Mad beer part 2: la Vache Folle ESB

Let me assure you that drinking all these different beers takes very little time, but that finding the right spot to take a photo can be complicated and writing about the beer is time consuming. In fact, I now have a back-log of beers in my fridge that are waiting to be featured, and each night I am not in a position to take a photo I lose several hours of lifespan because of un-extinguished thirst. How can I keep it up if there are so many tasty beers out there waiting to be photographed, drunk, and then written about? I guess I better stop whining, get mad, and move on top of the situation.

After yesterday's Mad Tom, today's beer is a Mad Cow - or a crazy cow - made by the Microbrasserie Charlevoix in Baie Saint-Paul on the shore of the St Lawrence about an hour north-east of Quebec City. Formerly fronted by the Saint-Pub, this brewery makes a number of fine strong beers (under the brand name Dominus Vobiscum). The pub still exists, but the brewery is now in a different location of the town. Although I have been there only once in 2004, the pub has left fond memories, as has the entire Charlevoix region. In addition, all of the beers by Charlevoix that I have tried over the years come in a fine 500 ml size - very commendable!

I have not seen many beers of this style brewed by Canadian (or Quebec) microbreweries: an Extra Special Bitter (ESB). The style was spearheaded in the 1970s by the UK brewery Fuller, Smith, & Turner with their Fuller's ESB. FS&T are trying to maintain the term ESB as a trademark in the UK, but in the US it has become popular as a style and is subject to various interpretations. I like this mad beer quite a bit, even if it does not deliver all that the label promised - there were few flowery hop aromas to be noticed. Still, a strong and lingering bitterness dominates the palate from front to finish, balanced with toast and caramel malt tastes. The colour of this beer is close to the original Fuller's ESB, I believe, the hazy appearance suggests it has not been filtered, and its malt character imparts a fine grain bitterness and acidity to the front and middle palate. At 6%, this brew will get you mad if you have only one and cannot get more, while having three or more will certainly result in some craziness.

A detail from the label: Truly madly crazy.