Isle De Garde, a brewpub located in Rosemont – la Petite-Patrie, has been sparking my interest over the past few years. However, not much of their beers have made it over to cans or bottles which has made it difficult to get a good article out. It is always hard to go to a pub and be able to take extensive tasting notes and have good lighting for some photos. Unless you want to be that guy, who goes on a Saturday afternoon by himself, sits in a corner with a notebook and a camera and looks all nerdy. Oh crap, that is me sometimes.

With Isle De Garde I never had a chance to get over there during the day, but I certainly went there on numerous occasions with fellow beer drinkers and consumed some really on point beers. The Double Black IPA de Sigle was one I had a while back, and suffice it to say, it knocked me on my ass, but I was highly impressed with it. When I saw it arrive in cans, brewed at Ma brasserie, I just had to get one even though my judgment said otherwise.

Isle De Garde Double Black IPA de Seigle
Imperial Black IPA || ABV: 8.2% || IBU: –

Blacker than the blackest black times infinity…..

Black IPAs encompass a collaboration between hops and roasted malts. And it is one of my favorite combinations. Take the roasty qualities of a porter and smash it together with bitter qualities of hops, and voila, thats f**king metal.

The aroma has a solid roasty burst. There is something about roasted aroma which I truly enjoy. Although I don’t drink coffee, when there is a fresh roast of coffee beans occurring in my surroundings I am instantly drifted away to a serene angelic breeze full of luster. To taste the coffee flavors kick first and it is absolutely on point! It is a bit strong, bold with some heat detected. But the crazy strong tobac and coffee bitterness really steals the show. The hop characters are ever so present, but the bitterness of the hops is really lending well to the tobac and coffee bitterness. Love it! Not too strong, not to watery, it holds a nice solid body and is very easy to drink with a lingering tobac finish. The qualities of the rye add a crisp finish and an added sharpness to the bitterness completing the beer.

Not only is this probably the best Black IPA in Quebec in my opinion, I am also impressed with it on a more global overall beer level. Truly a gem.

Words + Photography by Hopcitizen