Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Lupulus

Brewed by Microbrasserie Charlevoix / Le Saint Pub
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Baie-St-Paul, Canada

Fairly cloudy with a thin head. Very floral aroma with good yeasty spice depth. Some nice orangey notes from the hops. Very sweet, spicy character. Floral with a hint of bubblegum. Tasty.

750ml bottle shared courtesy of dickinsonbeer. Poured a medium and hazy golden color with a very large sized white head. Aromas of floralness, spices, fruity, citrus, and grassy. Tastes of pears, apples, citrus, spices, floral and grassy. Lacing left on the glass.

Objectively speaking: Chouffe Houblon inspired strong Belgian pale with aromatic American hop profile.
I like: Wonderful head and pale golden looks. Flowery notes. Classy expanding carbonation. Limited bitterness. Aromatic concentration. Constant yeastiness. Growing dryness. Evolving taste. Alcohol under control. White grapefruit.
I dislike: Not much not to like. If anything, the soapy hints and advanced sweetness level that do not meet their match in bitterness.

Bottle... Slap My Ass and Call Me Solan’s Mom O-Town Throwdown, Part Sept... Murky, pear-colored ale with a small, creamy, white head. Good retention. The aroma is full of phenols and esters. Notes of clove, red apple and pear lead the way with undercurrents of cinnamon and bubble gum following... at a distance. Medium to full-bodied with delicate carbonation. Spicy and sweet with moderate, back-of-the-tongue bitterness. Lengthy, bitter finish. Thanks to Beerlando for his generosity!

(750ml bottle, 2007 vintage) Pours a lightly hazy golden body with a tall rocky dense off-white head with excellent webbed lacing. Aroma of mustiness, banana, orange peel, perfume, flora, and other herbal qualities. Flavor of herbal tea, orange peel, green peppercorn, and floral hops with a soft mouthfeel and bitter finish. Tasty!

Huge fine off-white head over very carbonated orange beer. Bubblegum, white candi sugar, bananaester, orange peel and a bit of hops all the same. Hops and noble ones, bit of cardboard and grapefruit. A little bit of sweet, probably more from the alcohol than from restsugars. Very good balance! Well-bodied, but not thick. Alcoholwarming. I had expected even more hops, but I have to admit that the balance is impressive, which might have been harmed with more C-hops. Not a big, but a great beer. Vraiment, merci mille fois, Sylvain!

Bottle courtesy of glouglouburp. So there’s this brewer who takes one of my favorite types of hops, takes an already amazing recipe, adds said hops, then ferments it with a Belgian yeast strain that yields a funkiness that rivals Orval. That beer is Charleioux Dominus Vobiscum Lupulus. Pours a perfect gold with a huge white head and a generous amount of sustained bubbles. Smells of perfume, some signature simcoe, citrus, oranges, lots of dry malt, some funky rustic saison like hints, caramel sugar, some pepper. This seriously has one of the best noses of any beer I’ve ever quaffed. Taste lives up to the aroma nicely. Lots of dryness, oranges, pepper, spice, light bitterness, sage, this truly runs the gambit. Mouthfeel is tingly and combines the American hops with the saaz to perfection. Finish is dry with a touch of crushed pepper. It’s hard to believe this is 10% ABV as it is hidden extremely well. Excellent!

My Bottom Line:
A graceful perfume of yellow grapefruit, lemongrass, and pine needles teems with hoppy life, as flickering bready yeast impregnates the doughy maltiness and takes it to comforting levels. This New World Belgian-style Strong Ale is as brimming with life as can be.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A sheet of foam garnishes the hazy blond.
-Alcohol is present in the flavor profile, but the spicy fluttering of hoppiness tends to cover it.
-Carbonation is expansive, but soon enough the mouthfeel becomes very classy; it sure is authentic, no doubt there.
-The pine character of the Simcoe hoppiness works wonders throughout, but especially in the finish.
-A soapy/perfumy character rises from the yeast and hop alliance, recalling some champagne yeast experimentation.
-Like the Hibernus, this new Charlevoix is extremely expensive, but they are both rare examples for which a high price can be justified; beer this classy and flavorful is priceless in the eyes of beerophiles.
-This is not Houblon Chouffe at all (even though 2 of the 3 hops used are the same, and the same fusion of hop varieties is called upon), but it is a nearby world. Malheur Brut Reserve isn’t too far away either.

Bottles; 2007 vintage.