Champ Libre
Gallia 1890

Paris 2/4 2026. 50 cl can from CarreFour, Boulevard Diderot, Paris 12e. Light blue and green can with a cocky rooster in white.

Pours as slightly unclear pale yellow with a mid-sized white head. Stable. Settles as a 1,5 cm thick layer of fluffy foam covering the surface of the beer. Substantial lacing.

Aroma is medium intense with a sweet malty odor mingling with a citric scant and a herbal touch. Sweet pale malt, pear and sharp citrus. Whiff of chamomile.

Light carbonation. Slightly thick, oily, soft, gently tingling texture.

Flavor is medium intense with a medium strong sweetness followed by a moderately strong bitterness. Aftertaste is lightly bitter with a sweet undertone. Lingers for a while. Finish is semi-dry.

Sweetish Lager with a light herbal touch.

When two brown 330 milliliter bottles were entirely emptied into a clear glass liter mug, a generous, but not ridiculous white head was produced. It rested for a good time above a blond-amber liquid that's not quite brightly hued, nor completely translucent. There's a nice lager-like aroma of some malt and yeast, with mild hoping. The body is soft and sufficient for a lager, carrying a bit of the yeastiness. It's light tasting, even for a lager and probably especially for a European one. The hops add just enough beer flavor and the malt a fairly sweet backbone. Although it's not the most flavorful Pale Lage to try, its body is good and it drinks nice and smoothly. The taste of the alcohol, at a little higher level than some in this style, is barely noticed. So, too, is any glass lacing.

 

 

Bought in the bar car on the TGV to Barcelona where the other choice was Heineken. Turns out Gallia is a brand in Heineken Enterprises. Somehow, they are hard to escape when at the mercy of a big institution like a national railroad or a grocery chain. But that said, this is a pleasant blonde (but I was thirsty also.)

This Blonde Looks active enough to invite me in. (I should have had it with dinner, and it also would make a good lunch beer.) Pleasantly fruity in my nose. A few hops provide balance and there are a few flavors driven by the yeast,, but this remains relatively sweet and thus makes it a suitable table ale. On the lighter side of medium-mouthed.

Serving: 330 ml bottle poured into a paper coffee cup on a SNCF TGV bar car.

Appearance: Slightly hazy straw yellow with a lively froth of white foam.

Smell: Grainy, malty aroma with subtle yeast and floral hops.

Taste: Dry, grainy malt body with earthy, yeasty notes and slight bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with lively moderate carbonation.

Overall: Crisp, flavorful lager that refreshes nicely with snacks during a train ride.

Bought in a France hypermarché. 660ml bottle.
Pours pale yellow opaque, 2 finger white head, medium retention. Low on carbonation, small bubbles.

Smells wonderfull hoppy, pilsner like.
Taste follows smell.
Some flowery tanginess in the aftertaste, quite refreshing on a warm day.
Mouth feel, medium bodied, a little dry.

This is a very pleasant and drinkable blonde.

Bottle: Poured a golden color ale with a medium size foamy head with OK retention and light lacing. Aroma of cereal notes with some light unrefined grainy notes. Taste is also a mix of cereal notes with some unrefined grainy notes with some light residual sugar notes. Body is about average with good carbonation. Average golden ale with OK drinkability.

Very complex. Something like a Kellerbier.
Light, lemony, biscuity… plenty of yeasty, barnyard funk. A little honey. A little hop spice.
Strongly carbonated and unfiltered. Contains some rye and french hops.
A standout among “grocery store” lagers, for sure.