Tag Archives: le trou du diable

Drink Smarter (Education Through Consumption)

by Mike

Do you want to learn more about beer?  Do you want to do a guided personal or corporate tasting?

Vancouver now has a way to do this in Drink Smarter.

Paul Pyne is a certified Cicerone and a craft beer consultant.  Not only is he a Cicerone but he is also an Industry Professional and an Instructor in craft beer courses.

If you are wanting to get into craft beer he can do a guided tasting of some good entry level beers.  He can also do very specialized tastings be it to a certain style, Country or Theme.  These tastings are not limited to private events either you can also have these tasting for your company.  Recently I was invited out to a specialized tasting with a few of my industry counterparts.  Seeing as we are not just your average consumer Paul set us up with some seriously cool beers.

I have lost my notes of the beers we tasted but the following are what we tried.

Gulden Draak – 2016 Limited Edition Aged in Whisky Barrels 03/2016.
Brekeriet – Sourley Wine (Sour Barley Wine)
Hornbeer – Caribbean Rumstout
Straffe Hendrik – Heritage 2015 Quadrupel a Armagnac Oak Aged Ale
Le Trou du Diable – L’Ours

This was one of the best tastings I have every been to.  The beers were amazing and Paul had done a tone of research about the breweries and the beers themselves.  I would highly recommend checking out one of this tastings or hiring him for a private tasting and education session. 

http://www.drinksmarter.ca

paul@drinksmarter.ca

https://www.facebook.com/DrinkSmarter.ca/

La Buteuse – Le Trou du Diable

by Mike

O’hare’s Beer Club February 2014 Box

From Shawinigan, Quebec’s Le Trou du Diable comes their “La Buteuse” a Belgian Triple.  The beer pours an amber colour with a creamy champagne like white head.  The aroma consists of fruits, spices, sugar and sweet malts.  The flavour is of fruits, spices, yeast, hops bitterness, citrus rind, sugar, honey and an alcohol warmth.  The alcohol content comes in at 10% with an IBU of 30.  This is a great Belgian Triple and I will be buying it again in the future.

Commercial Description (Translated from French):  Amber beer topped with a rich lather. Her dress full of fine champagne bubbles leads with her perfumes sugar and exotic spices. The whole is supported by the warmth of the alcohol and its intoxicating scent.

Food Pairing according to O’hare’s Beer Club notes are as follows:  Honey glazed ham, shellfish, Thai Dishes

Click here to check out the February 2014 Box

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4 Course Quebecois Beer Pairing Dinner – March 11, 2014

by Mike

On March 11, 2014 the August Jack and Untapped Craft Importers collaborated on a beer dinner.  All 4 courses were french inspired as the beer was from two Quebec breweries Le Trou De Diable and Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel.  Tickets for the dinner were $50 plus tip.  This beer dinner was much different than any other that I had been to as this was not a big group dinner that started at a set time (If I had known I would probably come with someone).  The soft start for this dinner was 5pm but you could come at any time after 5.  Once their you could start the dinner menu.

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First Course
Bruleed Poach PearGoat’s Cheese
Lavender Flower & Ginger Poach
Pea Shoots
Paired with:  Dieu Du Ciel – Derniere Volonte (Belgian IPA)

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I don’t usually like pears but these were quite tasty.  The sweetness of the pear went well with the fruity Belgian yeast in the beer.  Being a Belgian IPA the bitterness of the hops contrasted with sweetness also.

Second Course
Duck Confit Poutine
Crispy Duck Fat Fries
Porter Duck Demi-Glace
Duck Confit
Fresh Cheese Curds
Paired with:  Le Trou Du Diable – La Buteuse (Belgian Triple)

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This was an amazing putine.  The duck Confit was amazing with tons of flavour.  The fries had tons of flavour as they were fried in duck fat.  I would have liked a bit more demi-glace on top of the cheese curds so they would melt a bit but the curds tasted amazing.  This Belgian Triple had allot of flavour which goes well with the big flavour of the putine.

Third Course
Venison Leek Tourtiere
Grilled mango Chutney
Crispy Fried Brussel Sprouts
Paired With:  Le Trou Du Diable – Tractor Saison

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The Venison Tourtiere was amazingly tasty with wild game meat.  The sasion paired well with the crust of the tourtiere with the wheat in the beer.  The beer also paired well with the sweetness of the mango chutney.  I have always loved fried brussel sprouts so its always good to have them on any plate.

Fourth Course
Flight of Quevecois Cheeses & Accoutremonts
Grey Owl – Ahe-ripened goat.  Fromagerie le Detour, Notre-Dame-du-Lac
Le Mont Jacob – Washed-rind Cow.  Fromagerie Blackburn
Bleu d’Elizabeth – Blue Veined, Semi-soft, Cow.  Fromagerie du Presbytere
Dieu Du Diel – Rigor Mortis (Belgian Quadrupel)

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These are some big cheeses with a big beer!  The big fruit flavours and alcohol was able to keep up with the strength of flavour of the cheeses.  I don’t usually eat blue cheese but I did try this one with a spicy mustered and it was quite tasty.  The fresh made toasts were really good with the cheese as well.

This was a great dinner and was just enough food to fill you up.  Next time I go to a dinner here I will be sure to bring a few friends as it is a bit different doing a meal like this alone.  Thanks to the guys at Untapped for inviting me out to this dinner!

Full Sized Photos here

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O’hare’s Beer Club – February 2014

by Mike

Its a new year and its time for some New Beer!  See what I did there haha.  Well again somehow O’hare’s has managed to put a box of beer together that I have had very few of!

Drum Roll Please!

Beer Included is as follows:

Skagit River Brewery – Farm to Market ESB
Hornbeer- Hornbeer the Fundamental Blackhorn
Elysian Brewing – Split Shot Espresso Milk Stout
Le Trou De Diable – Buteuse (belgian triple)
Occidental – Altbier
Caldera Brewing – Hopportunity Knocks
Old Yale Brewing – Larry’s Irish Cream Stout
Fernie Brewing Co – Snowblind Belgian IPA

Reviews will come as I enjoy the Beer.  Once again O’hare’s has outdone themselves!  Thanks O’hare’s!!!

O’Hare’s Gastropub & Liquor Store
5031 Steveston Hwy
Richmond BC
V7E 2K5
Liquor Store 604-241-4313
info@ohares.ca
http://www.ohares.ca/Store

Click here to check out the O’hare’s August 2012 Beer Club Box.
Click here to check out the O’hare’s October 2012 Beer Club Box.
Click here to check out the O’hare’s December 2012 Beer Club Box.
Click here to check out the O’hare’s February 2013 Beer Club Box.
Click here to check out the O’hare’s April 2013 Beer Club Box.
Click here to check out the O’hare’s June 2013 Beer Club Box.
Click here to check out the O’hare’s August 2013 Beer Club Box.
Click here to check out the O’hare’s October 2013 Beer Club Box.
Click here to check out the O’hare’s December 2013 Beer Club Box.

L’Imperatrice – Le Trou du Diable

by Mike

From Shawinigan, Quebec’s Le Trou du Diable comes their “L’Imperatrice” an Imperial Stout aged in American bourbon barrels.  The beer pours an opaque black with a brown head.  The aroma consists of roasted malts, dark fruits, vanilla and whiskey.  The flavour is of roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, smoke, dark fruits, berries, oak and some mild funk at the end.  The alcohol content comes in at 9%.  This beer is not one to toy with but my oh my is it drinkable!  Look past the sticker shock and pick yourself up a bottle!  You will not be disappointed!

Commercial Description poorly translated from French:  This imperial stout aged in American bourbon barrels shows hints of malt grilled on bottom of coffee, chocolate and vanilla caramel. The mouth, velvety and sweet, is supported by a sagacious presence of alcohol that gives it looks like a fine liqueur. This stout is brewed to high density and strong hopping since once, he had to make long road towards the Basque country and Russia, where it was highly prized by the Imperial Court. Aging was Bourbon does that add to the complexity and richness of what all the sovereigns, regents, monarchs, tsars and emperors in the soul dream of drink.

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