Génépi
Brasseurs Savoyards

 

i’ve never reviewed a beer before but as this one is very interesting and hasn’t yet been done, here goes: i bought it at our local organic grocer (33cl. 1.95€) out of simple curiosity; génépi is a strong flavored alpine flower used in Savoyard liqueurs that are to say the least an acquired taste. i was dubious that it could marry well with barley malt but i was very impressed, they’ve achieved a perfect dosage and balance.

besides the unique flavor and the fact that all the ingredients are organic there’s nothing about the beer of particular note: a light gold color, an attractive 1cm head that disappears quickly and leaves no lacing, a smooth though not particularly rich feel. but when a small company tries something novel in perfect keeping with their local identity and pulls it off this well, i think it’s worth mentioning.

i don’t know how widely this beer is available, i’ve only seen BS beers in organic stores and i live fairly close to their home region.