11 Siècles De Normandie
Brasserie De La Chapelle

 

 

Got this one at a small market in Normandy.

From a bottle into a snifter
Best Before June 2016

APPEARANCE: Pours a huge, fizzy, loose and foamy, off-white head with good retnetion. Fizzy, crackly and foamy. Hazy mahogany red/brown with no carbonation evident. Head fades to a foamy wisp and clings to the sides of the glass. Nasty looking head.

SMELL: Caramel, toffee, bubble gum with light spices and some alcohol on the nose. Bolder than the others from this brewery, and more interesting as well.

TASTE: Caramel and bubble gum sweetness up front, with red fruit notes as well. Bolder but somewhat shorter lived aftertaste of toffee and bubble gum again, melon sweetness and some spicy yeast qualities as well. Enjoyable.

PALATE: Medium body and medium levels of carbonation. Lighter on the palate, unfortunately, creamy enough, goes down smooth and finishes dry for the style. No bite or heat wither. Smooth and surprisingly tame for the ABV, though a bit too light for the style.

OVERALL: A solid effort here. The look was terrible and the feel a bit too light for what it should be, but the nose and flavor profile did it for me. Not your typical barleywine perhaps, but something worth checking out if you get the chance. Recommended.

Like many options in my cellar, this was purchased some time ago but unintentionally aged longer than I thought I would. This was purchased in December of 2011 at La Cave à Bulles in Paris (hi, Simon!) as a limited edition of the Northmaen series from Brasserie de la Chapelle. Consumed in mid-August in Indiana as a gift. Poured out of a 12oz bottle into a tulip glass. Review is from my notes.

Pours a surprisingly pale, amber color (at least for a barleywine), but something tells me that the sediment has settled over time. There's a bit of a half finger of semi fizzy head that fades over time rather quickly, leaving behind a bit of lacing. Carbonation is nearly inexistent at this point. If this were a darker color and thicker looking, I'd definitely give it a better pass, no matter what its faults may be - but it's not, and definitely not as much as eye candy as I'd prefer.

Smells horrendously metallic at first, as well as notes of crisp barley underneath. Just copper notes all the way, which was not pleasant. Nevertheless, as this warms up, these notes get less predominant, and a lot of the subtle flavors creep through. Honey, lemon peel, dried oranges, wheat (all of which which this was brewed with as well), as well as dried, citrus-y notes that meld with a brief dried brown grassiness. Not bad at all, in spite of the initial metallic flavor, and while not perfect, it's decently refined and nearly 2 years of aging has done some good work. No booze at all, either, which is nice!

The flavor and drinking experience is by far the best aspect of this, which makes the wait and initial disappointments worthwhile. Excellent notes of light toffee, honey, coriander, crisp wheat, and dried hoppy grassiness all the way. I cannot believe that this is 22 proof - it drinks like a 5% beer at the most, and was very refreshing, sweetened, and herbal, but also crisp and grainy like a pale ale. Very interesting stuff, although I definitely expected something boozier and heavier on the palate.

I wouldn't personally classify this as a barleywine, but it's definitely a well made beer that has aged well. Not all it's cracked up to be, but I'm glad I got to finally open it before it became too much past its prime. I only wish I had had this fresh.

 

Celebrates 11 centuries of Normandy being... well, Normandy (911-2011; 911 A.D. being the year in which Charles III, King of France, allowed the Vikings to settle in the area known as Neustria in exchange for ceasing their attacks on Paris). Strong ale made with Norman barley, hops, licorice, bitter orange, coriander, and honey. 33cl. bottle to be consumed before June 2016.

A: Very dark, almost brown orange-colored brew with a 2 finger off-white head that fades just a little too quickly. Some lacing remains on the sides of the glass.

S: Lots and lots of big bready malts, with a milder toasted character underneath and a hint of spices. Curious faint citrus aroma is also present. Alcohol is unmistakeable as well. Interesting, to say the least.

T: Big, but well-balanced, and becoming sweeter on the finish. An herbal hop bitterness pervades the beginning and middle before ceding more to the malts and various other things added to the beer. A little boozy, perhaps a bit too much. The licorice and honey in particular make a noticeable appearance on the finish that's surprising but –in my opinion– not altogether unwelcome.

M: On the heavier side, and rather chewy, this beer does have a nice smoothness to it and doesn't feel too hot (though it certainly warms as it goes down). Decent carbonation for what it is.

O: A fun, interesting beer that's not at all bad to drink. Sure it's big, boozy, and kind of crazy, but hey, I'm up for trying something new every once in a while. While the malts and hops rightly dominate here, the other ingredients are uncommonly noticeable; a factor I'd imagine would be rather polarizing. Still, for three euros at La Cave à Bulles, it's well worth it.