La Moneuse

Brewed by Brasserie de Blaugies
Style: Saison
Dour-Blaugies, Belgium

Bottled 2004 (or at least that’s what the cork said as it flew out of the bottle and into my chin after I removed the cage.) Clear orange, big foamy head with lots of lacing. Very herbal aroma, but I’m not entirely sure which ones (rosemary maybe?) Mild grassy hops, wildflowers, straw, rotten apricots, sweaty cheese, vanilla phenolics and a whiff of alcohol quite like Duvel. It certainly wasn’t as fizzy as I was expecting after the cork-in-the-head episode, but it was lively enough with quite a dry-lean feel. Dry but solid, very distinct pils malt character which is kind of glassy or snappy (even if it only makes sense to me.) River stones, apricot juice, light tartness, very mild earthy Goldings (?) in the finish, but not as much as I’d like. Very much like Duvel - seemed a lot cleaner and less hoppy than when I had it in Belgium. Classy stuff, but not brilliant.

Deep orange color with a small film of a head - nice looking. Interesting yeast and orange nose. Intense dijon mustard taste also kumquats. Weird but nice.,

As with the other Blaugies beers take care when uncorking! Dark orange with a huge head. Fruity and yeasty aroma. Starts sweet and develops into a complex, spicy finish (orange zest bitterness). Medium body, refrshingly carbonated. Another superior beer by this little brewery.

Great glowing orange pour with bright fluffy white head. Big fruity aroma, with cut grass, and corriander. Big sweet malt flavors: honey, burnt candy sugar, lemon, orange, dried fruits and flowers. Big alcohol presence, but not unpleasantly so. Very well done.

Bottle, 75cl. Tasted at the Delirium Tremens cafe in Gothenburg. Had Håkan, the manager, to pick this to go with Trappist-cheeses. Maybe I am a bit influenced by the setting in this rating, but I did my best not to. It is a lovely beer, hazy and amber in colour, with a high, dense, white head. A mild, vinous, yet sweet taste with candisugar. Round aftertaste. The alcohol content is well disguised. Rating: 7-4-8-4-17-4. (051008)

Bottle, 37.5cl corked. The cork came off like a rocket, but no gushing. It pours an orange-golde body with lots of microfloaties and a big off-white head. Some alcohol on the nose, but far from unpleasant, along with fruits and sugars. Some cellar in the mouth, with white sugar, some alcohol and grapes too. Lasting herbal, bitter finish. Full-bodied and almost sticky. Definately not a big beer, dangerously drinkable and very tasteful. (090213)

Super mineral aroma after the cork. Horsey banyard flavor, crisp and clean.

Huge thanks to Crosling for sharing this with me- Pours a hazy orange color, nice big white head, perfect whipped egg white consistency. Aroma is wonderfully fruity and spicy, lemons, apricots, sawdust, with a sharper pine needle, corriander, allspice body to the scent. Flavor is very smooth, fruity and spicy but not over tart or unbalanced. Buttery palate, alcohol is almost undetectable!

Solidy hazy gold color. Nice frothy and full white head. Tangy orange and lemon aroma. Fresh flowers. Spicy orange flavor. Grassy hops in finish. Dry sweet orangey hops more in start. Sweet flowers and honey. Nice sweet herbal qualities. A little tangy at first and dry. But it smooths out nicely.