Merci Jack over at Eclectic Beverages for sending this my way! A few months ago a few select beers from Quebec's Boréale (Les Brasseurs du Nord) made its way to Manitoba for the very first time, exclusively at the Quality Beer Store. This month Boréale brought its famous IPA du Nord-Est (a revisit of the beer coming soon) and their Scotch Ale du Nord to Manitoba. The day I received the package from Jack a friend from the US told me about the time I introduced him to Boréale's beer back in 2006 while we were spending the summer in Quebec City, I recall drinking a lot of Boréale that summer but I didn't realize I was influential on getting other people to try craft beer as far back as then.
From the website: Our Scotch Ale is strong in character, flavour, and alcohol. This winter-equipped creation gives you a good reason to love the cold! To create a Scotch ale we could call our own, we caramelised the wort with a very long boiling process. The result is a beer with smoky caramel notes that guarantees to tantalize your taste buds! 7.5% ABV / 18 IBU
Appearance: Pours very dark brown with a bit of a mahogany colour to it, a bit darker than your typical Scotch Ales but pretty reminiscent nonetheless. The head is very faint with a light beige hue to it but diminishes to a grand total of two or three bubbles fairly quickly, almost as if the beer is flat but I know it won't be as there's a bit of carbonation in the murky body, and the canning date was only a month ago.
Aroma: Sweet notes of caramel, raisin, a bit of nuttiness, a hint of wood and a bit of a syrupiness at the end. Pretty reminiscent to a couple Bocks I've sampled recently. Sweet brown bread notes at the end.
Taste: The first thing I get as it hits the tastebuds is a smokiness that disappears almost immediately, followed by a very sweet caramel flavour to it that's almost syrupy. It has a bit of a brown bread in liquid form kind of vibe to it, a light roasted malt presence to it. Notes of raisin, a hint of woodiness and a light to moderate bitterness at the end. Fairly smooth on palate and has a bit of a peat-like aftertaste at the end.
Overall Thoughts: I feel like I've had this beer a long, long time ago but apparently I haven't - Then again, I've sampled many Scotch Ales in Quebec over the years. Pretty much what I'd expect in a Scotch Ale, sweet, caramelly and bit of raisin. Pretty on point for an autumn ale, and Jack recommends pairing this with Chicago Mix Popcorn (I will only eat the caramel ones).
https://www.boreale.com/en/beers/serie-artisan/scotch-ale-du-nord
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