Amedei Chuao Cioccolato Fondente Extra 70%

Manufacturer: Amedei
Cocoa Content: 70%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A+

It's not often I taste something for a review that is so far ahead of everything in its class that I want to make a new rating score above "A+". This is one of those times. Simply put, this is the best chocolate I have ever tasted bar-none.

The chocolate I am referring to is "Chuao" by Tuscan chocolate maker Amedei. Chuao is a peninsula on the coast of Venezuela whose plantation has been lauded as producing some of the finest cocoa in the world dating as far back as the colonization of the New World. Amedei makes their chocolate bar using beans solely from this plantation.

It's apparent immediately that this is a special chocolate bar as the packaging is rather unique. Breaking the seal allows you to unfold the heavy cardstock outer packaging. This reveals the foil-wrapped bar inside. The Chuao bar itself is a deep ruby-brown color. It breaks with a pleasing solid snap.

Once the Amedei Chuao hits the palate there is an instant rich chocolate flavor. This is followed by a tangy acidity. Both bitter and roasted notes are present in balance. There is a wealth of fruitiness with notes of sour cherries, plums, tart blackberries and a citrus note akin to fresh squeezed orange juice. There are also notes of bread, salt and almond. Chewing the Chuao bar brings forward coffee and earthiness followed by a squirt of lemonade. The finish lingers for a long while, and the various flavors present still develop for some time. The finish has a fruity acidic undertone along with cocoa, espresso and peanut butter. The mouthfeel is thick and smooth, with a touch of juiciness.

The Amedei Chuao is in a class by itself as far as dark chocolate bars go. It is big, bold and has an incredible flavor. Although chocolate makers have been making single source chocolates using cocoa from a specific region, chocolates sourced from a single plantation are showing excellent promise. To me, the Amedei Chuao is the Chateau d'Yquem of the chocolate world. While there is a premium on the price tag ($13 American for one standard-size bar when I bought mine), it is well worth it. This is a must-have for chocolate fans.

Pralus Papouasie

Manufacturer: Pralus
Cocoa Content: 75%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B+

Up for review today is "Papouasie" from the French chocolatier Pralus. This is a 75% cocoa chocolate bar made exclusively from Trinitario cacao beans from Papua New Guinea.

The Papouasie is a reddish mahogany in color. The flavor leads with a bitter kick along with a nice chocolate flavor. Acidity slowly builds to a moderate level that reminds me a bit of the tart bite of a New York-style cheesecake. There are citrus and plum notes as well. There are nutty notes of almond, marzipan and a hint of hazelnut. A sweet caramel note is also detectable.

Chewing the bar brings forward fruity notes of cherries and plums, as well as an acidic black coffee note. The finish has acidity and nuts and is fairly long and chocolatey. The Papouasie does have a slightly course texture, but it does smooth a bit as it melts.

The Papouasie has a pretty nice flavor profile, but it seems like something is missing that I can't put my finger on. The texture is a bit off as well. This bar seems like it's just on the edge of being great, but in its current form it's just "pretty good".

Michel Cluizel 1er Cru de Plantation Hacienda "Mangaro Noir"

Manufacturer: Michel Cluizel
Cocoa Content: 65%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A-

Up for review today is a chocolate from French chocolatier Michel Cluizel. The Mangaro Noir is from the Mangaro plantation on Madagascar. The 1er Cru de Plantation line is a somewhat rare practice in chocolate making. While many artisan chocolatiers have been using cocoa from a single country or growing region, this line of chocolates is using beans from an individual plantation. With wines, this generally translates to an increase in quality. The question here is how this translates to chocolate.

The Mangaro Noir is mahogany in color with a hint of yellow-orange undertones. This bar has a rich chocolate flavor. There is a prominent maraschino cherry flavor of note. There are some mild nutty notes along with some peanut butter. A wide array of fruity flavors present themselves along with a moderate level of acidity. Citrus, berry and plantain notes are all present on the palate. Chewing the bar opens up sweeter fruit notes of apples and pears. The finish has cocoa with blackberries. The Mangaro Noir has a creamy, slightly thin texture along with a slight cooling sensation from the acidity.

Overall, I was quite impressed with the Mangaro Noir. There are a wealth of fruity undertones that are highlighted by just the right amount of acidity. While I don't know whether single plantation chocolate will begin to command as much attention as a Chateau Lafite Rothschild, it does seem to produce some quality results. I am looking forward to trying some more chocolates in the 1er Cru de Plantation line.

Valrhona Guanaja

Manufacturer: Valrhona
Cocoa Content: 70%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B+

I recently stocked up my chocolate supply with a selection of artisan chocolates from Chocosphere. The good folks from Chocosphere were kind enough to include a sample from the French chocolatier Valhrona of their Grand Cru Guanaja dark chocolate (Guanaja is one of the Bay Islands off the north coast of Honduras).

The Valrhona Guanaja is ebony in color with a purplish hue. It has a rich chocolate flavor with nutty notes and a mild acidity. The bitterness builds with time and takes on an espresso-like quality. There is a subdued sweetness with notes of marshmallow. Fruitiness and acidity build with notes of cherry, citrus and plum. Chewing the chocolate brings forward hot cocoa, cherry and faint herbal notes. The finish is mellow and balanced between fruity and bitter notes.

The Valrhona Guanaja is well-balanced and is loaded with complex flavors. In fact, it seems almost too balanced, and it's hard to put a finger on any one defining characteristic. The flavor did seem a bit subdued for my tastes as well. I can see why the Valrhona Guanaja is such a renowned chocolate, but I'm looking for flavor that is a bit bigger than what this bar has to offer.

Samuel Adams Imperial White

Brewery: The Boston Beer Company
Location: Boston, MA
Style: Witbier
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Up for tasting today the Samuel Adams Imperial White. The Imperial Series is Samuel Adams's line of big beers. The Imperial White is a Belgian White style ale brewed at a whopping 10.3% ABV. The Imperial White is amber-red in color with a haze that has chunky clumps of sediment floating in it. The beer has a short, off-white head. The nose has notes of buttered bread and orange.

The Sam Adams Imperial White has a bit of a tart twang to it, along with some sweetness. The malt has a wheaty quality to it. There are notes of orange and yeast on the palate, as well as a bit of butteriness. There is some alcohol to note, but the beer is not as strong as 10.3% alcohol would seem. The finish has a lambic-like tartness along with butter and wheaty malt notes. The Samuel Adams Imperial White is fairly heavy bodied with a rich, clinging, syrupy mouthfeel.

For the sake of fair disclosure, I must admit up front that I am generally not a big fan of the White Ale style. Having said that, this is a unique interpretation of the style that I rather enjoyed. While the more popular witbiers tend to be lighter-bodied, similar to a hefeweizen, the Sam Adams Imperial White is much richer and fuller-bodied. The fruit notes typical to the style are present here but sit nicely in balance. If you're a Blue Moon fan looking to branch out, the Samuel Adams Imperial White is well worth a taste.

Scrimshaw Pilsner

Brewery: North Coast Brewing Co.
Location: Fort Bragg, CA
Style: Pilsner
Brewery Website
Rating: B-

Up next for review we have the Scrimshaw Pilsner from North Coast Brewing Company. The Scrimshaw Pilsner is golden yellow in color with a very faint haze. There are some fine bubbles that rise in the glass. The nose is led by a lagery malt aroma with notes of herbal and piny hops.

On the palate, the Scrimshaw Pilsner has a light, wheaty lager malt flavor. There is a mild acidity and some citrus notes. There is a very mild hops bitter undertone. The Scrimshaw Pilsner has a light-to-medium body with a light foamy mouthfeel. The finish is rather short, with wheaty malt notes.

The Scrimshaw Pilsner is rather light in flavor for my tastes. There isn't much in the way of hops going on here. This is a beer best suited to hot summers and tailgating. If you're a Bud/Miller/Coors drinker looking for an upgrade then this would be a really good place to start.

Ipswich IPA

Brewery: Mercury Brewing Company
Location: Ipswich, MA
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: B

Up for review today is the Ipswich IPA from Mercury Brewing Company. The Ipswich IPA pours a 3-finger thick, foamy, golden-tan head. It is amber-brown in color and quite hazy do to its unfiltered nature. The nose has fruity notes of cherries, plums and and the distinct grapefruit aroma of Cascade hops. There is also a sweet malty aroma akin to sweet bread.

The Ipswich IPA has a hoppy, bitter kick. There are notes of yeast and wheat toast. There is a hint of acidity and mineral notes. The hops has pine and cherry flavors, as well as a strong bitterness reminiscent of very strong coffee. The finish has lingering bitterness similar to unsweetened cocoa. The Ipswich IPA has a medium-to-heavy body with a chewy mouthfeel along with a touch of juiciness.

The Ipswich IPA has a fairly unique flavor profile as far as IPA's go. For my tastes, I find that the unfiltered nature of this beer clashes a bit with what I expect from an IPA. It just seems a bit too heavy and not quite crisp enough for my tastes in an IPA. While this is still quite a good beer, this translation of the IPA seems to fall a little short for me.

Long Trail Pale Ale

Brewery: Long Trail Brewing Co.
Location: Bridgewater Corners, Vt
Style: Pale Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: A

Today's beer up for review is Long Trail's Pale Ale. The Long Trail Pale Ale is golden amber in color. It pours a light-tan, foamy head that leaves behind a nice lace trail down the glass. The nose has a huge bouquet of hops, with notes of pine, grapefruit and juniper.

The Long Trail Pale Ale has fruity hops notes and malt up front. The hops bitterness builds over sweet cereal and wheat toast malt notes. The hops give a resinous bitter kick with notes of lemongrass, pine and grapefruit. The finish has bitter hops over a background of sweet malt. The Long Trail Pale Ale has a medium body that is well-matched to the full flavor of this beer.

The Long Trail Pale Ale is a hop-forward pale ale with a solid malt backbone. This beer just smells awesome, and the flavor has all the hops diversity that the nose detects. The Long Trail Pale Ale is simply one of the best American Pale Ales out there right now.

Unibroue Maudite

Brewery: Unibroue
Location: Chambly, Quebec
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: A

It was a slow week on the site last week, so I'm making it up to you this week by starting off with reviews of a pair of top-notch beers. First up is Maudite from Unibroue. Unibroue is renowned for their extraordinarily complex, Belgian-style ales aged "on lees" in the bottle. And Maudite is arguably the cream of the crop from Unibroue.

The Maudite is deep, ruddy amber in color. It pours with a light tan, bubbly head that fades rather fast. The nose is complex with toasted notes, raisins, orange peel and rye bread. It also has aromas reminiscent of a Belgian White ale as well as dry white wine.

On the palate, the Maudite has notes of raisins and toasted rye bread. There are flavors of orange, port wine and a very faint buttery note. Flavors of berry preserves and mineral water are perceptible in the background. The Maudite has a warming wininess. There is a touch of residual sugar remaining as well as a faint, lambic-like acidity. The finish has flavors of off-dry wine with herbal and lambic-fruit undertones. The Unibroue Maudite has a clingy, drying mouthfeel and a fairly heavy body.

Unibroue really nails it on this one. The Maudite has great complexity with nothing out of balance. If you like Belgian-style ales (that includes fans of Belgian Whites) and you haven't tried Maudite yet, then you owe it to yourself to try this ASAP.

Godiva 85% Extra Dark Santo Domingo Chocolate Bar

Manufacturer: Godiva
Cocoa Content: 85%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A-

Next up from Godiva is a single-source chocolate bar from Santo Domingo. This 85% Extra Dark chocolate is ebony in color. The bar has a bitter kick up front, but the bitterness is not too overpowering. There is a moderate, well-balanced amount of acidity. This bar has a rich chocolate flavor with a wealth of complex undertones. Notes of hazelnuts, peanuts and espresso are present. There are earthy notes of tobacco, ash and leather. In addition, there are fruity notes of cherry and blackberry as well as a faint citrus note. Chewing the bar enphasizes the fruitiness with powerful notes of cherries and raspberries. The finish has lingering bitterness with peanut butter and espresso notes. The Godiva 85% Santo Domingo has a smooth, thick, mouth-coating texture.

The 85% Extra Dark Santo Domingo from Godiva has some deep chocolate flavor with some nice complexity. Although I still prefer chocolates in the 70% cocoa range, I have developed a significant appreciation for the complexity that opens up at the 85% level. Godiva has a real winner on their hands with this 85% cocoa bar. This one is highly recommended to my fellow dark chocoholics.

Godiva 72% Cocoa Dark Chocolate

Manufacturer: Godiva Chocolatier
Cocoa Content: 72%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B

Up for review today is a 72% Cocoa Dark Chocolate bar from Godiva. This is a thin bar that is dark purplish-brown in color. The pieces break off with a crisp snap. The bar has a rich, chocolate flavor. It seems rather sweet for a 72% cocoa bar. There is only a faint acidity and minimal bitterness. There are notes of peanuts, honey and lemonade. Chewing the bar brings forward notes of vanilla, cocoa and almonds. The finish is remiscent of hot cocoa. The Godiva 72% bar has a smooth, mouth-coating texture.

The Godiva 72% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Bar has a powerful chocolate flavor and seems more sweet than bitter for a chocolate at 72% cocoa. The flavor is pretty straightforward, but it is quite enjoyable nonetheless. It would make a great beginner dark chocolate for someone who isn't into the bitterness of very dark chocolate.

Hot n' Saucy Wings

While everyone's eagerly awaiting our next review (should have one up later tonight), I thought I'd share a link to a favorite blog of mine: Hot n' Saucy Wings. What could possibly be better with the beers we're reviewing here than some spicy buffalo wings? The site reviews buffalo wings along with other types of wings. It is mainly based out of the Northeast, with some occasional reviews from all over the US. It's well worth your time to check out.

(Hot tip: if you're in the Southeastern New England area, you need to check out Wendell's in Norton, MA)

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA

Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Location: Milton, DE
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: A+

We're saving the best for last for our IPA Extravaganza on Critical Tastings. The 90-Minute IPA from Dogfish Head is the big brother of their 60 Minute IPA, and is brewed with 90 minutes of continuous additions of hops during the boil. The 90 Minute IPA is golden amber-red in color. It pours with a huge, golden, foamy head. The nose is dominated by a big, fruity hop-citrus aroma, along with a hint of sweet, bready malt.

The 90-Minute IPA has bitter hops up front on the palate along with a sweet cereal note from the malt. The hops flavors are led by citrus (orange peel being the most notable citrus flavor), along with some floral and herbal hops notes. While the hops steals the show in this beer, the sweet malt plays a nice counterpoint and helps open up a variety of complex flavors. There are flavors of caramel and whiskey. In addition there are notes of wine, oak, earth, and salt along with a faint minerality. There is a long, hoppy finish with citrus and bitter hops over a background of sweet maltiness. The 90 Minute IPA has a medium body that stands up to its big, complex flavor.

Dogfish Head has another winner on their hands with their 90-Minute IPA. There is a powerful hops flavor that is assertive without being overpowering. The malt and alcohol are present in just the right balance to open up a higher level of complexity without detracting from the hops. The Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA is everything I want in an IPA and then some.

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Location: Milton, DE
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

The Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA is one of several IPA's in Dogfish Head's series of continuously-hopped IPA's. This means that hops are continuously added during the boil in the brewing process (in this case over the course of 60 minutes). The 60-Minute IPA is golden in color with a hint of amber. It pours with 1-finger of bubbly white head. The nose has hop flowers, pine and a fruity/citrus aroma from the hops. There are also some malt notes in the back along with a bit of earthiness and some toasted aromas.

On the palate, the 60 Minute IPA initially presents malt and floral hops notes. Bitter and piny hops notes then begin to show up, in balance with the malt and floral hops. There are winy alcohol and mineral notes present as well. The finish has herbal and fruity hops along with some bitterness over some sweet malt notes. The Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA is medium bodied with some crisp fizziness.

The Dogfish Head 60-Minute IPA is crisp and refreshing with some great hop flavor. It may not have the intensity of its bigger cousins, but it is rather reminiscent of a good, hoppy amber. Fans of Red Seal Ale and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale should check this one out.

Victory Hop Devil Ale

Brewery: Victory Brewing Company
Location: Downingtown, PA
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: A

Up next for review we have the Hop Devil Ale, an IPA from Victory Brewing. The Hop Devil is a deep, golden amber-red in color. It poured a huge, off-white, frothy head. The nose has citrus, stone fruit, juniper and pine from the hops, along with a faint hint of malt.

On the palate the Hop Devil leads with some malt up front. The bitter hops present themselves well, but without too much of a bite. A wide array of hops flavors are present, including juniper, pine, lemon and fresh herbs. There is also a sweet maltiness and a touch of cucumber. The finish is balanced between hops and a lingering sweet maltiness. The Hop Devil has a medium body that is well-matched to the full flavor.

The Hop Devil is just about everything you can ask for in an IPA. It has a full, rich flavor. There is a broad spectrum of hops flavors and aromas without too much bite. The Victory Hop Devil is just a great, fruity, flavorful IPA.

Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA

Brewery: Harpoon Brewery
Location: Boston, MA
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Tonight we have the Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA. This is a big IPA, weighing in at at 10% ABV. The Leviathan IPA is golden amber in color, and looks a bit on the light side for a big IPA. It pours with a thick, bubbly, off-white head that leaves a trail of sticky lace on the glass as it recedes. The nose has piney and floral hops aromas, along with some grapefruit and a hint of sweet malt.

The Leviathan IPA has a hoppy twinge up front and the bitterness slowly ramps up from there. There are notes of winy alcohol, sweet cereal malt, bubblegum and sweet corn. The hops flavor is led by floral and herbal notes, along with some pine. There is a long, herbal-hop finish with lingering bitterness. The body is on the heavy side with a tannin-like astringency.

The Leviathan IPA is rather unique in the way the hops take on primarily a floral/herbal flavor profile. Matched with a bit of sweet maltiness way in the background, and the bitter notes from the hops, these flavors are reminiscent of an herbaceous liqueur. While these flavors are tucked away in the background it does add an interesting layer of complexity to the flavor profile. This is quite an interesting take on an IPA without reaching way out into left field.

Magic Hat Lucky Kat

Brewery: Magic Hat Brewing Company
Location: South Burlington, VT
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: B

On tap for review (well, in-bottle actually) we have Lucky Kat, which is the year-round IPA from Magic Hat. The Lucky Kat is ruddy-amber in color with a slight haze and very fine bubbles rising. It pours with a 2-finger, foamy, off-white head. The nose is on the faint side, with pine and herbal hops alongside a touch of sweet, bready malt.

At first taste, the Lucky Kat leads off with smooth malt as bitter hops start to fade in. There are notes of pine as well as faint citrus on the hops side. There is also a bit of a faint "eurolager" note in the background. The finish has more bitter hops which are rather mild for an IPA, but linger pleasantly. Lucky Kat has a light-to-medium body and is quite drinkable for an IPA. Balanced without being overpowering, The Lucky Kat IPA from Magic Hat is a great intro IPA for the hop newbie.

Stone Ruination IPA

Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Location: Escondido, CA
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: A

Up next for review is the Ruination IPA from Stone. The Ruination is deep gold in color with a touch of amber. It has a bit of haziness that reminds me of fresh-squeezed lemonade. The Ruination IPA pours with a clumpy, 2-finger thick, off-white head. On the nose, the Centennial hops jump right up your nostrils and hit you with a wallop of white grapefruit. (This, my friends, is a good thing.) The overall aroma is straight-ahead citrus with just a touch of yeasty bread and some sweet notes way in the back.

On the palate, there is a fruity hop bite. The hop flavors run the gamut from citrus/grapefruit to pine and hop-resin. Overall, the flavor is well balanced between the bitter hops and aromatics. There is a touch of sweet, grainy malt, along with some cherry, plum and alcohol notes. There is a long, clinging finish of bitter hops with some hop fruitiness. There is some slight astringency, and an overall light-to-medium body that I find to be enjoyably smooth for all the hoppiness.

Stone has another winner on their hands with the Ruination IPA. This is one for big-time hopheads to savor.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

Brewery: Sierra Nevada
Location: Chico, CA
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Up for review today is the Torpedo Extra IPA from Sierra Nevada. As the name implies, this is a big India Pale Ale, weighing in at 7.2% ABV. The Torpedo is reddish amber in color, with quite a bit of fine bubbles rising. The head is 1-finger thick, clumpy and ivory in color. On the nose there are citrus and herbal notes as well as the aroma of fresh pine needles all attributable to the hops. In addition some bread notes from the malt are also present on the nose.

On the palate there is a fair bit of malt up front before the hops take over. There are citrus and pine notes as well as a resinous, deep bitter hop bite. Flavors of salt and bread are also notable. On the finish, the bitter hops flavors slowly fade, leaving a lingering bready malt flavor. The Torpedo is medium bodied with a fair amount of astringency.

The Torpedo Extra IPA has a powerful bitter hop flavor, with aromatic hops notes and bready malt playing backup. If you like bitter beer, the Torpedo is right up your alley. Well-recommended for the hopheads out there.

Offshore India Pale Ale

Brewery: Offshore Ale Brewing Co.
Location: Martha's Vineyard, MA
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: B

On tap today we have an IPA from Offshore Ale Brewing Company on the island of Martha's Vineyard. The Offshore IPA is golden amber with a slight reddish tint. It is very hazy. I'm not sure if I accidentally bumped or shook the bottle before pouring, but I got a huge fist-sized head. The head is light tan in color and both creamy and foamy. The nose picks up fruit, flower and pine from the hops, along with a dose of sweetness and bread.

The palate picks up bready malt along with floral and piny hop notes. There is a medium bitter hop kick. There are also some berry flavors detectable. On the finish, the piney bitter hops linger paired with some faint bready notes. The Offshore IPA is medium-bodied with bit of astringency.

The Offshore IPA is a very drinkable beer that is well balanced between malt and hops. Its only downfall is that it is actually a bit too balanced for an IPA, which is a very hop-forward style. If this was billed as a Pale Ale I would probably have rated this higher. The Offshore IPA drinks more like an American Pale Ale with a hoppy kick. Fans of Red Seal and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale would do well to check this one out.

IPA Extravaganza

When I first kicked off this blog, I mentioned that IPA's are one of my favorite styles of beer. So why have I only reviewed one IPA so far? Because I've been saving them up for just such an occasion. Prepare for a week of India Pale Ale overload.

Kilwin's Authentic Origin Collection 65% Ecuadorian Chocolate

Manufacturer: Kilwin's
Cocoa Content: 65%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: C+

Up next from Kilwin's Authentic Origin Collection is their 65% cocoa chocolate bar from Ecuador. This bar is dark brown in color with a hint of purple-red. On the palate the dominant flavor is sweet cocoa. There are notes of cherries, graham cracker, and hazelnuts. Chewing the chocolate brings forward stronger hazelnut flavors along with cherries and almonds. The mouthfeel is smooth, but rather thin and slightly waxy.

Unfortunately, this is strike two for Kilwin's in my book. While there is some flavor complexity present, I still find this chocolate to be thin, watered-down and just overall "blah" tasting much like the 70% Tanzanian bar from Kilwin's that I tasted recently. I was really tempted to buy one of each of their bars when I first saw them, and now I am rather happy that I didn't.

Unibroue Trois Pistoles

Brewery: Unibroue
Location: Chambly, Quebec
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Unibroue is a renowned Canadian brewery that is well-known for their distinctive beers. Almost all of their beers are aged "on lees". This means the yeast and solids remaining from the brewing process remain in the bottle and lead to a second fermentation that provides natural carbonation. This generally leads to more complexity and good aging potential (and provides an excellent source of B-vitamins as well!).

The Trois Pistoles is dark cola-brown in color with a significant amount of haze. There is a thick, fizzy head that is off-white in color. The nose has fruit, wine and a faint butteriness. There is a rich scent that is almost meaty in aroma.

On the palate, the Trois Pistoles is reminiscent of a very dry wine. It is as if someone took a malty beer and removed all of the sweetness from it. There is a faint bitter bite and a hint of acidity. Notes of woodiness and mustiness are present. There is a touch of butteriness reminiscent of some Belgian White Ales. There is a rich, coating mouthfeel and a heavy body.

The Trois Pistoles is a very rich beer that would be well suited to accompany a hearty beef stew. My only issue is the flavor is personally just not my cup of tea. In particular, the butteriness seems a bit out of place. Regardless of my personal tastes, the amount of dryness really leads to the Trois Pistoles being a unique, complex beer.