Gayant La Goudale

Brewed by Les Brasseurs De Gayant
Style: Bière de Garde
Douai, France

500 ml can at Chancey Smith’s in London, ON- Sparkling gold pour unleashes a frothy bleached white cap. Some lace left behind, with some retention. Nose of honey, grains, lemon, grassy hops. Tastes of sweet grains, honey, floral hops, grass, straw. Quite the sharp hop profile towards the finish, prickly carbonation. Good.

A light golden body with a good head. A tad dry witha sweet taste and a frutiy aftertaste. A small touch of alcohol.

[corked bottle] Floral hops aroma along with some tangy butterscotch that is not diacetyl. Clear dark yellow with a foamy white cover that quickly drops. Flavour begins sort of like a belgian blonde ale with woody, floral hops together with spicy phenolics that are subtle, but detectable. A woody bitterness comes in later with a refreshing sour wheat and a touch of ethanol. Overall, very well balanced and tasty. Very quaffable for strength. Medium body, medium carbonation, woody bitter finish.

Orange and lemon citrus with floral and honey-like musty notes in the aroma. Lightly hazy golden blond body is topped by a generous white head that recedes to a lasting cover with some lacing. Flavour is quite dry with musty and grassy character. Sweetness emerges and lingers in the aftertaste along with fruity esters. Medium body with strong, pointy carbonation. Tulip glass. Cellar temperature. Bottle (BB 28/04/08) purchased through Bièropholie in Jun-07.

Bottle. Pours clear orange with an average, fizzy, white head, somewhat lasting with fair lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (bread, straw, grain), light hops (flowers, grass), heavy yeast (dough, horse blanket, earth) with notes of apple, pear, pepper, and coriander. Medium bodied, sticky texture, lively carbonation, and a chalky finish. Average duration, light sweetness, acidity, and bitterness.

This is a not that great of a brew. It has a nice golden pour with an extremely malty smell and some hints of hops but very faint. There is no aroma nor is there any lacing. The flavor is very bland and could use some more substance. It has good carbonation and nice use of malt but the bitterness could use some work and maybe add some flavor.

The pour produces a slightly hazy orange/gold with a creamy white head that leaves great lacing. The nose is grainy, with corn husk, floral hops, honey and not much else. The flavour is equally grainy, with notes of corn, leafy hops, and that characteristic funky vegetal high-fermentation temp flavour. Bier de Garde’s have never been my thing, but this one really turned me off. It just tastes rotten. The palate, despite the flavour, is very nice, as it is creamy, appropriately carbonated and slightly warming in the finish, that ends a little syrupy though.

(75 cl bottle at Ambleteuse, France) Very bitter aroma and taste. Palate is also overwhelmed by the bitterness. Not a pleasant beer in my opinion.