Orléans Joseph Bellarmin (Cuvée Spéciale Automne)

Brewed by Microbrasserie d’Orléans / Pub Le Mitan
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Sainte-Famille, Île d’Orléans, Canada

This imperial India Pale Ale from Microbrasserie d’Orléans/Pub Le Mitan is a bold autumn seasonal with a light citrus presense and some key floral notes to support a boisterously maltilicious underpinning. A warm upfront alcohol presence is likely designed to cut through the Northeast’s chillier months. An amalgumation of English and Northwest IPA styles, and not the best DIPA ever, but quite good, and the handsome artwork is rather luring.

Bottle 09.12.19: Dark copper, almost no head fair lacing. Aroma is piny and a bit citrusy. The finish is medium and very bitter. Body is thin to med. Alcohol can be tasted . Not bad but the hopping is unilateral would have like to see a more complex bouquet.

500ml bottle. Pours deep amber with a small head. Very short retention. Nose is floral and piny hops. Some cooked veggies. Taste is bitter and a bit warm. A bit citrusy. Not a really good DIPA.

Clear amber with a fast disappearing white head. Very funky nose, almost cheesy and a little bit earthy. It says it is dry hopped, and I believe it was done with very bad hops. Really unpleasing nose. It’s all malt in the mouth, without much bitterness, and finishes overly sweet. Quite undrinkable beer and defenitely not a double IPA by any means.

In short: A below average IIPA.
How: Bottle 500ml. Consumed relatively fresh, two months after the beer release.
The look: Cloudy golden copper body topped by a medium beige head
In long: Nose of floral hops and stinky feet notes. Taste has gentle caramel, some cake malts, floral and fruity hops, mold, citric notes. Alcohol is apparent and annoying. Body is oily. The finish is a bit harsh. It is not the first time I get that stinky cat littler aroma/flavour from an IPA and I don’t know what causes it but it bothers me. I don’t know who Joseph Bellarmin is or what he’s done. I don’t know if he even exists. And if he does he’s probably just another one avoiding me.

Bottle: poured a bright medium burgundy color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma consists of floral hops with light citrus notes and good caramel malt backbone. Taste is a nice enough mix between some caramel malt with notes of floral hops with light citrus finish with timid bitterness. Body is about average with good carbonation and no signs of the alcohol. No bad but I would have like this better with more hops presence.

500 ml bottle, bought at JA Moison in Quebec City, September 24, 2009. Hazy caramel brown, medium head. Crisp hop aroma, slightly sweet and bitter. Citrus hop flavor, good bitterness, a touch of alcohol. Well made, well balanced, a good example of it’s style!