Le Cheval Blanc Bitter

Brewed by Le Cheval Blanc
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Montreal, Canada

On tap at the brewpub. Bready aroma with some burnt nuts, and some english hops. Flavor is much of the same. More bready malts, and nuts, with a long bitter finish.

In short: Roasted nuts slightly caramelized and a lot of dry grassy hops. Good beer although atypical for a Bitter.
How: Tap at brewpub. January 2008 batch at 4.9%.
The look: Cloudy amber body with a small off-white head leaving good lacing
In long: Some toasted bread, a light caramel presence and quite a bit roasted nuts flavour followed by a a whole lot of dry grassy hops. Medium dry bitterness. I had this one back to back after their pilsner and I found a lot of similarities in the hopping of these two beers. This Bitter is definitely a lot more dry grassy saaz-ish than what I’m used to from standard English Bitters. Like a nutty slightly caramelized Bohemian Pilsner. I’m not complaining cause I think that it was pretty good. Here’s to another after-noon spent sitting on my ass at this fine brewpub. It may look like I’m wasting my time and not doing anything just sitting there but at the cellular level I’m really quite busy.

Robe blonde voilée surmontée d’une mousse blanche mince. Arômes légers de houblon. Saveurs de houblon amérisant, de carton et de levures.

Bu sur place en fut à 5.5% (20 oz). Beige foncée et brumeuse, moyen collet. Arome d’houblon légé, doussement amère et florale. Gon goût d’houblon doux, une amerturme plaisante et florale et légèrement sucré.

Verre de 5 oz à la brasserie. Arôme: Odeur de melon et de malt. Apparence: La couleur est ambrée avec une moyenne densité de bulle. Présence d’un très mince col et absence totale de dentelle. Saveur: Goût de fleurs et d’agrumes. La durée de l’arrière goût est courte. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture minérale. L’effervescence en bouche est forte. Présence d’amertume légèrement piquante en arrière goût. (Rating #354)

(Draught) Sampled at Le Cheval Blanc brewpub on November 12, 2005. Price $5. Pours a thin, white head with a clear, golden body. Highly carbonated. Nose of mild malt and bitter hops. Very british in style with a high malt flavour and nuttiness. The hoppy bitter finish is powerful - this is nice to sample but not something I can drink pints of...

Went to the pub last night, with the wife. Expected to get a seccond tasting of the indian rouge, found it replaced with this one. very nice, even though my wife made me promis to limit my intake that day to 3 pints, so I was only alowed a 1/2 pint o this. Always fun to take the wife along, isn’t it. Pours a golden amber with just a touch of cloud. Thin minimal head. It’s fairly well carbonated right outa the tap, but doesn’t hold it’s gaz for very long. Aroma is bitter with a touch of pumpkin skin. Mouthfeel is overall thin a lightly fizzy. Taste is dominant first with a ripe plumb maltyness, with toasty nut, seconded by a grassy bitter hit. Undertones are very bitter, slightly acidic, floral notes, a little green grass, and just a tiny hit of bitter grapefruit. Aftetaste is overall dry and very bitter, with a sweet splash that reminds me of grape hubba bubba gum. Overall I feel this could be amasing, if only they had the equpment to cask pull this one. Pulled from a hand pump would make this a perfect 10. Cheers

Tap. May 2004 with Tiggmtl. Dark amber ale with very light malt aroma. Nice nutty earthy notes in mouth with sharp hops in attack. Good bodied.