Well, what a name. The first four words refer to the Quebec brewpub that makes this beer. Trou du diable means "devil's hole," a reference to a mighty whirlpool that forms in the Saint-Maurice River, which runs past Shawinigan, home town of former prime minister Jean Chrétien. Shawinigan Handshake? If the allusion is lost on you, the label may jog the memory. It's a cartoon depiction of Chrétien applying a choke-hold on the devil (though an alternative label has him clutching hockey commentator and former NHL coach Don Cherry). The image is inspired by the epithet given to an incident in the 1990s in which Canada's former head of government subdued an anti-poverty crusader who had the misfortune of getting in his way.
The beer? Whoa. A peach-coloured strong ale, at 7-per-cent alcohol, it borders on stinky when you open it, with an aroma of decayed vegetation that turns to a more pleasant spruce flavour as you sip. That would be the Chinook hops and German yeast talking. There are also flavours of bread and fruit, which culminate in a dry finish. Quite bracing, like its handshake namesake, and not for everyone.