Chateau Rouge
Brasserie la Goutte d'Or

 

1 pint bottle into a tulip. No freshness dating could be found.

Mixed look in the glass. Begins hazy reddish amber, then turns a muddy brown color when the last few ounces are added. Head is generous and slightly off white, persisting in very good form throughout. Layers and gobs of lacing.

Dull spicy aroma with a little apple.

On tasting, spicy, very peppery, a hint of rye. However this is balanced by a strong sweet malt presence. Warmth gathers in the back of the throat.

Mouth above medium, finish spice and rye.

Overall, pretty interesting beer. Nicely balanced, good pepper addition. Perhaps I should not have dumped in the last 2 ounces.

122016 L310 on the label.

Pours an almost clear amber with a healthy head of foam that takes ages shrink.

Smell is spicy, somewhat bitter, mildly sweet, a bit peppery.

The taste is spicy, I get hibiscus and chilies, bitter, dry, bitter aftertaste.

Medium body and carbonation.

Pretty tasty. Feeling a bit more of the heat after every sip.

 

 

Quite hazy in a Harp nonic (SRM 10-11) dark amber. Slow streaming carbonation sustains a firm two-inch creamy almond head. The head never dissipates, but does condense while leaving thick clouds of lace behind.

Fruity melons like over-ripe honeydew form the greeting. Strong floral notes, like hibiscus, are reminiscent of Easter Lilies. Warmth brings out sourdough and Italian herbs like oregano, thyme and basil.

This beer is surprisingly bitter with light sweetness and light sourness. Over-ripe bananas present late, followed by building chili heat that remains tame. Some apple comes out with warmth as do Italian herbs. The finish is initially off-putting, but recovers as the chilis take over. Late in each sip there is a light stinging on the lips.

A medium body and combed wool texture form the backdrop for fine, prickly carbonation. Alcohol and chilis vie for attention, but are controlled throughout.

While one would be hard pressed to mistake this for a Bier de Garde, it does retain the expected earthiness. This is an interesting beer, worthy of revisiting, perhaps with a curry dish.

 

 

Described by the server at the brewery as a chili red ale.

Quite balanced.

B- / WORTHY

Pours clear amber. Smell is a somewhat sour with malty barley aroma. Flavor adds a bit of hops with some bitterness. I don't get much pepper flavor or bite, although there is some, but there are some spice flavors. Mouthfeel is right in line with hops/slight sour and compliments the maltiness too. Really well made and balanced.

 

 

 

A: The beer is slightly hazy yellowish amber in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger and a half high frothy off white head that has very good retention properties and consistently left a short head covering the surface.
S: Light aromas of apples are present in the nose along with notes of hibiscus and hints of chili peppers.
T: The taste starts out with flavors of apples and hibiscus with a bit of associated sweetness—this then transitions to flavors of earthy yeast with hints of chili peppers, the latter of which are most noticeable towards the finish and mostly contribute flavor and not that much spiciness.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. Only faint amounts of heat from the chili peppers are perceptible.
O: This bière de grade is rather interesting because it has some complexities in the smell and taste.

Serving type: bottle

 

On tap:
Beer pours a dark amber to light brown. Small-bubble head lasts quite well, eventually becoming foamy, and providing moderate lacing. Carbonation is active each tip of the glass.

Nose has a light tartness to it, but otherwise there isn't much, light grain notes at most. Tartness is grape or maybe plum immature. As the beer warms a light but pungent herbal note comes on.

Taste starts clean and earthy, but transitions into a wine and herb taste quickly. I think the pungent herb notes from the nose are the spices in the beer, but I am not so good at picking those out*. Whatever they are, earthy is what I get. As the beer warms, the middle tastes get a bit more tart, and a bit more "spicy", with some heat finally making a showing.

Overall the spices add some weird notes to this beer. Eventually some heat also comes. The beer seems a bit unfocused in its profile, however. An interesting beer, sure, but a good one? Jury is hung on this one.

* I want to say I get notes of things like Rosemary, tarragon, thyme - earthy, woody herbs. Yes, herbs aren't spices, so maybe cumin or nutmeg? Anyhow, you get the point, there's earthiness infused via adjuncts that are discernible

On tap at Rustico - Arlington. Served in a stemmed tulip. BA indicates that this beer is retired, so maybe I am drinking from a keg with a year or more of age on it. And the page for the brewery indicates that this place is closed. Too bad because I like this beer. Many characteristics similar to a Oud Bruin- 4.25

A - Reddish amber - 4
S - A bit sour - 3.75
T. - Tasty with the peppers clearly present. Heat manifests itself at the back of the mouth, but no burning lips like with some beers. A bit of lactic sourness. - 4.25
MF - Medium body, semi dry finish. - 4