoying forced carbonation insists insists on the mouthfeel’s limits. It needed that vim and vigor that the yeast could have added to the texture. It feels too polite as it is, young yet without potential if you will. Is there anything sadder?

Bottle... Clear ruby ale with orange highlights and a small, frothy, khaki-colored head. Malty, earthy nose. Restrained wood, milk chocolate, leather or canvas, and toasted nuts. Medium-bodied with a silky mouthfeel and weary carbonation. Sweet and malty with notes of chocolate, praline and toasted nuts. Bittered very nicely; almost balanced, but it’s not. Shouldn’t be. Lengthy, minerally, mildly bitter finish. Kudos to glouglouburp for shipping this bottle from the Great White North to the Great Aqua and Green, Sub-Tropical South!

Any first impressions?
-A sheet of foam dissipates into the gleaming orange-ruby translucence.
-Spicy candy (pumpkin seeds too?) smothers the cereals in an intricate yet underdeveloped nose.
-Humble biscuity caramel benefits from some of the spicy sweetness discovered in the aroma.
-Mouthfeel is ultra-clean, as is custom for Brasseurs et Frères, and well-structured, although it lacks the few sugary love handles I like in the strong scotch ale style.

What if you dig deeper?
-Dry, wooden hop bitterness cuts through the lean caramel maltiness with ease, helped by sparse roastiness.
-That spiciness initially perceived in the aroma builds retronasally.
-Some buried fruitiness surfaces once in a while.
-This is quite spicy and hoppy for a scotch ale, which is pretty unexpected, especially here in Quebec where the "best" scotch ales tend to be ultra-malty.
-This must be the same yeast as their Trouille...
-The more I have some, the more I find its flavor profile and body similar to an ale version of a dunkler bock.
-This is definitely not one of Quebec’s malt chef d’oeuvres of a scotch ale, and thus might disappoint some looking for another Corne de Brume, Reyne Descosse, MacKroken Flower, Équinoxe du Printemps, or Cornemuse, but it remains an efficient spicy winter warmer in my book.

Bottles; no date notched.

A dark brownish amber with a thin light moka head. Aroma of brown cassonade and candy sugar, with nice vinous touches, light calcium/musty notes. In mouth, a sweet caramel with herbal hops, coffee, raisins, and warming alcohol. The mouthfeel is rich and musty. Overall, another excellent B&F offering.

Bottle (341ml). Via trade with Viper666. Poured clear deep chestnut with a small beige diminishing head. Nice moderate sweet roast malt aroma - light chocolate, bark, herbal hops - really malty, not much alcohol in the nose. Taste is also extremely malty, nuts and bitter chocolate and more bitter hops to balance the very sweet - and thick - malt. Thick, chewy body, bitter still mouthfeel but ultimately nutty malt all the way, and not boozy at all. Good beer.