Duyck Jenlain Ambrée

Brewed by Duyck
Style: Bière de Garde
Jenlain, France

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

I’ve read about this one for quite awhile as being one of the oldest producers of this style. Naturally, I was very interested as being a fan of the production methods involved.

Poured a beautiful deep copper head. Biscuit aroma with bits of old hops. Flavour is sticky-sweet with bits of funk and an odd aftertaste of hay. Quite a bit of earthiness to it, but it seems out of balance with the sweet character of the malt being too forward. A little complexity behind the malt backbone. The more I had of this the more it became a chore to finish the bottle as the sweet candied corn nature of this became a bit too much in the end. Wasn’t expecting much, but I at least was thinking it’d be much drier than it was. Disappointing.

Fatemi fare il tamarro ogni tanto: lattazza da 50cl scolata in strada mentre andavo a prendere il treno a Genova Principe, comprata dal mio besagnin (fruttivendolo) preferito in Via della Maddalena... da cui dovrò tornare fra poco perché ha tantissime birre interessanti ed io avevo pochi soldi oggi. Questa non solo mi ha aiutato a rinfrescarmi un poco lungo via Lomellini e via Balbi, ma mi ha anche piacevolmente sorpreso in quanto è una bière de garde che... mi piace. Cioè non potrei dire che mi fa impazzire, ma mi soddisfa abbastanza; una discreta complessità nel sapore compensa il profilo un po’ anonimo dell’aroma, ma la birra mantiene la sua dignità anche nella confezione di latta. Il colore l’ho intravisto appena, purtroppo, ma mi sembrava carino. La riproverò un giorno versandola da qualche parte... lo prometto a chi si scandalizzerà leggendo questo mio commento.

UPDATED: DEC 23, 2008 Bottled 75cl. It pours a copper beer with a creamy off white head. Nice lacework. The nose is of malt, straw, white pepper, caramel, candy, a huge amount of figs, wood, pineapple and manure. Slightly sour. Sweet taste balanced by a good bitterness. Dominating figs, raisins and hay with white pepper, home made caramel, sour apples, pineapple, candied fruits and wood showing up. Medium bodied. Very drinkable. Perfectly balanced. Sourish. Some honey and peaches showing up in the finish which is rather dry. Extremely complex. Additional comment after a few samplings: Honeyish nose with huge amounts of raisins in the taste. Malty.

UPDATED: AUG 25, 2008 Clear reddy copper coloured body with an off-white head. Sweet taste, some caramel/toffee that is not too thick so therefore very easy to drink, also some fennel though not too much else. Alcohol is only just warming. Enjoyed this!

750 ml bottle, corked and caged, from John’s Marketplace in Portland, OR. Nice reddish copper color with a huge beige head. Aromas of caramel hop and mild spicey hop. Medium body with loosely creamy carbonation. Flavor is definitely mild caramel, with really laidback hop. Suggests berries in the background. Far background. Agree that it resembles an ESB, but probably needs more florality. Except for the absence of smoke, it reminds of Adelscott. I think there is a baseline of French ales that has the smooth, mild maltiness of an ESB, but varies the flavors from floral hop. Finish is very pleasing. Perhaps the hop is a spicy noble?

On tap @ De Geuzen. Amber coloured beer, white head. Aroma of malts, caramel. Taste is very sweet, very malty, caramel. I’m not into amber beers and this one doesn’t change that. Way too malty and sweet for me.

amber coloured sparkling body with a off white head a spicy malty aroma a fruity spicy malty taste with a dry spicy bitter finish

Clear amber coloured beer, small white head, little carbonation. Malty aroma, a bit spicy. Full sparkling palate. Finish is herby, bitter and a bit dry.