Twice in a Lifetime: Magdalen Islands Redux - Part I

In the summer of 2014, Brewslut and I - along with four of our oldest beer friends - embarked on what I had envisioned would be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Well as they say, history has a way of repeating itself, and we found ourselves on the way to the Magdalen Islands once again. That inaugural trip was one of the most memorable we'd taken, not only because of the beauty of the surroundings and the beer along the way, but largely because of the cast of characters we had the pleasure of meeting as a result. I knew this blog would be an epic undertaking, and I was going to balk at it at first, but Deuane convinced me that I should at least provide a quick blow-by-blow blog. So needless to say, this one it going to be heavy on the photos and light on the witty platitudes. 

But before we get into the meat and potatoes, let me provide a bit of background, as most folks probably aren't familiar with the Magdalen Islands. 

The Magdalen Islands comprise a small archipelago (i.e. island group) in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with a land area of close to 79.36 sq mi. While the islands are part of the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region in the Canadian province of Quebec, the islands are actually closer to the Maritime provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and PEI). The Magdalens are comprised of eight major islands: Amherst, Grande Entrée, Grindstone, Grosse-Île, House Harbour, Pointe-Aux-Loups, Entry Island, and last but not least, Brion, which is the only uninhabited island in the group. Several other tiny islands are also part of the archipelago: Bird Rock, Seal Island, Île Paquet, and Rocher du Corps Mort, the latter of which has a beer at A l'abri de la Tempête named after it. Feel free to go down a Wikipedia rabbit hole if you'd like to dive deeper into this truly lovely albeit tiny and remote place on the map. 

Now that I've covered all of the formalities, I'll begin as we crossed the border into Canada. This is what it looks like (note the Canadian flag and the sign that reads "Welcome to New Brunswick" if you zoom in):

Welcome to Canada, eh? You have any beer to declare?

We had a lot of beer to declare at the border. A LOT. Like a metric shit-ton. Of course I use "metric shit ton" as the official measure of weight because, after all, we're in Canada. Once paid our tariff and got across the border, it was a quick drive to our first stop in the Great White North to get lunch and a few beers. The Five Kings Picaroons Brew Pub in St. Stephen, NB, is a small brewing outpost of the actual Picaroons Brewery situated in Fredericton. Picaroons brews traditional British-style ales using the basics: malted barley, hops, Ringwood yeast, and water. The use of Ringwood yeast concerned us. While this particular strain is used predominantly in English-style ales, it can be known to produce an abundance of diacetyl. Therefore, when pitching this yeast, a thorough diacetyl rest is recommended after fermentation is complete.

Outside The Five Kings Picaroons Brew Pub.

Unfortunately, my beer was chock-full of the buttery off-flavor produced by the aforementioned yeast strain. The beer in question, 506 Logger, offers a Canadian twist on the classic German-style Pilsner. Golden in color with hints of mowed lawn and lemon, this was a bit too heavy on the buttered popcorn flavor to be enjoyable. The food here, however, was absolutely fantastic!

And now for something completely different. Please enjoy some photo evidence of our on-the-road shenanigans while en route to Dieppe to meet up with the honorable Greg Delaney. Like last time, Greg was kind enough to put us up for a few days at the beginning and tail end of our trip. Here are some scenes from the almost 3-hour drive from St. Stephen to Dieppe...

Pleeps... just hanging around.

Pleeps and Zeke.

Bubbles is wrong. Chicken chips RULE!

Once we reached Dieppe (aka Moncton, because it's cooler to say), we got situated at Greg's and headed out to our first brewery with Greg as our guide: Flying Boats. The brewery's moniker and beer names serve as a tribute to the region's history of transportation, which boasts a heritage of aviation, railroad, highway travel, and seafaring.

Tap list at Flying Boats.

What began with a 2bbl brewhouse in a garage in 2015 had morphed into a 15bbl brew house by January 2018, complete with a canning line and a fully "licensed" (J-Roc, baby!) taproom. Featuring a draft list of about fourteen different options, I decided to go with a flight. Seemed appropriate since we were at Flying Boats, right? Here's the dilly-o:

• Coastal Good Life - session IPA hopped with Galaxy and Magnum. Notes of passionfruit, citrus citrusy and lightly toasted grains.  
• Liberator - hop-forward American pale ale dry-hopped with Azacca and Citra to impart intense tropical and citrusy flavors and aromas. 
• Lovers Quarrel IPA - A crisp, clean "hemisphere" IPA hopped with Mosaic and Australian Galaxy featuring notes of mango, pine, citrus and fresh herbs. 
• Dixie Clipper - Chinook and Cascade hopped IPA with spicy pine and subtle grapefruit notes. The name of the beer refers to the aircraft President Franklin Roosevelt used to get to Europe during WW2 before Air Force One existed. 

While we were there, I also tried a pour of Flying Sasquatch (Samsquanch?!), an East coast-style Pale Ale brewed with Canada’s first patented and trademarked hop varietal, Sasquatch. Initially brewed for the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, this solid pale ale features a balance of herbaceous, grassy, and floral hop notes with a hint of citrus fruit. This was probably my favorite beer I sampled at Flying Boats. 

The following night, we had our first of two epic tastings at Greg's house. I already regaled you with debaucherous tales of our tasting at the tail end of the trip, and this one was no different. To put things into perspective, I kicked off the evening with the Boxcar variant of Alesmith Speedway Stout. I always love me some Speedway, but this one in particular has been aged for a year in bourbon barrels with Madagascar vanilla beans, Brazil Forastero cocoa nibs, Hatch and Mulato chili peppers, and a unique blend of Columbian and Burundi coffee roasted by Swell Coffee. 

Many beers followed, including a few familiar Canadian names such as Nova Scotia's Bad Apple Brewhouse (one of the greatest brewery experiences I've ever had) and Unfiltered Brewing (Greg Fuckin' Nash represent... and yes, that's his real middle name... as far as I know, anyway). Feel free to review my many check-ins on Untappd, which all fall under the location of Christmas Discounters. I thought that would be a fun place to pretend to be whilst drinking all of these amazing beers!

The following day, we hit Tide & Boar Gastropub in Moncton. We'd visited last time around, and I actually remembered the place after five years. After perusing the tap list, Greg suggested Blood Brothers and gave this Canadian brewery based out of Toronto two thumbs up. So Brewslut and I decided to go with a different selection from this new-to-us brewery. I opted for a beer called Shumei, a hybrid IPA combining West Coast and NE styles. The West Coast is represented with assertive bitterness featuring notes of citrus and pine, while the NE is also present and contributes a soft juiciness.

Inside Tide & Boar Gastropub.

The following day, it was time to say goodbye to Moncton - for now, anyway - and prepare for the five-hour ferry ride to the Magdalens. It's a pretty big-ass vessel, to say the least. We had fun waiting in queue with a bunch of old Canadian golfers drinking Coors Light. We shared some Sunshine Pils with them and they seemed to enjoy it. These guys were jolly old geezers, and we had a delightful time sharing stories and beer with them while we waited to board.

Unfortunately, most of us didn't fare too well with motion sickness during the ferry ride. The only two who made it unscathed were Brewslut and Deuane; the rest of us suffered varying degrees of sea sickness, with Dan probably suffering the worst. Still, I managed to enjoy my first beer from A l'abri de la Tempête: Corne de Brume, a 9% Scotch Ale with bold notes of fruit, caramel, dark chocolate and a hint of ripe banana. I'm pretty sure I had this beer before things started to go south with me and my queasy stomach. 

With just one brewery on the Islands, needless to say we spent quite a bit of time there. Each day warranted at least one visit, though most days we visited twice. Prior to our trip back in 2014, I joked with Deuane saying, "The brewery better be good, or it's gonna be a long week!" He assured me that, indeed, the brewery is worth it. Here are some shots as we pulled into the brewery upon getting to the Islands:

There was a new Palabre series beer since we'd visited last time (actually there were many) called De La CTMA, a light 4.5% ABV Gose-style beer brewed to celebrate CTMA, the travel company whose ferries take passengers from PEI to the Magdalens. Oddly enough, they weren't serving it on the ferry (at least to my knowledge). The beer is limited and features a series of collector labels commemorating 75 years of linking the islands with the Maritime territories.

For whatever reason, we didn't get a tour of the brewing facility from Elise (owner and super genius behind the brewery) last time we visited, so we were eager to check out where the magic happens. Here are a few shots from the actual cellar area:

I love the tap handles and spigots at the brewery. These were built and installed by Elise herself (if I'm not mistaken). They were one of the first things I noticed at the brewery during our inaugural visit. These pictures don't do them justice.

We managed to catch a beautiful sunset on the way back to the house before heading out to a bonfire celebration. Pleeps in particular was happy to soak it all in...

Later that evening, we attended a bonfire celebration commemorating Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (aka Saint John the Baptist Day), a national holiday celebrated on June 24 in the Canadian province of Quebec and by French Canadians across Canada and the United States. It was a pretty mammoth bonfire, and we made sure to stick a few beers in our pockets to enjoy while keeping warm near the fire. After all, it was a pretty chilly evening. It seemed as though the entire population of the Islands was in attendance. A band performed music on a stage across the field, and a nearby bar served drinks for those who wished to celebrate with some libations.

Bonfire celebrating Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day.

The following day, we embarked on a day trip to Entry Island. We had to take a Zodiac Nautic (basically rigid, inflatable boat), which took about half an hour. We then circled the island for a 45-minute tour and got familiar with the terrain and wildlife, the latter of which is basically comprised of a few species of birds and free-roaming cows. We could actually see several cows up along the cliffs from the boat. Occasionally, one falls off the cliff to an unpleasant demise; however, I understand it happens infrequently.

Approximately 60 residents live year-round on Entry Island, which is just 1.2 miles wide by 1.9 miles long. Like last time we visited, the reason for our excursion to Entry Island was to hike to the top of Big Hill. At 571 feet above sea level, Big Hill is the highest elevation on the island, and is also the highest point of land in the archipelago. The island has two stores, a restaurant, an Anglican church, community center, museum, and post office. During tourist season, a bed and breakfast is also in operation. And that, folks, is about it.

On the way up, we stopped in one of the stores and bought some ice cream. The folks on Entry Island don't speak French and sound like they're from Shamokin (my home town). Seriously. It was kind of surreal, to be honest. The weather we experienced proved to be the most cooperative during our entire tenure on the islands, which made the hike pleasant. Here are some photos from the hike:

Brewslut and I atop Big Hill.

Our group at the top of Big Hill.

Back near the docking site, we stopped in Restaurant Chez Brian Josey for a snack and a beer. I was delighted to see a few of Elise's beers in the fridge, so I enjoyed a bottle of Belle Saison while we waited for our boat to depart back to the main island. This saison is delicately scented with herbs and flowers found on the Islands to elicit hints of wildflowers and soft, aromatic spices. We chatted with Brian, the proprietor, for a while too. Nice bloke!

Later on, we hosted a house party and cracked open beer upon beer... upon beer... with our friends from the Islands. Here's a great shot of me and "Texas" Dave, who now works at the brewery. Back when we met him five years ago, we remarked on how good his English was and asked if he was from Texas. Turns out he spent a lot of time watching American TV and just learned to speak that way.

Me and Texas Dave!

We also got in a good bit of exercise (or "steps" for those who prefer Fitbit lingo). Here are a few shots from a hike we took on a particularly windy day along the outskirts of the islands at Chemin De La Belle Anse, Fatima.

After our hike, we headed into town to hit up, Fumoir d'Antan, the local shop offering a range of smoked and marinated products. Last time, we purchased some great pickled herring, smoked salmon and other delicacies to take home. This traditional smoking site has been operating since 1942. In addition to smoked products, they also feature a variety of frozen fish and seafood. Of course, we couldn't leave without procuring more pickled and smoked fish to enjoy at home!

Outside Fumoir d'Antan.

Right across the way from the smokehouse, we discovered a newly opened Seacore oyster house. Obviously, we had to check it out! When we arrived, we discovered that we could purchase freshly shucked oysters to order. There were a few different options, so we tried all of them! If you'd like to dig deeper, you can read more about their oysters from Magdalen Islands.

Later that evening, we headed down to a cool music venue called Pas Perdus to see a Québécois band called Bodh'aktan. A l'abri de la Tempête brewed a beer - named Pas Perdus - in collaboration with the venue, which we tried on our previous trip. So needless to say, the venue was well-stocked with this beer and a few others from the brewery. The show was great and featured mostly original Celtic-type music with a rock feel performed by the 7-piece band. Fiddle, penny whistle and bagpipes all mingled with traditional guitars, bass and drums. They even performed a cover of "Jump Around" by House of Pain, which brought down the house. Of course, I enjoyed plenty of A l'abri beers at the venue during the show, including Pas Perdus.

Our group at Pas Perdus. Straight outta Moncton, yo!

The impetus of our virgin trip to the Magdalens five years ago was to attend the 10th anniversary of A l'abri de la Tempête. Deuane joked to Elise that she should throw a 15th anniversary party since we were coming, so she graciously complied. Here are some shots from the anniversary celebration (Deuane administered an emotional speech about how he came to first visit the Islands and the connections he made with all of the various friends we've met there):

In the same vein as Tröegs' Scratch Series, Palabre beers are special limited, small-batch releases. Palabre translates from French to English to mean "palaver," meaning an "unnecessarily elaborate or complex procedure." In the brewery's own words:

It is with the help of a secret fermenter, out of sight, that we create small brewery jewels. Unique brews, extremely rare and in limited quantities, their passage is fleeting. Enjoy it, a Palaver, it's good when it's fresh!

For the fifteenth anniversary, Elise decided to offer a special commemorative beer for - and brewed by or in collaboration with - each of the brewery's employees. Here are some of the labels:

Palabre Hors-Serie labels designed by artist Martin Fiset.

Here's a bit about the inspiration of the new Palabre beers: To celebrate 15 years of brewing creations, we have decided to let the know-how of our team speak for itself. Sheltering from the Storm would not be what it is without the dedication and hard work of our passionate and tight-knit team. It is therefore with great pride that they each present their creation to you, enhanced by the eyes of our friend, painter, graphic designer and creator of the brewery's visual signature: Martin Fiset!

We also enjoyed the official 15th anniversary beer, Ecume Quinze, a 12.5% ABV imperial pilsner. This one packed plenty of sweetness and notes of citrus and white grape, but still retained a wonderful mineral-like quality I always crave in a pilsner. I liked this one considerably more than the 10th anniversary beer.

As for the beers here, these are among the most complex, unique, and delicious beers I've ever had the pleasure of drinking. Here's a sampling of what we enjoyed during the week, many of these consumed at the anniversary party.

Palabre Bois Mort - 9.6% ABV dark strong ale aged in wood from a tree that had once sat atop Ile aux Gulls, but was swept away in a storm. Apparently, some of the tree was later recovered and used for this beer, hence the earthy, musty, woody notes and a hint of salt.

Palabre Grand Cru 40 Canneberge - 10% ABV saison brewed with cranberry pulp from Gourmande de Nature for notes of tart berries, vanilla, and a hint of alcohol warmth.

Palabre Grand Cru 16 Du Bois Maudit - imperial stout aged for 2 years in rum barrels - roasty with notes of molasses, raw sugar, oak and sweet rum

Bot'Aouelle - "Beer of the Islands" - imperial pilsner fermented at a low temperature with a light grainy character and hints of coconut, lychee, and salt.

Palabre D’un Homme à La Mer - Collaboration with the local restaurant Bistro Plongée Alpha, this unique beer is a blend of beers aged in wood and also underwater. Referred to throughout the week as the "wetsuit" beer, this beer boasts hints of saltwater, iodine, damp wood, and seaweed. Brewslut's favorite!

Saint-Crème - Soft and velvety cream ale with light honey and orange notes.

Cale-Sèche - light-bodied blonde ale with hints of lemon zest and sea salt.

Like "Corne de Awesome" (as I called Corne de Bois on our last trip), Palabre Grand Cru 38 - Des Contrebandiers was my jam this time. I playfully referred to it as the "Bandolier Beer" when I ordered it. Of course, I only had it a handful of times, as it's a 15% ABV strong dark ale with notes of candied fruit, wood, alcohol, and iodine. I liken the beer to the following wildly vivid scenario. Suppose a sultry, promiscuous Wee Heavy seduced a gentlemanly yet burly barrel-aged imperial stout during a night on the town and, after two hours of deep conversation, drinking martinis, and dancing the tango, they made sweet, sweet love at a 5-star hotel until the sun came up. Assuming no "morning-after pill" came into play, this beer would be the manic lovechild of that unforgettable one-night stand. Man, that English degree from Penn State really paid off. You're welcome.

Meanwhile, Pleeps was having a grand old time at the anniversary party! 

The evening culminated with an unforgettable display of uncontrolled dancing while the DJ spun a selection of jams including House of Pain (yes, "Jump Around" again), Rage Against the Machine, and countless others. Even Deuane participated in the raucous dance circle! 

We started off the following day with - what else? - a visit to the brewery. Here are a few shots of Pleeps enjoying his surroundings as well as a pour of Corne de Bois, a delicious Scotch ale with notes of dark fruit, caramelized sugar, and molasses. While we've enjoyed this one on a number of occasions, this was Pleeps' first experience with this hefty beer. It made him do funny things. See?

Later that afternoon, I had the pleasure of visiting Fromagerie Les Biquettes à l'Air, a goat farm that produces some amazing cheese. I was so excited to interact with some goats! Then I got inside and realized that, in addition to goat cheese, they also had... gasp... goat meat available as well. This made me sad. We did, however, purchase some cheese to bring home. As for the meat, I think I'd rather eat a person I didn't like than a goat, because goats > people. With that said, I'm sure people taste like shit. But alas, I won't go on a tirade about cruelty to animals. Just know that I don't eat any mammals or exotic birds. I'm pretty much on chicken and fish only these days. Some day, I'll have pet goats. Some day... 

While en route to our next stop, we encountered a bunch of elk... or whatever the hell these cool animals are!

Our next stop on the trail was Verger Poméloi, a wonderful cidery. The first and only orchard on Magdalen Islands, it is distinguished by its simple beauty and view of the ocean. Last time we visited, the shop was but a small shack with some bottles for sale. We did get to walk the orchard, though, and witness apples actually sprouting from limbs growing into bottles! This time around, they had expanded to include a clean, cozy little tasting room with a view of the tanks. Here are some shots from the new tasting room:

We sampled a few ciders while we were there, and also purchased a bottle to enjoy at home. Then, it was back to the brewery for a quick one...

Later on while visiting Grosse-Île, we had to swing by Cap Dauphin's Fish Shack for lobster rolls and chowder. This place has the distinct honor of having the worst intercom system on the planet. When they called our orders, it sounded like the aliens from Mars Attacks. I was happy to perform my impersonation of this bizarre sound throughout the duration of the trip, much to the delight of everyone around me. The food here, though, is pretty damn amazing. And popular, too! The number of people in line was similar to the line of cars in the Drive-Thru at the Shamokin Dunkin Donuts. The Fish Shack is kind of like a canteen for Cap Dauphin Fishermen's Cooperative, which has been supplying Canada and the Eastern Seaboard of the United States with high-quality lobsters for more than 25 years.

The Fish Shack: "MANNIK BOK BOK BAT DU SAMMIK!"

More scenes from the northern part of the Islands. Here are some shots from Old Harry Beach, which makes up the coastline of the East Point National Wildlife Reserve. We walked this beach last time, and my calves were so sore the next day that I had to slide down the stairs on my ass. That's the last time I ever walk barefoot on a beach for 5 miles... or however long it was!

Also nearby is the quaint little Holy Trinity Church, which we visited last time as well. Built in 1925, this Anglican church has a beautifully decorated interior featuring colorful stained glass windows. You can actually go in and have a look around, or take a quick stroll through the adjacent cemetery. I've always held a deep appreciation for stained glass windows. Along with the organ music and Welch's grape juice and wafers for communion, it was my favorite thing about going to church as a kid.

We also visited Miel en mer, a charming little apiary that produces honey, mead, honey-glazed cranberries, and pure beeswax candles. The honey was the best I'd ever tasted, and we bought a small jar to take home. This honey spread on bread with peanut butter was pure bliss! You can also check out the hive in action or take a candle-making workshop. I gave the young guy working there a bottle of Tröegs beer, and he was so appreciative. He mentioned liking beer but had never had American beer before. Overall, this was a really neat place to visit, and I'm glad we bought some mead to enjoy at home. The only drawback: the mosquitoes here were out of control! 

Back at the brewery, I enjoyed my first taste of Dave, a dry-hopped French-style saison. When we first visited the islands, Dave was a townie. This time, he was actually working at the brewery (he started back in 2016). Here's a loose Google translation of the beer label:

Dave is an eternal smile, always ready to take on challenges. He is our carpenter-brewer who likes to mix inspirations. He offers us a French Saison of German origin, with smoked wheat and peaches, infused with cold hops just funk-like. Notes of smoked wheat and frosted side!

Here's Pleeps enjoying a pour of Palabre Grand Cru 16 - Du Bois Maudit out on the deck. Pleeps is also down with the rum barrels, especially the Canadian ones. 

Here's a random shot of Deuane in "chug mode." This was taken at the second big house party we hosted, if I'm not mistaken. On this particular night, Deuane, Texas Dave and I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning drinking. It was like Groundhog Day with Deuane saying, "OK, just one more before we go to bed." Hey, who knows if it will be another five years before I get to visit again. 

Look mom... BOTH hands!

These pics were taken outside of a wonderful cheese shop called La Fromagerie du Pied-de-Vent. Pied-de-Vent, its flagship cheese, is made with milk from Canadienne cattle. Its name is derived from a French-Canadian expression meaning "the sun's rays piercing through the clouds". I was initially distracted for a few minutes when I heard the gentle mooing of nearby cattle. We made sure to stock up on a few different cheeses, as they are all amazing! 

More fun with Pleeps and the "Bandolier beer" at the brewery:

On the final night of our week on the Islands, P-E (Pierre-Eric, long-time brewer at A l'abrie and the mack daddy of the Magdalens) invited us all into his home for what turned out to be one of the best meals of my life. We even got to meet his awesome parents! His lemon meringue pie, served for dessert, was the stuff of legends. Brewslut even remarked days later that she had a dream about it. Yeah, it was that good! 

P-E, the mack daddy of the Magdalens!

My takeaway from this trip? I freaking love Canada. What else can I say? After returning to the Islands for a second time, I can't imagine never going back. It truly is an amazing little blip on the map that we were lucky to discover through our friends. 

If you haven't read through Part Deux and Part Trois of the tale yet, feel free to continue on. Until next time...