La Vache Folle

by D'Arcy Gray
(Beer Delegate, QC, Canada)

La Vache Folle. Mad Cows and English wankers love it!

La Vache Folle, French for mad cow. Have a couple of drinks and say this ten times fast: "bovine spongiform encephalopathy".

We've all seen the images: some poor British beast staggering around her paddock suffering from BSE. We've also all seen the images of hordes of English wankers stumbling out of the pub. (Oi, who are you calling a wanker?! Ed.)

Well, methinks it's no coincidence that Microbrasserie Charlevoix decided to call their Extra Special Bitter "La Vache Folle" and picture a staggering drunk cow on the label.

This ESB rings in at 6% ABV and definitely does its job in the bitterness department. There is a very respectable bite on the tounge and a quick decline after the swallow. A few of these and you'll be puckering like a chicken's arse and stumbling like a neurologically-challenged beast. Sounds like a good night on the town, doesn't it?

On the nose, there are plenty of spices, much like the Dominus Vorbiscum Ambree from the same brewer. In this case the flowery nose of hops is more present, but this is still a spicy beer.

In the mouth, this is ever-so-slightly sweet, but very hoppy as one would expect from a bitter. After the swallow, there is a fleeting taste of caramel before the overall bitterness takes over. As the beer warms, this sense of caramel become slightly more pronounced.

All in all this was an enjoyable beer, but like I've said about other products from this brewery: AVOID if you don't like spicy beer. Personally, I was disappointed that it shared so many similarities with the Ambree.

Although I enjoyed the beer, I'm not sure I'd go out of my way (and Charlevoix is OUT OF MY WAY) to drink it again. It's worth a try if you happen to see it though. Just don't go staggering around like an infected cow, mmmoookay?