The craft brewing scene in Quebec has long been admired, mostly due to the export work of Unibroue. However, there are a whole host of smaller craft breweries putting out a fantastic assortment of beers. You can read about a few of them in Heather Vandenengel’s piece for Serious Drinks on 6 breweries from Quebec to watch for. Le Trou du Diable is one of those breweries.
Le Trou du Diable opened in December of 2005 after a long struggle to getting funding, find a site, and construct their brewery. Since then, they have been producing beers that have won some of the most prestigious awards in the beer world, including this La Saison du Tracteur. This one has won best Biere de Garde/Saison at the World Beer Awards the last two years!
Appearance: Hazy gold, off-white head, great retention.
Aroma: Apples, tropical fruit, floral and herbal.
Taste: Marmalade, earthy, grainy notes, lemon peel, lime peel, spicy with a white pepper finish.
Overall Impression: This Saison has a very bright character with just a touch of underlying earthiness to remind you of its farmhouse roots. Its carbonation is spritzy and helps create a creamy mouthfeel. Overall, this beer is exceptionally balanced and flavorful. Le Trou du Diable has created a Saison with a nice mix of new world character and old world heritage. It pays homage to the classic of Belgium without being a clone. If you like Saisons or would like to learn about them more, definitely pick this beer up. It’s quite outstanding!
Availability: In Canada and select US markets. In the US, it’s imported by the Shelton Brothers, although I haven’t seen it on this side of the country before.
6% ABV
Note: This beer was sent to me by HeavyCF from Vancouver Island, BC.
