Microbrasserie Archibald visit on 26-Aug-2016
Nuit Blanche White IPA at 6% ABV 7/10
Appearance: hazy pale gold with a short white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grapefruit, grassy, caramel, hint of Belgian yeast. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry bitter finish. (4/5)
Not bad at all. The bitterness builds as the pint progresses, making it a decently respectable IPA. Not sure I’m getting a whole lot of Belgian floral or fruit character here, but to be fair, they’re not claiming it’s “Belgian”, just “white”. And it’s definitely that, so… pretty good… I guess? (14/20)
La Ciboire English IPA at 5.6% ABV 6.5/10
Appearance: hazy medium gold with one finger of rocky white head, good retention and moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: pine, earth, pale malt. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (6/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry bitter finish. (4/5)
Not quite as good as the white version, which was at least fairly citrus-dominant. This starts off a bit piney, but then becomes more earthy, tending to muddy. English means noble hops, and earthy kind of goes with the territory there, sure, but this seems a bit muddled. Not terrible, and at least it’s got an unabashed lingering bitterness going for it. (13/20)
Désirée India Session Ale at 4.2% ABV
Appearance: slightly hazy pale straw with one finger of rocky white head, moderate retention and lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grassy, light citrus, pale crackery malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, short duration bitter finish. (4/5)
I actually quite like this. Punches a bit above its weight when it comes to bitterness – the lighter body and lower sweetness work to emphasise the fairly moderate IBUs, to good effect. A pretty decent example of how you can have decent flavour and bitterness without a heavy malt presence and associated ABV. I could actually drink a lot of these on a hot patio some time. (14/20)
All in all? I’ve been in worse airport bars. At the end of the day, it’s a microbrewery, with at least two fairly decent beers. Loud, crowded, hot, and small, yes. But, y’know, if I weren’t waiting for the wife and kids to show up, that could actually be considered a positive. If you’re flying through YUL, give it a chance.
#ryansbooze ryansbooze.com