La Choulette Blonde

Brewed by Brasserie La Choulette
Style: Bière de Garde
Hordain, France

Hazy light orange with a head plump in size and eloquent in its lacing and texture. Aroma is fairly well balanced between the malt (caramel, bread), hops (herbs) and yeast (barnyard funk) along with a touch of honey, hay, pear skins and peach. In the flavor, the first that strikes me is its resemblence to Affligem Triple in its sweet malt and yeast contribution. It’s a bit sweet overall, but it does have a unique rustic character that I enjoy. Notes of honey, light fruits and sugar covered rock candy (pineapple flavored). A pretty good beer that I definately enjoyed.

Pours a one-finger white head that goes slowly leaving a good lace. Cloudy pale amber color. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied. Sweet muscatel nose. Starts crisp but sweet and finishes with a kind of sweet and sour flavor. $5.95 for a 750ml bottle from Colonial Spirits Acton, MA.

2003 or 2004 bottle. Good hearty, if somewhat muted, golden color, with some light orangeish/amber tones. Big puffy white head, sediment and light haze. Aroma of light DMS, almonds, butter, vanilla, alcohol, strong pils-like malt. Flavor is strangely sweet, but then turns almost sharp or bittersweet. What the hell causes this vanilla extract-like flavor?? Whatever it is, it seems to go hand in hand with a harsh alcohol flavor, that is sharp and very disruptive. On the positive side, the body is good and chewy, with pils malt, warm honey flavors and a strong, herbs and nuts yeast. Some light citrus tones come out on the finish and as it warms and breathes, some of the sharp alcohol leaves, but it still is there lurking. Either this beer has some serious alcohol issues and a vast overabundance of residual sugar, or it is just EXTREMELY young (hot as they say now. . .). I’ll give it some benefit of the doubt, but I’m not wholly convinced.

Clear and golden, like apple juice. Light fizzy head. A little skunked and possesing a bitter cardboard flavor. Slightly sweet with a light caramel character, otherwise just a light, country ale. Yeast is a bit cloying. Overall, interesting but too many adjunct flavors to be deamed fine. Tastes of floride or heavily treated city water.

750ml bottle corked and caged dated best before 9/2/05. Large fizzy white head with good lacing, carbonated, hazy, and a yellow hue. Aroma was malty, sweet and spicy as was the flavor. Smooth palate.

750 ml. green champagne style bottle. Corked and caged. Freshness date on bottom of front label is of Dec 2005. Number on cork is 59111. Poured out a slightly hazy golden yellow color, with a minimal white head. It slowly slid back to a yeasty island floating on top of the beer. Aromas are of fresh cut hay, sweet yeasty bread, slight toffee and caramels, and an esoteric sweet, fruity smell. Tastes are of sweet caramels and toffees, along with a fruity taste akin to papaya or the like. Medium mouthfeel, rich and smooth. No so highly carbonated as to make your tongue dance with excitement, but it has a decent level of carbonation all the same. Alcohol aftertaste to it, but the hops (if any) are hardly discernable. Finishes rather sweet, but not cloying at all. A decent French ale by any standard.

Biere de Garde and Various Oddments tasting, #2, with MartinT, Rastacouere and tiggmtl. 750 ml bottle. Medium-to-light hazy golden, little head. Honeyish, slightly apple-tinted nose, lightly yeasty and herbal. Luscious, fairly thick palate, moderately sweet...acidity present but not obtrusive. Too bad the flavor isn’t comparable to the mouthfeel, else this would be top-notch.

Mealy, sweet marzipan aroma. Clear copper coloured with white head that recedes to cover. Simple and malty flavour - rather straight-forward and somewhat boozy. Soft smooth mouthfeel with gently fizzy carbonation. Bottle enjoyed with MartinT, muzzlehatch and Rastacouere.