Jenlain Blonde - Brasserie Duyck

blakesell

Ohio

4.7/5  rDev +42.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I can't lie about this one, it is old. I have no idea how old, I got it in a Xmas exchange years ago, I found it when pilfering cellar number one in Dayton. It's easy to say this is at least 3 years old.

Poured from the 11.5 oz bottle into a Belgian style goblet.

Appearance- Beer pours hazy and apricot colored with a thin 3/4 finger of head over the top that clings only slightly to the sides of the glass. The haze is marginally murky I assume by slight wheat content and ample yeast.

Smell- This smells great for the Biere De Garde style. Rich and malty yet fresh even after all these years. Light kettle caramelization, a caramel cream dulce de leche sort of aroma almost coming off, I'm catching some slight oxidization and I'm pretty sure that's coming from age.

Taste- This goes right in there with my favorite Biere De Garde 3 Monts. A very rich almost Marzen like creaminess but thicker fitting right into it's own style to differentiate it. Thick but still thirst quenching and light enough to drink on a summer's day. It works here in the mild wintertime too.

Mouthfeel- Creamy as I've said since the beginning, medium high in carbonation as it should be. Medium full bodied, and oh, so smooth.

Drinkability- Way more drinkable than the one bottle I got from who knows where. If I find more I'm getting it. I'm somewhat shocked by the lower ratings it has received.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2009 01:02:46 | More by blakesell

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A: Pours a lightly hazy light to medium golden yellow in color with moderate amounts of visible carbonation and some deep golden yellow + light orange highlights. The beer has a half finger tall sudsy white head that quickly reduces to a mottled very thin film that covers about 75% of the surface of the beer and a thin ring of medium sized bubbles at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of carbonation are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of sweet malts, sweet light fruits (apple and a touch of grape), and just a light hint of spices.

T: Upfront there are light to moderate flavors of sweet grainy malts with moderate flavors of sweet light fruits (apples dominate). Very light hints of herbal hops and a touch of spices. Minimal amounts of bitterness which fade quickly are observed.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Hints of dryness in the finish.

O: I remember drinking this beer way back in the mid-1990s when this was a very interesting beer but unfortunately it did not stand the test of time for me, the industry has moved on but these guys have not changed in the least.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 20:36:02 | More by dbrauneis

smithj4

New York

3.75/5  rDev +13.6%

04-20-2013 20:31:16 | More by smithj4

6thstreetbrewpub

District of Columbia

3.5/5  rDev +6.1%

03-24-2013 23:53:32 | More by 6thstreetbrewpub

JellyJacket

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +13.6%

02-16-2013 07:54:53 | More by JellyJacket

DmanGTR

New York

3.25/5  rDev -1.5%

02-04-2013 18:32:37 | More by DmanGTR

zeledonia

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at La Bonne Soupe in Manhattan, NY on 30 December 2012. Can't remember having a French beer before.

Pours a medium-pale golden yellow, clear. One finger of white head, decent retention and find lacing. Some visible carbonation, but I'd like more.

Smell is warm and smooth, in that characteristic inoffensive (not the right word?) way that Belgian blondes typically are. Belgian yeast brings a touch of spice, and a light drift of crisp hops bookends it.

Taste is buttery, rounded, pretty much what I was expecting. I remember a time when beers like this wowed me with their unique flavor (Leffe Blond comes to mind), but now that I'm familiar with it, I want more from this. A fade to bitter in the finish, but that's only 20% of it. The rest is dominated by that malt-yeast-forward blooming richness.

Mouthfeel is okay. Medium-bodied, kinda ballooning, but under-carbonated. Definitely undercarbonated. Not flat, but flatter than it should be.

A fine beer, and definitely in the Belgian blonde wheelhouse. I could drink more of this; main complaint is the lack of carbonation. I see it's listed here as a biere de garde, but that's not how it strikes me.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2013 05:06:10 | More by zeledonia

cliff1066

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -1.5%

12-27-2012 20:11:55 | More by cliff1066

TylerKohlhagen

Wisconsin

4.38/5  rDev +32.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

First of all the bottle I'm drinking is teen years old. With that said here we go.

Appearance: exactly what you would expect from a blonde. Light golden in color.
Aroma: sweet smelling, with a touch of menthol.
Flavor: light, crisp, slight wheat type characteristics with a touch of mint, which I'm guessing is from age.
Mouth feel: medium bodied, sweet, effervescent.

All in all not bad for being teen years old.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 02:04:28 | More by TylerKohlhagen

LJWalker

Alabama

2.75/5  rDev -16.7%

11-26-2012 06:11:47 | More by LJWalker

GRUUMSH

Belgium

2.75/5  rDev -16.7%

11-18-2012 10:19:49 | More by GRUUMSH

RBorsato

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +36.4%

11-06-2012 20:47:16 | More by RBorsato

Gww1864

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +28.8%

09-28-2012 23:13:59 | More by Gww1864

samEBC

Belgium

3.5/5  rDev +6.1%

08-01-2012 19:46:37 | More by samEBC

kobeer

Texas

2.75/5  rDev -16.7%

07-27-2012 17:49:38 | More by kobeer

GRPunk

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +13.6%

07-06-2012 04:19:53 | More by GRPunk

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.73/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Hazy, light amber to orange colour with a foamy white head on top that stays for a couple of minutes, only reducing in size gradually.

Orange peel, some good citrus notes and a lot of yeast in this one to begin with that makes it smell almost like a witbier. There is some pears in there as well as some floral hops and a touch of apple.

Sweet malts and some light fruits, mainly some apple and pear from the nose. There is a touch of orange that becomes stronger as the drink goes on and this is followed by some floral hops and some citrus.

Sweet with a smooth, medium body and strong carbonation and a touch of sticky bitterness right at the end, although this is minimal.

A good fruity, hop filled taste to the beer that had a good kick to it. One of the better of the style that I have tried recently.

1001 Beers Blog: http://abarwithnoname.wordpress.com

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 20:24:30 | More by flyingpig

tbeer40

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -1.5%

05-04-2012 01:45:04 | More by tbeer40

Morningstorm

Netherlands

3/5  rDev -9.1%

03-25-2012 21:32:06 | More by Morningstorm

damndirtyape

Ohio

4.23/5  rDev +28.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

11.2oz bottle poured into a Tulip glass. No date on bottle but batch stamp on back was L1146.

Appearance: Hazy golden orange with a thin white head across the top. Long strands of persistent white lacing.

Smell: Malty with orange citrus. Overall sweet with a hint of yeast in there. Aroma is muted though.

Taste: Perfectly balanced malt and citrus with some herbal/spicy hops in at the end. Simple in flavor, but very tasty.

Mouthfeel: Thick, smooth, just right carbonation that is spicy on the tongue, but then gone.

Overall / Drinkability: Very very very drinkable beer. I wish I had another or two of these which makes them quite dangerous at 7.5% ABV. Smooth, simple, tasty. Went fantastic with fettuccine Alfredo, and I believe this would be great with a lot of other meals as well. Fantastic beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 23:45:30 | More by damndirtyape

Kahlerbock

Kansas

2/5  rDev -39.4%

01-27-2012 16:25:26 | More by Kahlerbock

mattafett

Iowa

3/5  rDev -9.1%

01-04-2012 00:48:42 | More by mattafett

bezakjon

Michigan

3/5  rDev -9.1%

12-12-2011 21:06:22 | More by bezakjon

Rochefort10nh

New Hampshire

3/5  rDev -9.1%

11-25-2011 22:18:03 | More by Rochefort10nh

SFLpunk

Vermont

2.68/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Purchased at Winooski Beverage Warehouse. 11.2oz brown glass pry-top. No date.

Pours a very calm amber gold, clear, with hardly any white head. Nose reminds me of a euro-pils. Palate is crisp with a little burnt wood flavor that comes across, maybe just an odd malt flavor? The palate is crisp and clean, but the flavor is like over-toasted grains.

Notes: Not impressed.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 04:17:14 | More by SFLpunk