Beer Styles

What is a tripel? It's a robust, golden Belgian-style beer at 7.5 to 9.5% ABV, with a fruity, spicy nose but a dry finish. Unibroue states that La Fin du Monde is brewed as a tripel in the Belgian tradition, with 18 months of development behind it.

Its counterpart is the dark strong ale, known in the trade as a Belgian Dark Strong Ale. It comes in at 8 to 12% ABV, smells of dried fruit, caramel, and spice, and tastes warm rather than sweet. According to the brewery, Unibroue's Trois Pistoles stands in this tradition. The difference from a tripel is color: a tripel is pale, a dark strong is dark, and both pack a punch.

An imperial stout answers the question of what happens when you brew a stout even stronger and more bitter. It's jet-black, smells of coffee, cocoa, and roast, and sits at 8 to 12% ABV. Dieu du Ciel!'s Péché Mortel is a stout with coffee added, and shows just how far Montréal's small breweries venture beyond lager.

Alongside these stands Molson, representing the pale lager that's part of everyday life in Canada. It has less alcohol, less aroma, and barely any bitterness. The contrast with the Belgian ales is stark: the lager quenches thirst, while the ale demands attention.

Between tripel and dubbel, the difference also comes down to color. A dubbel is brown and fruity, a tripel golden and spicy. Both originated in Belgian monasteries, and Québec has adopted both, putting its own names on them.