Castelain ChTi Brune

Brewed by Brasserie Castelain
Style: Bière de Garde
Benifontaine, France

Bottled 01-06. Pours a dark brown color with hints of red and an average, beige, fizzy-rocky head; it is mostly diminishing leaving minimal scattered lacing. Nose is fairly one dimensional with light chocolate, prune, and hints of earthy hazlenut. Flavor is similar with dominant prune, toffee, earthy notes, soy sauce, and a bit of a stale tone. Palate is light to medium, moderate to lively carbonation, but still silky feeling. Finishes with some lightly roasted notes coming into play bringing just enough bitterness with some lingering prune notes. Not a bad beer, but lacking any depth or dimension. Not as focused or as delicate as some of the better examples of the style. Would not buy again but still an intriguing style.

Date: 4/19/2007
Serving: 750 mL corked and caged bottle (6.4% ABV) shared by Tmoney99. Thanks Tom!
Event: Tasting with friends.
Location: Dilly Deli

Tasting Notes
Aroma: Sour cherry, prune juice, hint of vinegar and chocolate.
Appearance: Deep mahogany color (brown with reddish hues) with a diminishing beige head. The remaining crown is frothy.
Flavor: Initially it has a deep caramel flavor. Actually, maybe a better way to describe it would be more like the way toffee once tasted (brown sugar/soy sauce). After the initial maltiness, the flavor moves to a sour cherry/fruit middle. There is some mild cardboard flavor in the finish along with a hint of hop bitterness.
Palate: Medium body with a soft and smooth texture.
Overall: Moderately sweet with some tang to it. Quite a unique and somewhat complex beer.

75 cl bottle at Delirium café, Göteborg, Sweden. Clear dark copper, large beige head. Onedimensional roasted earthy malt aroma, with notes of chocolate. Medium bodied with prickly carbonation. Nice fry and bitter - but short - finish.

Bottled. Clear brown colour. Almost no aroma, only subtle notes of milk chocolate. Light-medium bodied with vague chocolate notes. Apart from that, nothing. Very one-dimensional.

Bottle from Bello Vino shared with freinds at the Dilly Deli. Poured clear brown color with an average frothy head that was mostly lasting with good lacing. Moderate toasted malty, toffee and small alcohol aroma. Medium body with a slick texture. Medium balanced roasted flavor with a medium bittersweet finish of moderate duration. My expectations were met.

Bottle. Dark brown color with a medium off-white head. Sweet, bit roasty malty and fruity aroma. Flavour of a good medium roasty maltiness, caramel, port-like notes, some raisins, bit yeasty. Roastish bit sweet finish.

27 June 2006 - Sweet roasted malt hop aroma. Very dark brown colour, suds lacing and ordinary head. Simple sweet roasted malt and light hop flavour. BItter simple roasted malt finish.

Burnt chocolate malt aroma. Dark borwn colour with good head and lacing. Bitter burnt malt flavour with chocolate. Smooth palate.