I never really dove into Lagabiere, from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, until recently. It was with the haze craze that has blanketed Quebec lately that sparked my interest in this brewery. Thus far I consumed two of their beers, a north east style IPA and a double version with fruits. The brewery itself is fairly young compared to some of the bigger names but I can see its growth and branding occurring in the local market.

Lately there has been a huge explosion of breweries making the north east style of IPAs which showcase hazy appearance and supremely juicy aromatics and taste. It was not long before this trend would makes it way to Quebec and the beer community is rejoicing it has finally arrived. Boreale jumped into this trend first with their highly raved Nord-Est IPA and soon a long line of breweries followed suit.

There may have been some misses along the way, but there have certainly been some hits as well. I was impressed with what Lagabiere had to offer with their version of a north east IPA. But what really shivered my bones was their double with passion fruit.

Lagabiere Ta Meilleure
IPA || ABV: 7.0% || IBU: –

Brewed with Citra and Mosaic, this beer showcases a great tropical fruity kick and the haze we all crave these days in our IPAs. The aroma is a crazy explosion of tropical fruits! With pineapple, guava and citrus notes competing for glory. Taste starts with a great kick of fruity hops and a mellow mid section with a finish which touches a bit on the yeast side with added clusters of bitterness and light lingering fruits. The finish does have a light bitterness with some green, grassy qualities coming through as well. Overall it’s a very good example of a north eastern style IPA. I would like to say I will get more of this, but with the amounts of beer that comes into my cellar, I can only hope it will happen some time soon!

Lagabiere Ta Plus Meilleure (Passion Fruit)
DIPA || ABV: 8.5% || IBU: –

A lot of IPAs and DIPAs which utilize passion fruit, really make my taste buds go wild. And I love it. With Ta Plus Meilleure with passion fruit, it was no mystery I would truly enjoy this beer. To me this beer is straight up passion fruit nectar. It has a very creamy, jelly like body coupled with bold burst of passion fruit. The citra shines phenomenally, and the el dorado balances it out with a light bitter bite. Really smooth to drink and fruit forward, that passion fruit really doesn’t let off, and I love it that way. It lingers all the way till the end and the finish has a slight bitterness and a bit of heat.

A can release took place at the brewery in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu today, details Here ! Too late for the can sale now, but be sure to check out the tap take over of Grand-Bois taking place at the brewery details! Also keep an eye out for some more future releases!

Words + Photography by Hopcitizen