La Choulette Ambrée

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

750ml @ Stone Brewing. Very sweet nose. Some spiciness, dark dried fruit. Nice medium amber color. Sweetness is evident with some spiciness. Pretty tasting but a tad too sweet

750mL bottle, BB 4/25/07. Poured clear, medium sparkly orange/amber with a well-formed cap of white head. The aroma picked up spicy darker fruits, dusty notes of mild oxidation, and an almost vinegary tartness. The flavor had a soft lemon and vinegary tartness throughout with sweet dark fruits and toffee across the middle.. dry peppery and floral notes hit on the finish.. just a bit too tart, perhaps because this was a little old.. still tasty, though. Medium-bodied with tartness beating out the sweet stuff.. lemony finish. I’d drink this again.

Bottle@Home. Dough aroma with hints of raisin and prune. Brown color, beige head, good lace. Sweet, raisin, prune, licorice, chocolate. Sticky mouthfeel.

33cl bottle. Pours much clearer than I expected. Held up to the light, the color is a gorgeous garnet red. The head was light and frothy but subsides quickly and leaves no lace. Aroma is like brandy and candy sugar but hops and alcohol are detectable too. Mouthfeel is gentle and smooth. Thin body with a clean but predominantly alcoholic finish that reminds me of malt liquor. Either there is not enough substance here for me, or I don’t get the beer. Having said all that, it’s going down alright and it’s 400th rating so--cheers!

750ml bottle from CarreFour Normandy. Noticeable sweet crystal malt with faint notes of chocolate. Soft, cardboardy hops detract. Alcohol strength is apparent. It’s drinkable, but there’s not a lot to say for it. Tastes like a East European strong lager. The nice bottle can lead to higher expectations of quality than are delivered.

75cL bottle, BBE sometime in 2004, been in beer fridge since around 2005. Initial pour is almost crystal clear, a few floaters are there but no chunks, with a short lived head that fades to a nice ring on the edge of the glass. Aroma is rather sharp with lots of ripe fruit, candied strawberries, a little bit of cherry pie. Flavorwise, this beer is at it’s peak, gone are the green apple flavors and in are the candied apples with just ever so little notes of sherry. I’m about floored, I expected this beer to be an oxidized mess and found just sheer fruity beauty.

Flaske. Flot mørkerød øl. Duften var maltet med noget andet. Min kone sagde at den ikke var som en øl. Smagen ekstremt domineret af malt, til at begynde med en smule kedeligt, men det groede helt klart på en. Så en rigtig udemærket oplevelse.

Bottle. Medium head with medium duration. Color is amber. Aroma and taste are sweet malt, fruits and spices.