Castelain Blond Biere

Brewed by Castelain
Style: Bière de Garde
Benifontaine, France

Serve in Stem glass, Tulip

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Poured a hazy gold with almost no head at all. Aroma was grassy with some fruit. Flavor was spicy with a bit of bubblegum to it. Body was a little thin and watery. It’s OK, but certainly not a standard of the style.

33cL bottle courtesy of yinzer at Pittsburgh gathering on 1/27/2008. Crystal clear golden color, stark white foam, decent retention. Nice earthy aroma, some very nice yeast spiciness. Flavor falls a little flat, somewhat malty with some of the yeastiness coming through but for the most part comes across as a bit watery. Was really looking forward to this, I think my expectations far exceeded reality.

750ml bottle. Hazy golden with a thick white head. Flowery, yeasty nose. A nice tart brett flavor. Went really well with the pork I ate it with.

Had the pleasure of sampling this at the 1/27/2008 Pittsburgh ratebeer.com gathering and festival upstairs, Sharp Edge Creekhouse. It will be a long time, if ever I am invited again and I see a spread of bottles like I did there - ever again. I am not good enough for the beers that were that we sampled! For example, how about this beer from yinzer! Blonde beer de Garde. Sweeter fruity aroma, but not over the top like so many stronger beers. Slight haze to an otherwise pale yellow color and appearance. Mild carbonation. Not bad an not overly bitter. Glad to have had the chance to sample this brew, thanks Mark!

Sampled at RBPG; bottle courtesy of yinzer. Floral yeasty nose, very aromatic with mild flowery orange blossom and orange rinds. Has a mild tang to the aroma. Very nice. Hazy-clear yellowish, almost white, with thin lacing white head. Medium bodied with light carbonation. Great taste, and it’s been a while since I’ve had a Bière de Garde. Flowery with yeast and light chalky after. Some apples and wheat. Tasty stuff.

Bottle sampled at the Ratebeer meet-up 01.27.08 at the Sharp Edge Creekhouse. Beer courtesy of Yinzer.

Clear gold, white head. Aroma is pear, apricot, grass. Flavor is malty, grassy, slight dried fruit, weak body.

Wow I forgot how much I love this style. Aroma was so so. Strong bread and grassy aromas. Pour was a nice dark gold with a one finger white head. Taste was delicious. Strong yeast and bread flavors with a tart vinuous aftertaste in the back of the throat. There is a different berriness in and out. Very nice.

Pours hazy gold with a large white head. Lots of tiny floaties. Very herbal aroma with a light peach background. Sugary sweetness comes out with some swirling. Delicate flavor; there’s a lot going on, but it takes several sips to realize that. Herbal hoppiness rounds out the peach, banana, earth, and light clove taste. Earthiness becomes more apparent as the beer warms and blends very well with the hops. Chewy mouthfeel, even through all the carbonation. This one doesn’t tell you it’s a great beer; it lets you figure it out on your own.

Pours pale blond with thick frothy appealing head and leaves bountiful lacing. Aroma is clean and hoppy not dissimilar to a pils. Some light fruit, herbal and estery notes but not a floral beer--simply delightful. Similarly, the flavor array is clean, dry, and delicious yet a little soapy. Excellent palate: the carbo seems prickly at first but then it becomes chewy, slick, and slides down well. This would make a superb table beer, one to quaff regularly.

Pours a yellowish gold, with a large creamy white head. Not quite opaque but still very cloudy. Head persists quite a while leaving slight traces of foam back on the sides of the glass. Original aroma was of a floral/spicy hop with just the tinge of skunk. As it warms, sugar sweetness seeps in and as it warms more, diacetyl mixes in for a nice but faint butterscotch aroma. Light caramel sweetness on the tongue, with some balancing bitterness, though not sure if it is from hops or carbonation. A bit of banana like esters. Finishes with a lingering malt. The butter in the nose is not present in the taste. Mouth feel is soft with a medium body. Carbonation is not prickly. I will be looking for this one in the future.