Sologne Ambree
Brasserie Artisanale du Centre

Finally getting around to evaluate this last beer I brought back from France.

Moderate head that settles to a single layer of bubbles. Leaves a couple of minute bubbles as lace. The broth is solid amber color and hazy.

Deep candy sugar aroma--very sweet, like smelling a Barley Wine. Some notable alcohol and a touch of Belgian yeast to the nose.

Not nearly as sweet as the smell indicates--there's still a presence of sweetness but it is not cloy like I thought it would be. This may be because of the modest hop kick....completely unexpected since it wasn't present in the smell. Good balance. Decent body and carbonation. All in all, not a bad Amber.

I picked this up while on a tour of Chateaux Chambord in France. Poured from the 12 oz bottle into my pint glass it's a murky brown with little head or lacing. The smell is mostly the mixture of the four malts. It's not strong but not bad. The taste is hard to pinpoint, hence I'm not exactly sure what style of beer this is. There's not much hop presence, mostly some weak malt and yeast flavor. The mouthfeel and drinkability save this one from complete mediocrity. It is well carbonated, almost a little too much, but the drinkability is pretty high for the summer months. Overall this is pretty average and not something I would go to great lengths to acquire again.