Lancelot XI.I

Brewed by Brasserie Lancelot
Style: Barley Wine
Le Roc-Saint-André, France

Serve in Snifter

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After a first bottle that exploded from oversaturation on the bike ride from the Cave à Bulles store to the hotel, I decided to open my other one rather than risk bringing it home to share. It came out coke coloured and opaque, covered by an off-white 1cm foam. Grapey and heady nose comes out strongly and evocative. It is strong on liquor fruitiness and invitingly complex. Digging deeper, chocolatey and leathery undertones join this potion. To give you an idea of what we’re talking of, add smoke, rich hops and the rich texture and this would be a HOTD Adam clone. The yeastiness is that good. A fair roastiness inhabits this ale whose body is the weakest link and good use some extra flesh and bones. The little caramel sweetness presence remains in line with the moderate thinness. The charming aromatic fruitiness is less obvious in mouth. If it’s quite thin for its genre, the minimal carbonation nevertheless contributes to thickening gentle the apparent texture. Finish is earthy, chocolatey, roasty. What I love is that this is not just an Americanized French ale that goes for bigger is better. It is actually loaded with subtleties and not using so much hops at all to reach its level of goodness. Good yeast presence like some English strong ales and hefty malts and good execution can take you far.

Bottled 33cl. Courtesy of jaghana. Quite good. Great drinkability. Some lacework. Thanks a lot jaghana!

Heavy sweet and malty aroma with hints of coffee and yeast. Sweet taste of roasted malt with hints of chocolate, fruit, raisins and alcohol. A very special beer!

07/05 0.33 l bottle courtesy of Doggythedog, thanks for sharing! It poured very dark brown body with medium sized brown head. Coffee aroma, very simple yet nice. Flavor is caramel and coffee malty, bit sweet, slightly sour, pleasant. Not full in body as I previously expected, with alcohol being hidden just well. Nice long sweetish finish. Rather simple, but very enjoyable barley wine.

26th May 2009
Opaque black beer. Crisp light palate with a creamy feel in the mouth. Moderate carbonation. Intense but smooth licorice totally dominates. A little more malt underneath and minerals in the semi dry finish. Very much a licorice beer and a nice one too because it’s rich and not oversweet.

Botted 330ml. -Courtesy of Marko (thanks!), shared with heavy and him.
Dark brown coloured, small to medium sized pale brown head, coffee and alcohol in the nose. Roasted malt, alcoholic and fruity with notes of caramel and licorice. Dark fruits and warming alcohol in the finish.

2010 version, bottle no. 5149 if I’m not mistaken. Probably from Cave A Bulles, Paris. Poured a misty dark red-brown body. Coffee, grainy maltiness, soft, slightly creamy. Creamy taste, sweet, some roasty coffee notes, some dust. Light bitter aftertaste, very light acidic. Several "nices" and "cutes" in my notes. And yeah, this is a good beer indeed.

Bottle, 033. Dark brown, a gusher. Coffee, roots, soil in aroma. Fantastic beer.

33cl bottle brought from Nantes by my lovely and patient wife. Pours a stout like deepest brown verging on black. Tan head that is very active with carbonation and vanished quickly. Aroma is subtle and very un-Barleywine like. Some lightly smoked caramel malt dominates, faint cocoa...the nose is a somewhat like a quad or perhaps an imperial porter. Taste is quite lush; roasted malt, licorice, cocoa, brown sugar, some hops there as well. Vibrant mouthfeel. Alcohol is evident but not overpowering. Finish is very much about the roasted malt. This just isn’t a barley wine but, style aside, it’s a very solid and layered beer that I enjoyed a great deal.

Brassée au coucher du soleil le soir du 31 Octobre, celle-ci sera disponible après une fermentation de 6 semaines au solstice d’hiver, Lancelot s’illustre chaque année à l’occasion de la Nuit de SAMHAIN, fête organisée le 31 Octobre par la Brasserie, durant laquelle nous brassons, en public et en musique, la XI.I, une bière noire titrant 11,1° d’alcool (pour 11è mois de l’année, 1er jour).

Non è una barley. Troppo secca, alcoolica. Frizzantezza fuori stile, metallico, amaro non piacevolissimo