Les Trois Mousquetaires Oktoberfest 2006

Formerly brewed at Les Trois Mousquetaires
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Brossard, Canada

12oz fom Grand Duc (who received only 2 cases, so be swift). A clear reddish copper coat is quickly topped by a creamy, lasting medium-thick cover that slowly diminishes. Immediately greeting and almost pungent munich malts show vibrant hazelnut skin and toasted pumpernickel bread flavors. Restrained apparent sweetness thanks to a rather dark and clean malt profile that is completed by an honest attenuation level. Mild underlying fruitiness does not really let me pick up any individual fruit varietals, but nevertheless procures some depth. Mellow german hops accentuate the soft earthy qualities, bringing little aromas, but a clean and growingly punchy almondy bitterness. Firm bodied, cleansing, yet not exagerated carbonation. Crafty stuff, perfectly executed, though not a malt type I dig so much on its own yet.

A red copper beer with a thin lacing light moka head. Pleasant fruity aroma of apples and caramel, lightly nutty. In mouth, a rich nutty malt, with grainy rye character, with nice earthy hops, very good, but more akin to a brown ale. Rich bodied. On tap at Bieres et Découvertes, Mascouche, Sept. 9 2006.

2 x12oz bottles shared with several Quebecois and one other drunk American at tiggmtl’s going away party in Montreal, from a New Belgium glass. Dark amber-brown with a thick off-white lasting head promises grand things....alas, the aroma is immediately disarming all such notions, rancid nuts and musty, dry and dead old yeast, vegetal components killing the reasonably pleasant underlying caramel and smoky/toasty malt components....it gets worse on the tongue, dry and burnt like day old blackened toast, more vegetal touches, acrid and rather dirty if truth be known. Infection? Water problems? Don’t know but this was just not fun for me.

Some light vegetal notes undermine bready, caramel and toasted malts in the aroma. Clear amber-copper coloured body is topped by a low but lasting tan head that leaves some lace. Toasted malts are more prevalent than Munich malt and aftertatste is vegetal and lingering. Medium-light body with pleasant, soft bubbled carbonation. Bottle.

Bottle (341ml). Via trade with mouton_noire. Deep clear ruby with a large lasting foamy tan head. Dry sweet malt (a bit of caramel, cocoa and nut), very yeasty, herbal hops keep it balanced - quite grainy. Taste is very nutty - like fresh hazelnuts, not sweet at all, grain and potatoe, earthy, grainy, very light alcohol - this is roasty, dry and very fresh - one of the best I’ve tasted in ages. Chewy body, light carbonation, decent astringency, a longish finish with a slight nutshell aftertaste - excellent. I’m stunned how good this is - thanks, Marie-C (and Alain for the second bottle).

Botlle.Pours lovely ruby red with large tanned creamy crown. Aroma of fresh malty lager with good dose of hops. Medium bodied with nutty front, chewy malts followed. Solid lightly roasted finish. More on woody, nutty side lager. Late juicy green bitters at the lips. Good.

Bottle drunk on 8/27/06.
Medium-high clarity in this deeply cherry-brown-tinged amber beer. Foamy head is initially small in size and fades rapidly to partial-cover with a bit of lacing.
At first spicy in the nose, German hops and a bit of yeast activity adding crispness, but soon a heavy toasted malt astringency picks up and dries the nose out. Following, unfortunately are some vegetal qualities, damp and soily, plant-like. Not overbearing, but it certainly isnt anything pleasant. Quite fruity otherwise.
In the flavor, the dark malts seem to be too dry and without enough base malt sweetness for support. Perhaps more pale malts would soften things, as it is, this seems a little too lean. Before yeast can pick up, a strong beany flavor comes about. Nutty, dry, vegetal again, and rather ruinous to the presentation. Some hop bitterness comes in late, but rather futiley. No alcohol noted. Not sure where the vegetal nature came from as it looks like most other bottles were great.

Bottle courtesy of Viper666. Pours a lovely clear dark ruby-brown with lots of bubbles and a large fluffy off-white head. Aroma of caramel malt, some chocolate, dark fruit, herbal hops and alcohol -- quite nice! Flavour’s sweet and malty with some nuts, fruit, spices and alcohol and a roasty bitter finish. Medium bodied. I’m not a big fan of this style and I’m surprised how much I’m enjoying this beer, it’s very good! Well done Les Trois Mousquetaires!