Microbrasserie 脌 La F没t's Kapibouska American Sour Pale Ale


In Manitoba, we don't tend to get many products from Quebec breweries. Generally we only get products from Unibroue, Glutenberg, Corsaire and McAuslan.. and for some reason the rare beer from Dunham or Trou du Diable out of the blue. As part of Liquor Marts' annual Coast to Coaster product campaign where they feature beers from all over Canada, they brought in Kapibouska by 脌 La F没t out of St-Tite, Quebec. I've had a few of 脌 La F没t's beers over the years and can only say good things about them as I've never had a bad beer yet!

Kapibouska is an American Sour Pale Ale brewed with Mosaic and Citra hops and tops out at 5.1% ABV. What's surprising is that the can is completely in English, which I never noticed until now.

Appearance: Kapibouska pours a cloudy golden straw with a moderate amount of carbonation and a light off-white head on top. Light amount of lacing on the glass so far. Update: Once I fill the rest of the beer into the glass, it looks more like a juicy orange juice-like NE IPA.

Aroma: Moderately sweet and tropical thanks to the Citra hops being used, so it gives off a hint of pineapple. The first time I had this, I had it out of the can and never read the label so I assumed it was kind of a NE IPA. In reality, it's supposed to be a Sour APA. There is a bit of a sour presence - but quite light. The sourness has a hint of a dry, white vinegar aroma to it and a hint of a barnyard funkiness.. but it's every so slight. Actually, it kind of reminds me the smell of summer.. a bit of that bug spray kind of smell that's supposed to give off a bit of citusy-like aromas so that you won't die from the disgustingness of typical bug sprays.

Taste: The sourness is popping up front, it's a sharp, acidic flavour with a very hefty dose of yeastiness that gives off a French baguette vibe to it. It's got a decent amount of tropical notes from the hops used so it has a bit of a pineapple and mangos. There's a light creamy flavour coming from lactose in here and has a moderately dry mouthfeel to it. The aftertaste is pretty minimal at best.. perhaps a bit of a breadiness of the yeast? Update.. again: The beer gets a bit noticeably more sour in every sip as I'm nearing the end, but for the most part, it's more sweet than sour.

Overall Thoughts: Definitely nowhere near as sour as most I've been trying out lately, but it's definitely worth the $5~ price point. It's moderately sweet/tropical, has a light sour presence that isn't overwhelming, a bit of a creaminess and even a hint of funkiness in the aroma. It's easy to drink and a great example of why Quebec's beer scene is always on my mind.

http://www.alafut.qc.ca/



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