La Blonde d'Esquelbecq
Brasserie Thiriez

 

Brasserie Thiriez "Esquelbecq Blonde"
11.2 fl. oz. brown glass bottle
$6.99 @ Lower Merion Beverage Co., Ardmore, PA

Notes via stream of consciousness: It's poured a hazy golden-orange body beneath a thumb's width of white foam. The aroma is grainy, earthy, spicy, and fruity. The flavor follows suit. The malt is grainy and grassy, and most likely Pilsner and wheat malts. The yeast gives it a delicate peppery spiciness and apple-like fruitiness, and the hops give it some herbal character. A stiff bitterness leads it to a dry, earthy, herbal, and spicy finish. In the mouth it's medium bodied and effervescent with a bristling, fine-bubbled carbonation. T he head held up well and it's left mountains of lacing rising above the surface of the liquid all the way around that glass. A classic.
Review #9,,498

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a light to medium golden amber with a three finger, active head that slowly dissipates to a thick, dense cap with nice lacing. Aroma of lightly grainy malt, over-ripe light stone fruit, farmhouse yeast and some earthiness. Taste is similar, lightly grainy malt, saison yeast, over-ripe light stone fruit with some earthiness and spiciness developing into the finish. Medium bodied win moderate creaminess and nice mouth feel. A quite pleasant and authentic tasting French/Belgian farmhouse ale. Although the label calls it a saison, it tastes more like a biere de garde to me with richer malt and more fruit notes, not quite as crisp. I like this quite a bit.

Handsome dark yellow brew with long-lasting foam in the Blanche de Chambly goblet. Aromatic with yeasty oddities and cookies. Excellent sudsy mouthfeel. This tastes like no other Saison or whatever a French Farmhouse is supposed to be. Interesting, though, with berries and nuts, sort of. Herbal flavors with a touch of caramel. Very malty, rather sweet, but with the dry Belgian yeast underneath it all. The aftertaste is yeasty and bitter with some sweetness still remaining to the end. From the 11.2 oz bottle purchased on the West Coast. No apparent date.

Thick and full-flavoured, but refreshing. Light gold, fluffy head. Smells of malt, bubblegum, molasses, cooked sugar, and the taste follows…
Earthy and rustic with plenty of ester flavours, sweet, grassy malt and a long, dry finish that leaves an almost chalky taste and feel in the mouth.

 

 

 

 

 

750 ml green bottle, Lot 985, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6.5%. Nearly clear blonde colour, large white head. Pleasant aroma of malts, spicy yeast and stewed yellow fruits. Soft mouthfeel. The flavour has distinct notes of spicy yeast, stewed fruits and herbal hops. Well balanced.

Delicious.
My copy possibly is a bit past its prime; but the only real clue is that my label and the label below is different than the one on their website. As true with the two other Thiriez ales I've been fortunate to have, they'd be better fresher. I'm guessing the price makes Thiriez sit on the shelve until a Euro Saison Head sees it (credit to Stoned Trippin for naming that niche.) I'm guessing that is the price Shelton Bros needs to charge to bother with the Illinois ABC (but that is just my dig.)

As for the Blonde... Looks still offer an inviting foam that settles on a amber-pale body with just enough protein swirls to stay lively. Smells of earthiness and yeast at work. Tastes introduce the hops at the end. But this is still all soft in the mouth with a dry finish... could be a nearby champagne influence. Paired well with a medley of appetizers, but wanted another one to share with friends at dinner.

I finally found the English button on Thiriez' website. For the record, the brewer considers this a biere de garde and we probably should consider that if we want to keep the style alive... or at least separated from its kissing cousin saison. At any rate, this website describes a very sweet family brewhouse. I might even put it on my BBBL (Belgian Brewery Bucket List) since I don't have one on the list that is south of the border. I'm assuming there are great restaurants nearby.

 

 

Well crafted beer. Very balanced- light hoppiness, light belgian farmhouse yeast noted, great soft mouthfeel.
Goto Blonde Ale.

 

 

 

750ml from La Cave a Bulles. Pours a touch hazy pale gold with a big big head that has staying power and leaves good lace. Nose is muted for the style with some honey, mineral, and yeast (but falls short of the yeasty character I'm looking for here). Taste is light and clean, leaning towards the crisp biscuit and slight honey rather than the yeasty spice. Like the nose, a bit too light. Fine mouthfeel like champagne. Overall, a good beer that simply lacked character.

A nice classic riff on the style.
Pours a hazed golden orange with visible carb trails rising. Chunky lace all around the glass, with foam resembling pillowy mounds of mashed potatoes from Uncle Phil's dreams. Long lasting coverage, looks the part to a T.

Aroma is doughy with honeyed pale malt and light herbal tea leaf hops.
Taste is a little bit more herbal with a light hop earthiness, sweet malt and a lightly bitter dry aftertaste.
Crisp and clean, alternating sweetness upfront with a drying finish, ample carbonation. Rustic.
Overall this is a pretty classic saison. After having the Extra last night, I can say I prefer Extra, but the Blonde is closely related and worth a try on it's own.