Trois Pistoles - Unibroue (Canada - Quebec - Chambly)

Trois Pistoles - Unibroue (Canada - Quebec - Chambly) 9.0%

Super frothy and a very dark brown colour in a glass. A lovely sweet apricot, herbal, spicy, floral and faintly yeasty aroma. Reminds me of Esrum Kloster. After the froth subsided the aroma was more dark fruit, plums, but still spiced and sweet with a herbal (faintly minty) aroma. Also something that reminds me of ginger bread cookies without being heavy on the ginger - probably a mix of the yeast-born spice and the molasses-esque tones of the dark malty. Some herbal taste but followed quickly by dark malt taste, a boatload of sweetness and a nearly masked alcohol taste that occasionally jumps out and bites at your toungue. I thought my bottle of Trois Pistoles (which has a spectacularly cool label) was already warm enough (out of a warmish fridge for more than fifteen minutes) but as it warmed further it became more balanced and more similar to a tasty, strong brown ale.

Gahan 1772 India Pale Ale - PEI Brewing Company (Canada - PEI - Charlottetown)

Gahan 1772 India Pale Ale - PEI Brewing Company (Canada - PEI - Charlottetown) 6.5%

A resilient and frothy head with great lacing. A cedary hops aroma with a touch of earthiness. A lovely cedar, resin and floral hops taste, not overly bitter considering the strong (and lovely) hops taste. The sweet malt flavours that come through as a mix of fresh bread and honey give this IPA perfect balance. 1772 would pair well with any food, except for the most mild flavoured foods which it could overpower, because the hops character and malt flavour combination is so appetizing. 1772 isn't only one my favourite beers by the PEI Brewing Company but one of my favourite IPAs ever.

Gahan Island Red - PEI Brewing Company (Canada - Prince Edward Island - Charlottetown)

Gahan Island Red - PEI Brewing Company (Canada - Prince Edward Island - Charlottetown) 5.3%

Quite a dark and reddish amber colour in a glass with an impressive frothy head and good lacing. Quite a mild aroma with some roast and some earthiness. A roasty flavour with dark malt notes that are somewhere between light molasses and chocolate all mixed with some wood tones, touches of caramel and a bitter finish. A touch of a vegetal flavour from the hops. Not sticky sweet like some reds. In fact it isn't particularly sweet at all which makes it sessionable.

La Tabachéra - Birra Amarcord (Italy)

 La Tabachéra - Birra Amarcord (Italy) 9.0%

A dark, scorched looking gold colour in a glass. A strongly malty aroma, some alcohol, banada and some faint fruit esters. Strong malty taste, some alcohol taste and a chest-warming sensation but a very nice mellow mix of fruit flavours: pear, white grape juice, and hints of apricot. Nectary, sweet; the faitest bit of green and some biscuit tones. Quite nicely and carefully crafted to have such a delicate balance while boasting an ABV of 9.0%.

A very nice Belgian style Pale Ale and a wonderful departure from the only other Italian beers I have tried.

St-Ambroise Citroulle: The Great Pumpkin Ale - McAuslan Brewing (Canada - Montreal)

St-Ambroise Citroulle: The Great Pumpkin Ale - McAuslan Brewing (Canada - Quebec - Montreal) 5.0%

Strong raw pumpkin aroma with some pumpkin pie crust tones and spices like nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon. Plenty of the aforementioned spices in the taste along with a noticable cloves tone that I didn't notice as much in the aroma; quite sweet (brown sugar) with some raw pumpkin and pumpkin pie flavours. Quite a dark brown in a glass with an orange hue.

Pumpkin is a funny kind of flavour because for many people the only way they eat pumpkin is in pumpkin pie. As a result, lots of these pumpkin beers, including this one, are spiced like pumpkin pie however there are some nice flavours to be had from the flesh of the gourd itself. McAuslan's St-Ambroise Citroulle The Great Pumpkin Ale does a good job of balancing the two: genuine pumpkin flavour and the familiar and comforting spices of pumpkin pie. Propeller's Pumpkin Ale is more heavy on the pumpkin side while Mill Street's Nightmare on Mill Street is more on the spiced pie side of the spectrum.

Although this helpful tip probably comes a week or more too late, the next time you are carving a pumpkin it is interesting to try a little taste of the raw flesh of the pumpkin. It is an interesting flavour, quite mild and delicate, but trying it raw and on its own may also give you a better idea of which flavours are coming from which ingredients for the next time you try a pumpkin ale.