The French Connection - Blonde
Brasserie Thiriez

 

From notes L: Pours hazy straw into a tulip glass forming a moussey and sticky 3” white foam collar S: Stone fruits, spice, light malt T: Sweet light fruit, peaches, honey notes. F: Medium body, above average carbonation, fine and soft. O: A flavorful, easy to drink Biere de Garde.

 

 

 

With the help of Baltimore's Stillwater brewers, the French brewers of Thiriez connect with a taste that's authentically Belgian- fruit mingle with spice to offer a champagne character, except the lacing of earthy grain and hop contributions make it taste much more like a mild tripel ale.

Its first effevescent sip explodes with the racing acidity of sparkling white wine, equipped with the white grape, apple, pear and orange esters that make Belgian ales so alluring. Underlying sweetness is of wafer-thin cracker and faint confectioner's sugar.

Fading malt sweetness and growing spicy tones shift the balance from its floral and fruity upstart and into a earthy middle palate as grassy, spicy and peppery hops unfold and link up beautifully with the grain character of dry straw and the yeasty spices of clove, cumin and white pepper.

Diving head first into finish, its bubbly feel lifts the beer and ushers in a quick and spicy finish. Peppercorn and hay are all that's left as the taste fades into a bitter and spicy echo. Leaving the palate refreshed and lightened, this ale begs for soft cheeses and delicate seafood fare.

 

I really like this beer- drinking on a warm Friday afternoon and feeling refreshed. Looks beautiful; hazy blonde color. Not to much in the nose but appealing. Earthy yeast and malt notes; a little peppery. Tastes great- medium light body, modestly carbonated, a little bit of a hoppy finish. I'd get it again if I was in this kinda mood.

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a hazy medium caramel amber with a two finger white head with great retention and tons of lacing. Aroma of caramel malt, ligth sour fruit, citrus. Flavor is apple, pear and lemon citrus, biscuit malt, citrus hops, finishing semi-dry with residual grassy hops. Refreshing. Medium bodied with good carbonation. An interesting take on a Belgian pale, but is more a hybrid between an American Blond (biscuit malt and fresh hops) and a Belgian Blonde (Belgians yeasts and light fruit flavors). This is a combination that tastes very good; well made and flavorful.

 

Super head on this beer! Pours pretty damn creamy and just barely off white. Head retention is ridiculous! I poured this beer, put a few things away, came back and the head had only settled about a 1/4 inch. Smells yeasty as all get out, with a sour/hoppiness to it as well. Yellowish amber in color with a small amount of 'floaties'. I love the Belgian treatment of this pale. Creamy mouthfeel, reminiscent of what I'd expect from that head. Crazy lacing. Good light hop character, with almost an IPA hop presence. The yeast strain makes this beer IMHO. Great Belgian PA. Still loving Stillwater.

 

330 ml bottle pour into a tulip

A- A hazy golden straw color with a massive fluffy white head.

S- Bright, tart apples, lemons, earthy, of funky, some biscuity malts.

T- Lemons and apples, earthy funkiness, grassy, some floral hops, some biscuity malts, some sweetness that is hard to put my finger on. The more I drink this the more it comes together.

M- Smooth, light to medium body, dry, nice carbonation.

O- A tasty, different beer. Flavors work well together, yeast drives the taste.

 

 

 

 

 

A collaboration ale between Brasserie Thiriez and Stillwater, this is a French blonde ale which is waiting to greet me. From a 330 ml bottle, on to the beer:

Suspended particles of yeast is visible in the beer's body. The color is toasted caramel, topped with a creamy head which cakes lace around the glass. The nose is earthy, dry, offers some mint, lemon peel, and is rustic.

Dry, pleasant, and appetizing. The French Connection shows some complexity, offering a dry earthy note upfront, lemon, grassiness, a bite of sweetness that I can't make out, and a rustic and dry aftertaste. The body is a lighter-medium with a slight creaminess and gentle carbonation. As a bonus, it's very easy to drink.

This is a connection that I would like to keep together. Given the chance, I'd drink this one again.