Microbrasserie Charlevoix La Vache Folle ESB Premium Bitter / ESB at 6% ABV (C$5.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 500 ml, bottle date 22-Jul-2014)
Pours very slightly hazy pale amber with two fingers of rocky light tan head, excellent retention and lacing. (4/5) Nose is caramel malt, bready yeast, mild floral. (7/10) Taste is mild sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium bodied, moderate carbonation, fairly quick bitter finish. (4/5)
Charlevoix are a solid brewery who produce consistently excellent beers. And as the style goes, this is a pretty good ESB. The problem is, even a pretty good ESB is fairly pedestrian fare. A little variation on the theme would have been welcome – maybe a little dry hopping to produce a more floral nose, for example? Don’t get me wrong, I could easily session this, and I’d like to try it on tap – but it’s not as much fun as the rest of their brews are. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
