La Choulette de Noël

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

Serve in Stem glass, Tulip

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Clear and copperish with a fizzy head. Nose was filled with dirty feet, must and earth. Light, very effervescent and champagne-like mouthfeel. Sweet caramel malts ... a little too sweet, actually. Had a nice little funk to it, with a sour finish. Only a mild bitterness to boot.

Dark amber colored. Head is initially very large, but doesn't last very long (except for a thin layer). Aroma is dominated by alcohol with notes of ripened fruit and malt. Mildly sweet malty flavor is delicate and a tad caramelized. Finish is astrigent, medicinal and a touch sour. A nice beer for a Christmas Eve night.

Pours a slightly hazy dark brown with a thick frothy off-white head. Mildly earthy sweet caramel Belgian malty aroma speckled with cinnamon and cardamom and a touch of dry smoke. Starts sweet and malty with nice complexity and decent body. Very smooth and drinkable, leading up to a semi-dry earthy toffee finish. A nice and enjoyable Biere de Garde, but not quite as intense as La Bavaisienne.

Caramel, candied malt, and toffee in the aroma, russett, pours a huge, billowy, tan head, some fine lace. Malt, almonds, red plums, and apple butter flavours. Complex, bitter, softly sweet, quite warming. The sweetest example of the style, I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying!

Deep reddish color out of the bottle with a foamy off-white head. Sweet candi sugar nose. Caramel, toffee, white sugar with dark fruit notes of plum and raisen. Some toast hints with a warming alcohol sense to it. Tastey beer.

Bottle. Dark amber. Thick head. Aroma is Biere de Garde cubed! Big caramel and hazelnut. Thick hazelnut, caramel and vanilla flavour with a lightly harsh candy finish. Intriguing Biere de Garde toffee candy effect. Take a bag home for Grandma.

This is a very attractive beer - deep, clear amber color, with a huge, frothy, off-white head - yeasty, spicy, fruity aroma - flavor is tart up front, quickly making way for some mildly sweet fruit, some spices and lots of cookie-like, bready qualities - a subdued hop presence comes in the finish to compliment the spicy qualities - this beer does, however, fall short in some respects - the mouthfeel is a tad watery, and the flavor, while good, tends to be a bit thin at times, esp. in the finish - still, quite a nice Christmas beer.

Bottle pours brownish caramel, large frothy off-white head, fairly sticky lacing, with light carbonation.   Hay like aroma, and what could best be described as pellet food.   Seems very organic, somewhat earthy and dried herbish like.   Herbal sweetness up front, slightly dry, followed immediately by a quickly fading soft sourness.   Enjoyable body, medium mouthfeel.   Finishes musty, malty, slightly sweet, with a soft sourness in the background.   Not a big fan of the style, but this was rather enjoyable.

My bottle, shared with Hogtown Harry and Blankboy to finish a really solid tasting session on a crappy windy February night. Nice dark amber, small white head. Interesting musty spice and malt aroma. Some yeast and roast as well. Nice malt and roast taste, lots of yeast. Certainly has that outdoor barnyard sort of feel that this style can give as well. Lingering earthy bitterness. Another solid offering from these guys, I think that’s 9 of theirs I’ve had!

UPDATED: JAN 10, 2009 750ml - best before March 2004 - Aroma is sweet carmel and toffee with a touch of spice. Pours dark brown with a nice lasting medium head and great lacing. Flavor is a bit stale and metallic. The aftertaste matches aroma with some dark fruit thrown in. Palate is sticky. The thing about it is I haven’t had a fresh one to tell if it’s age or just the biere de garde funkiness. Even 2 years past the ’best by date’ it is drinkable and good, but not great. I may have to re-visit next Christmas.

Re-rate - had lots of caramel and some dark fruits. Much fresher this time and quite tasty.