La Choulette de Noël

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

750ml bottle, 2004 vintage. Intriguing aroma, exotic and fleeting with suggestions of dark candyish sweetness, faint orange peel, very lightly sour berryish fruitiness, old leaves, an herbal, tobaccoish character and a touch of cellar must. Lightly hazy medium-dark copper brown color with a fully lasting, creamy, off-white head and matching lace. Upfront sweet, malty flavor, abundant dark sugary malts, a short burst of hop bitterness and lightly tart, rich, tropical punch-like fruitiness then enters before the nicely balanced, lightly citric and lingering finish that features just a hint of warmth, some raisin and spice. Palate is smoothly effervescent, body is medium. May be a handful of months past its best by date, but it is a "Bière de Garde" after all, and certainly does not appear to be any worse for it.

Red/brown with a good-sized white head. Sulphury, earthy nose with notes of caramel, strawberries, and prunes. Light flavor, musty, somewhat sweet, with some fruity (strawberry, cherry notes) overlaid by a musty bitterness.

I had two bottles of this, and I brought one of them to a Texas gathering about a year ago. I had a sample from that bottle but didn’t rate it. It didn’t go over very well, I recall. Well, I decided to have the second bottle tonight, sharing it with my wife, and while it is better than my recollection of the previous night, it isn’t going to win accolades. A chestnut color with a decent cream-colored head, it starts off with a mustiness amid the caramel, nut, and vanilla aroma. There is perhaps some alcohol and a bit of sourness to it as well. In the flavor there is something like a very mild scotch, a bit peaty and earthy, along with caramel, raisins, and mustiness. It isn’t exactly unique but there is something smooth here that closer than I’ve seen to my Laphroaig-sipping days a few years ago. Dusty and musty! The palate holds up well; at first carbonation supports it, but later it retains a combination of alcohol (just enought to give it some bite) and smoothness that the fading carbonation doesn’t seem to matter. Still, overall, this isn’t for everyone. Its Scotch-notes could easily be interpreted as moldy vegetables, like the potatoes you discover at the back of the kitchen cabinets underneath the sink. I think there’s something to appreciate here but I had to work at it.

Bottle. Off white head. Dark red brown body. Very spicy aroma with hints of vanilla. Caramel, raisin smooth flavor, low carbonated. Definately a surprise.

Orange-brown body, thick beige head. Dense caramely aroma with layers of breads and hints of toffee. Nice biscuity, bready, toasty body, sweet, with brown sugar and caramel, toffee, and a touch of raisin. I’m actually quite surprised by the complexity and ingenuity displayed by this tasty beverage. There are some similarities to La Bavaisienne, an excellent beer worthy of its rank as the highest-rated Biere de Garde.

Sampled at a beer tasting party. Fruity aroma. Vanilla and Caramel flavor. Not memorable but decent. No where near the level of Rochefort Trappistes line or Victory V12.

The head was spare and diminishing. This beer was very carbonated and had a sweet taste to it.

Had during a beer tasting party. Poured reddish brown and tastes of sweet broth. Not really the most enjoyable to me.