Day 6 - Beer 9 - Le Castor Brewing Company's Wee Heavy Bourbon Grande Reserve

There comes a time in every man's life where he must start a sentence with the phrase: "There comes a time in every man's life...". Were it not such a cliché, I would have done so here. Tackling Le Castor's Grande Reserve, (a high recommendation from Ryan Bellerive, owner of Bières du Monde in Aylmer (Gatineau), Quebec, where I reached rabbit-footed leprechaun levels of lucky in discovering, and has provided the bulk of my beersperimentations.), in one night would prove to be a challenge, but that's what I'm here for; to drink for the benefit of my readership, liver and ability to walk to my bedroom be damned.

Le Castor's Grande Reserve starts as a Scotch Ale, ("Wee Heavy") and is then aged in American Bourbon barrels, and the sweetness of a good Kentucky Bourbon carries well over into the beer. The initial taste struck me as similar to Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey, with significantly less alcohol taste. The alcohol still pushes through, but it was subdued by the caramels and vanillas, but in the finest way possible. 

Wee Heavy Bourbon is a dessert beer, and is wedding cake-perfect. I use that analogy, as a wedding cake is the dessert that comes to mind when thinking of close to perfection, deliciousness and at least in theory, epic. Also much like a wedding cake, this should not be handled alone, but fear not, dear readers, I can handle it and will finish the bottle after this post, for certain.

This is the beer I've been looking for my entire life. The beer I want to settle down with, perhaps buy a house and have a few small 6 oz. tasters somewhere down the line. It was indulgent, it was delicious and it was a wee heavy on the alcohol side. Share this beer after dinner with friends, provided you can find a bottle of it. I'm already on the waiting list for the next one and will likely buy out Bières du Monde's stock when it arrives again.

Le Castor's Wee Heavy Bourbon Grande Reserve
Le Castor Brewing Company, Rigaud, Quebec
Alcohol Rating: 11%
Class: Scotch Ale
Rating: 10 out of 10
Quote: "This is like whiskey and cupcakes combined in a beer. I might cry."