Bieres Lepers Blonde 8
Brasserie Angelus

A: Pours with a clear, well attenuated golden to copper body and a frothy, two-finger white head. Head falls to half it's height quickly then stays there. Decent lacing.
S: Immediate hop decay and warm toasty malt character, and a certain graininess that comes with the traditional French beers. I like what is here but wish it was stronger.
T: Caramel malt sweetness and a clean, grainy aftertaste with something of a chewy vibe (this is a weird thing to note but if you think of Caramel chews and how your mouth waters as you chew them it will make more sense), there is an understated and herbal hop character here that comes through at just the right time as the graininess continues to flow through the beer. Not sure what kind of hops are used in this beer, the hop flavor has noble leanings but is softer, less spicy and generally more understated than noble hop varieties tend to be to my taste. As with L'Angelus, there is a earthy minerality to this beer, although it seems to show itself a good bit later than in the aforementioned beer. There is a hint of something slightly resembling something in the cilantro family (think the suggestion of mint but not quite mint)
M: Crisp and clean, though a tad sticky, but not really in a bad way.
O: Okay so I really like this beer. That being said there is one issue I do take: I'm not sure how exactly this beer is made, but for my money, at least in terms of taste, this beer belongs squarely in the Bière de Garde category, not the Belgian Pale Ale category. As I said, it may not be "garded" but the flavor more resembles a traditional French Bière de Garde than it does a Belgian Pale Ale, I'll give you that it is slightly less sweet than a Bière de Garde but for the most part it tastes like one. It should be noted that the brewery does not claim this to be a Belgian Pale Ale or a Bière de Garde or anything else for that matter. Now that that is out of the way, comments on the beer overall, I am slowly falling in love with the traditional French beers and I find this beer to stand toe to toe with most of them. Don't let people tell you that France doesn't make good beer, they may not make much but they do make some, and don't let people confuse you with the common ancestry of French Bière de Garde and Belgian Saison, they are miles apart. This is a great beer, if you can find it you should try it. It is a perspective shifter if you are not familiar with Tranditional French Bière de Garde or French beer generally, it doesn't quite taste like anything else.

Enjoyed from the 750 ml bottle in a snifter. This fine French blonde pours a clear golden color with a moderate head of white foam that settles to a thin ring, thin layer, and light lacing. Nose of light candy sugars, herbal notes from subtle hops, light bread and cracker notes, and subtle apple scents. Flavors lightly exceed the nose with light candy and honey drizzled apple slices on the front and middle, light herbal notes hit middle of the taste to the rear, and finish with a light herbal hops bitterness dashed with cracker notes with light pear flavors. Very nice mouth feel keeps this 8 percent-er lively with medium carbonation that is lightly prickly and finishes lightly dry. An excellent Belgian style brew from their neighbors. Cheers.