This weekend at Bar Volo, they’re having a series of tastings and events based around the launch of a number of Products from MicroBrasserie Charlevoix. This is the second such launch from Bar Volo, who are also the brains behind HMH Negotiants, which is dedicated to importing quality beers from other provinces which are typically unavailable through the LCBO. I don’t claim to understand the byzantine process of importing beers from other provinces, but it seems as though the relatively draconian strictures of the LCBO make it unlikely that beers from outside of Ontario would be likely to find a place in Ontario without the work of startups like HMH or Cecktor. Tasting the beers from Charlevoix, it’s difficult to understand why anyone wouldn’t jump at the chance to open up the Ontario market to them.
The media tasting which I attended this afternoon was a showcase of a brewery that is doing a great number of things the right way. MicroBrasserie Charlevoix was started in 1998 and the range of beers offered as examples of their output is extremely impressive. The nine beers that are on offer all possess distinct character, and this is a result of the constant process of refinement that the brewers have undertaken over the last thirteen years. In 2009, they acquired a state of the art production facility.
I spoke at some length with Caroline Bandulet about one of the Charlevoix products that I had tried at Mondiale in June: Charlevoix Brut. I essentially wanted to know what possesses a brewer to attempt and create a beer with Champagne yeast. Experiencing it for the first time in Montreal, it seemed like a new concept to me and one which seemed slightly baffling. Apparently, they have been working on the Brut since 1999 and over the course of the interim period it has gone through a number of changes including choice of packaging (the style of bottle has changed since the inception of the product) and choice of yeast strain.
I realized while she was talking about the difficulty of creating a high quality, dependably consistent product that the Brut is not a departure for Charlevoix. They simply think it’s worth doing and for that reason they have spent twelve years working on making it happen. This is an important characteristic of their process: They are working daily to make their products better. They are making small, but important, changes. Constantly. Because they believe it’s worth doing.
This is the kind of operational philosophy that explains why a thirteen year old brewery is able to boast such a range of high quality beers which are so completely distinct from each other. They essentially have two categories of beer: La Vache Folle, which is fermented using an English yeast strain and Dominus Vobiscum, which is fermented with a Belgian yeast strain. I jotted down some of my impressions:
La Vache Folle ESB – 6.0%: My initial thought is that this wasn’t an ESB. I’m primarily used to English style ESBs and this is slightly different. It’s lighter in colour than I would have assumed an ESB to be, but the fruit character is there. And there’s slightly more hop character than you’d usually get in an English style. It’s interesting in that it’s a different approach to a traditional style which manages to meet many of the expectations of that style while coming at the problem from a non-traditional direction.
La Vache Folle Amarillo Double IPA – 9.0%: This is a Double IPA highlighting a single variety of hops: Amarillo. It certainly doesn’t taste like it’s 9.0% alcohol, mostly because the hop character disguises it on the palate. Amarillo is a very citrusy hop and I was reminded of Rose’s Lime Cordial and slightly overripe pink grapefruit. I have had Double IPA’s that are aggressively bitter, but this was practically candy-like and made for very easy drinking
Dominus Vobiscum Grand Reserva Hibernus ’09 – 10%: This is a Belgian Strong Ale, and when I was attempting to determine which beers to try this afternoon, I was warned that this was very spicy. It is extremely spicy, but it also contained a number of fruit notes. I sat for a couple of minutes attempting to come up with a list of things that I was tasting (many of the things on the list had question marks beside them), but ended up completely sidetracked when I realized what food I would pair it with. The best explanation that I can give you about this beer is that it needs to go with Tortiere. It absolutely has to. In a perfect world everyone would come back from Christmas Eve mass, and have a large, warming glass of this with a slice of homemade Tortiere. Looking at the trade description I realized I wasn’t far off even without the adequate tasting vocabulary: “A salutary elixir that will comfort you from the wintry season’s frigid grasp. It will indeed warm and enliven your soul even when our glacial winter doesn’t want to let up.”
Dominus Vobiscum Grand Reserva Lupulus ’09 – 10%: This is a hoppy Belgian Tripel, and it’s a good one. I saved this for last, and I have to say that it’s an interesting departure from the standard Tripel. I found myself comparing it to other hoppy Belgian Tripels favourably for the simple reason that the alcohol is not aggressive. The hops (Amarillo, Simcoe and Saaz) are present, but they’re not overpowering. It’s subtle and balanced, where other beers that I have tried in this style are brash. I like it for its sophistication.
The tasting didn’t consist only of beer. There were a selection of cheeses from the Charlevoix region, a selection of chocolates from Chocosol and some very nice pulled pork sliders. One of the most interesting developments of the tasting was that people were encouraged to try the La Vache Folle Imperial Milk Stout mixed with a cold chocolate beverage from Chocosol.
Think about this for a moment. Frederick and Caroline have come to promote their products all the way from Baie St. Paul. They know that their Imperial Milk Stout is of very high quality and that it can stand on its own. It doesn’t need the gimmick of added chocolate. But they’re actively encouraging people to play with it; they want you to have fun. Caroline even mentioned that the Dominus Vobiscum Blanche is good mixed with orange juice.
The Charlevoix range of beers come from one of the greatest food regions in Canada, famed for its artisanal cheeses and the operational philosophy of the brewery is clearly also of an artisanal bent, given the attention to detail and constant refinement of their products over the last decade. The message is clear, though. These are not products intended to be revered. These are beers meant to be enjoyed. The brewers are so confident in their beers that they don’t require you to sit there in serious contemplation.
Fortunately, it’s not too late to get in on the action. The Bar Volo launch party will run until midnight tonight and tomorrow you can go and watch the folks from Charlevoix, Biergotter and Bar Volo collaborate on a special brew. I have the feeling it’ll be a corker.