St Rieul Blonde
Ferme-Brasserie Saint Rieul

 

Notes from July 24th 2011. exp Feb 2012

A: Opaque apricot/sandalwood marmalade, 1 finger soapy micro head, No visible rising carbonation through the density, Excellent head retention, beautiful slippery motion of the lacing.
S: Pungent cutting yeast, apricot jam, lumber.
T: Strong wood character, apricot, seaweed, but overall almost mild in flavor, slightly creamy.
M: Very light, smooth carbonation and a hair astringent
O: Has some beautiful properties but is overal between good and ok.

Beer bottle (33cl, 75 cl.), tasted in 2005.

Appearance : yellow-orange color (veiled), with a white and fine foam head (persistent).
Smell : yeast and malts notes, complex fruity aromas.
Taste and mouthfeel : ample, with many roundness, and a beautiful richness. Long finale, marked by a small point of bitterness.
Drinkability : a good beer in the style Belgian blond ale.

Review translated from french 6-29-2008.

Beautiful appearance: dense and velvety head, reminding me of tiny glass splinters, lasting on a voluptuous hazy golden orange color body. The smell is round and enjoyable, but not overly pronounced: a certain yeastiness with fruity notes of orange and grapefruit. The taste features the same fruity character, showing maybe more notes of grapefruit. Malty and grainy, with a wheaty aspect. The finish has more a spicy bite of pepper. Mouthfeel is round without being overwhelming. A slightly bready aspect gives the beer a consistency that doesn’t reduce the beer’s drinkability. An interesting offering by this brewery from Picardie, from a place where not even a frog dared to go a while back (that’s the claim made on the label).