Castelain St. Amand French Country Ale

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

Soft caramelly, earthy palate. Golden-amber colour. Kind of musty aroma. On the tongue it gets watery late. It’s a rounded, lighter, softer example of the style, without much nuance.

Murky brown body with no head. Faint floral aroma. Taste is muted -- light floral and spice, but not much else. Bit of sweetness. Medium body.

(750ml bottle) Labeled as St. Amand French Country Ale. Pours a deep amber body with a huge rocky beige head. Aroma of caramel, mustiness, dustiness, and a bit of fruit. Dry palate, spicy yeast and caramel flavor.

I was pointed in the direction of this rating domain by the "powers that be." There’s nothing blonde about the biere de garde I’m drinking, but here goes... Hazy, ruby-colored ale with a small, creamy, beige head. Great retention. The aroma is of pear, leather, barnyard, caramel and everything earthy. Sweet and watery flavor. The ABV is completely hidden, but the taste is almost cloyingly sweet and thin. The light hops kick in at the very last possible moment. Medium-bodied with a silky mouthfeel and soft carbonation. Dryish finish.

The Lure:
Faint fruit and toffee sweetness in a nondescript perfume, near blandness.

The Festivities:
The wood of peach and apricot trees, chalk-smeared and doused in mineral water. Thin and bubbly mouthfeel, devoid of any interesting component.

Transcendence:
Not poorly brewed but I need more flavor to keep me more interested.
Earlier Rating: 11/2/2003 Total Score: 3.4
(Bottled as St.Amand)...Heavily sweet chocolate cherries entertaining muddy dates...Late hay and hop bitterness smothered in the malty sweetness...Too sweet for summer, too light for winter, a good beer within worlds that'll satisfy a moment's curiosity...

Tap at Ginger Man. Very, very pale golden beer. The aroma shows just a touch of light straw. Lightly fruity nose with a touch of pear quality. A light herbal and earthy nose on the back of the palate. Warming brings up a touch of peachy aroma that works pretty well with the flinty/minerally malts. Herbal and grassy hops add a bit of complexity. It’s nothing crazy, but it’s a decently tasty brew. Quite spicy on the back... a nice tasty BdG.

St. Amand French Country Ale: Clear brown appearance. Big nose of apple crisp and cake. Somewhat pale profile, with mild flavors of spices and dark fruit. Dry palate overall. Very nice.

I’m not sure why this is named "Blonde," since this Bière de Garde is a clear amber color. Comes with an impressively large head, too. Other than that, it’s a fairly subdued ale, a mild caramel aroma with a touch of floral scents. There’s a light spiciness added to the flavor, but nothing to write home about. Drinkable, but there are better examples of the style readily available.

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