Bourgogne Des Flandres Blonde / Blond
Brewery Bourgogne Des Flandres

 

rather just another simple blond. was hoping for something distinct, most disappointed in mouthfeel and overall taste. some hops perhaps? Still quaffable.

330 mL bottle from the LCBO; best before 2023/08/02 and served barely chilled. I can't find this beer on their website, so I must assume it's either retired or recently revived (I'm going with the latter). 5.5% on the label, but a sticker lists it at 6.1%.

Pours a clear golden yellow colour, initially capped with one finger of soapy, sudsy white head that fades within a couple of minutes or so. A tight collar and some wisps on the surface are all that remain, with minimal lace deposition. Orange peel and citrus oil on the nose, with additional hints of coriander, grainy malts, hay, apples and a hint of something peppery.

It's a palatable blond ale - unique, in that it's blended with a Timmermans lambic, yet there's no 'sourness' here. Instead, sweet & fruity flavours dominate: orange peel, apple and table sugar, with hints of grainy pale malts and bready sweetness by mid-sip. Coriander, pepper and bubble gum on the back end, with more apple juice and mild orange peel bitterness preceding a lightly honey-sweet, fruity aftertaste that loiters on the taste buds. Medium in body, with strong carbonation on average - very assertive at first, remaining prickly right to the end of the session. Very quaffable, which might be its strongest quality.

Final Grade: 3.7, a passable B grade. Belgian blondes are not a style I have oodles of previous experience with, but I skimmed the BA notes for the style and I think Bourgogne des Flandres Blond syncs up pretty well. Fruity esters, moderate sweetness, some spiciness and low hop bitterness - check, check, check and check. That being said, for a Belgian beer it's nothing worth writing home about, and the orange peel might be a little overused for some folks. I'd recommend this most strongly to witbier fans, with a less-enthusiastic endorsement going out to Belgian beer fans in general.

Maybe unretired now? Maybe the recipe is different now too? First review here since 2016. Bottle purchase from the LCBO for $3.50 CDN or so. Best before August 2, 2023. Listed at 5.5% ABV per bottle, but 6.1% ABV with sticker on bottle. Served cool into a tulip.

Appearance - A rich golden color, great clarity and lots of bubbles. A finger plus of loose white head even after a very slow pour. Great staying power.

Smell - Some honey, powdery estery notes, a little bread and a slight twang of leafy hops before the honey comes rushing back.

Taste - Fairly sweet, some apple skins, honey, a little more apple, a peppery element, with some bread sprinkled with a touch of sugar. Bitterness only really shows up at the close and aftertaste. Fairly intense flavor for a more middle range ABV (especially among Belgians that are not sour).

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, loads of carbonation but drinks quite easily. Semi-dry finish.

Overall - It's not perfect and maybe not even great, but this is a pretty tasty brew with balance and feel that should be scoring a little higher than it is. The honey and apple flavors might not be for some, but even still worth a try if you happen to come across it in your travels. Glad to have picked up a couple bottles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beer bottle (33 cl.) purchased from Super Market, and tasted in 2013.

Appearance : golden color, with white foam head.
Smell : malty and hoppy aromas.
Taste & mouthfeel : sweet with notes of fruit and malt, leading to bitter with an average duration.
Drinkability : an average beer in the style Belgian Pale Ale

The Bourgogne des Flandres Blond won't be your greatest impression of beer tasting. After drinking it you already forget how it tasted.

On the other side: I think that there aren't many Belgian beers that have the great drinkability this Blond has. It drinks like pilsener.

The looks are a bit disappointing for a blond beer. The top starts good, but disappears quite quickly.

The smell isn't complex but extremely inviting. Bready malts with some citrus and flowers; finishing with a tiny white pepper.

The taste is fresh enough, slightly bitter with a round, malty ending.

Mouthfeel: bitterishness is nice, the invitation to the next sip is there, but it is a bit waterish.

Overall: because of the drinkability I note a higher Overall Score than the different element do. You could be great friend with this beer during a warm night in a cafe.

The taste

 

Clear pale golden (blonde) colour with a fluffy, white head. Good head retention.

Clove spice and mild banana and stonefruit esters. Really quite nice.

For some reason I thought this was supposed to be a sour. But it isn't and that's not entirely a bad thing. The banana and clove yeast character with a slightly sweet Pilsner malt flavour is good and the overall picture is quite nice. This is an easy drinking, well brewed Belgian Pale Ale.

Medium-light body with moderately-high carbonation. Good.

A simple Belgian Pale Ale. Quite good and definitely not as bad as many others have suggested.

Colour straw yellow, with a big white head, good lacing, modest carbonation.

Smell of pilsner, grassy hops, but with a nice citric note too.

Taste very malty and yeasty. Aftertaste is a bit harsh bittersweet with alcohol. Mouthfeel is watery.

Overall I'd say this is drinkable, but a disappointing example of the style.

330 ml bottel, brought to me by my friends from a trip to Belgium. Hazy yellow colour, white head that fades quickly. Smell is rather weak, some yeast, wet earth, some citrus, fainted hint of spices and vanilla. While palate feels good and creamy, it's not too complex either in mouth, citrus, spicy, malt... Drinkable, but I expected some more of this one.

Purchased from Beer Cartel's store in Artarmon. After picking up a six-pack of Aussie beers, I added this one at the last minute, mistaking it for the original Bourgogne. Oh well, let's see how this one goes.

Pours a murky golden colour that shines beautifully when held to the light. Head froths a lot on the pour, but settles to a solid centimetre of aerated foam. Lots of streaming, tiny-bubbled carbonation. Looks quite refined and pleasant.

Smell is also very pleasant, if not particularly rich and complex. Mild Belgian phenols giving some slight spice and a smooth sweet yeast note. Not a lot to it, of course, but it's very straightforward, and rather enjoyable.

Taste is also very light on, in fact almost pathologically so--I'm actually surprised that such a mild palate can be obtained in a beer of this style. Light but smooth front palate, with slight light grain sweetness, before just a smattering of peppery Belgian phenols on the back. It's so smooth and underwhelming that it's almost an achievement in itself.

I can't say that it's a particularly good Belgian Pale, but it's a very drinkable brew nonetheless. Just mild and drinkable. Something I can see myself going for again.