Corne Du Diable
I recently picked up a couple of bottles from this Quebec-based brewery — this and their Rosée D’hibiscus which will be reviewed later. Brewed in the style of an American IPA, Corne Du Diable (“Horn of the Devil”) is a 6.5% ABV beer that may not meet the high hoppy standards of our West coast IPAs, but is still pretty darn tasty nonetheless.
Carrying a fairly well balanced blend of maltiness and decent hop bitterness, I found the beer to be refreshing and easy drinking. It’s a bit on the dry, biting side of the IPA range, but I didn’t find that particularly overwhelming.
Appearance
Corne du Diable pours a dark amber in color with a rocky, off-white head.
Aroma
There’s not much of a malt presence on the nose, but there’s plenty of citrusy hops (grapefruit, tangerine…) as well as some grass and light pine. It certainly smells like an IPA.
Taste
The malt makes more of a presence up front with this beer, but it’s relatively fleeting. As quickly as it arrives, it’s overcome by a good deal of hop bitterness that has a slight drying pucker. It’s not all bitter though, as there are hints of citrus fruit and pine. The crisp mouthfeel transitions smoothly to a clean, lingering hop bite in the finish.
Overall
This isn’t the best IPA in the world in terms of its balance, but if you’re looking for something a touch different with a decent hop bitterness, then I’d recommend checking this one out. It’s not quite what I would call an American IPA as it’s missing that telltale West coast character, but still a tasty brew to enjoy on a warm afternoon.
Rating: 3.5/5