Castelain Ch’Ti Ambrée

Brewed by Castelain
Style: Bière de Garde
Benifontaine, France

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

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Bottled. Nut brown. Funky, lightly estery malt aroma. Dry and grassy, medium bodied, notes of berries. Bitterish finish with some honey.

Bottled: Amber coloured with nice brownish head with good lasting. Aroma is malty and sweet. Chocolate notes is present and some fruity accents as well. Flavour is fruity and sweet with nice malt charachters and a light bitterness in the end. When I had the beer, it was first served very cold. As it warmed up it just got better and better.

An amber beer with a fine but fast disappearing head. The aroma is sweet with notes of strawberries, fruit, and red currant. The flavor is a dry sweetness with a lot of nuacesses: strawberries, red currant, other berries, and earth. It is only slightly bitter but more dry and acidic in the aftertaste. A really good beer.

sweet malty nose, copper hue with a small off white head, toffee and malt flavours, some subtle nutty tones, blackcurrant tones, interesting and pretty good

This brew is very complex with it's flavours and aromas. A dark and foamy cherry red liquid emerges from the corked bottle to reveal a tantalising beverage. The aromas lead onto a fruity and tangy ale that is ideal as an after dinner tipple. The 750ml bottle suggests it's best shared with a friend. A wonderful peary flavour shines through in the finish.

This was the 75cl corked bottle. Lovely reddy colour, with fading head, no lacing on glass. Flavour reminded me of a Belgian red beer with a slightly sour note leading into a rich malt. It fizzes a little but the flavours come through to give a very satisfying drink. Enough alcohol to count which improves the overall impression.

Ruby red in colour. This beer has the "chewyness" of an IPA. Caramel and toffee combine well with the good mouthfeel. A good French beer!

UPDATED: JAN 7, 2006 Sept, 2002. There has been some debate on the meaning of the name Ch’ti, but if you’re from any part of France other than the north it would mean Northern (ch’timi is the language of Northerners).
This is a lovely beer which dazzles on the nose and tongue with an array of soft, dark tones - an all-singing, all-dancing display so impressive that the finer, more subtle finish can be anti-climatic; however, the memory of the initial flavour explosion intermingled with the reality of the gentle sandlewood finish is an experience in itself, and it is hard to say which is the more delightful. A very, very nice beer. [3.6]
Jan, 2006. Hmm. I was rather enthusiastic about this beer back in 2002. I bought a bottle today from Somerfield as a little treat for Chrissie and me as I remembered it being an enjoyable beer. Drinking it now I’m wondering why I got so carried away. The pasteurising process is very evident, plus some extra cupfuls of refined sugar. Blah! This is not a quality product at all. Nasty artificial fizz, and some rather questionable brewing procedures. The taste is like a mass produced British pasteurised Premium Bitter. There is no character here at all. Quite dreadful. [1.9]

Fizzy head, but the appearence is enhanced by the deep amber colour of the beer. The aroma has plenty of apple and pear scents, and the taste is fairly fruity with a pleasant palate.