Castelain Blond Biere De Garde - Brasserie Castelain

brentk56

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a hazy honey color with a fluffy, but rocky, head; plenty of lace sticks to the sides of the chalice

Smell: Vaguely sweet and yeasty - smells like a yeast roll

Taste: Bready and somewhat malty sweet (almost in an Oktoberfest Munich malt way), with a developing grassy, herbal aspect appearing by mid-palate, with flavors of sage and thyme, as well as vanilla; after the swallow, the sweeter vanilla flavors dominate the finish, with just a hint of the grassy hops underneath

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Close to a Saison in style, but with too much sweetness and lacking the herbal complexity; still a decent beer

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2009 01:32:36 | More by brentk56

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.43/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I guess I am a bit dissapointed. Not that it wasn't a good beer, I just expected more. Pours a strong carary yellow / straw color with a slight haze. Abundantly carbonated with an initial strong retention, but fleeted quickly. No lacing to mention. Smells nearly skunked, but certainly pungent, catty, earthy, and musky. Sweetness (pilner malts) is the lead character through the nose and flavors with a sturdiness, but no grainy flavors or bite. The hops bring out a light muskiness and barnyard-ey character, but not intense enough to greatly impact the beer. Feels like a firm pilsner, with hardly no tartness, sourness or astringency. Finishes medium dry with a lingering pungent aroma and flavor. A solid brew, but I just wanted more of the funk intensity.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2006 15:00:01 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice rich yellow with a decent head that doesnt leave to much lacing,the aroma is malty sweetish with some very light iron tones.Taste was more rich than what I had thought it would be very malty and sweet with some alcohol notes coming thru dried fruit flavor comes thru,this pretty rich tadting.A good beer not overly complex but flavorful and hearty I would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2003 02:00:43 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This beautiful, hazy (bottle-conditioned), golden northern French ale delivers sweetish, honey-like malt tempered with mustiness and some cork, but no Brettanomyces (barnyard, horseblanket, etc.). The appearance is quite nice, and it leaves some decent lace. The body is medium/almost-becoming-full; which matches its malty flavor. It's lively effervescence, however, is refreshing; and helps to balance the malt as its bitterness is somewhat restrained. It's quite drinkable; and satisfying with enough character to keep it interesting throughout several glasses. A classic!

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2005 00:37:13 | More by NeroFiddled

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Golden/peach color..nice whiote head..fresh aroma:notes of citrus, bananas, vanilla. Medium body, great finish, lovely feeling that sticks with you--soft and sensual, perfectly refreshing!

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2002 00:11:38 | More by feloniousmonk

zeff80

Missouri

3.8/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a cloudy, golden-orange color with a two-finger, off-white head of thick foam. Nice head retention and some patchy lace.

S - It smelled of yeast, grains and caramel.

T - It tasted of chocolate, candy sugar and some sweet caramel. Slightly bitter hop presence.

M - It was crisp, sharp and fairly smooth. A medium bodied ale with a dry finish.

O - This is a pretty nice Biere de Garde. Nice value and tastes quite good.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 01:30:57 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

3.8/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is slightly hazy golden yellow in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a two finger high off white head that slowly died down and left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of apples and spices in the nose along with some hints of floral hops.
T: The initial taste has a slight amount of sweetness and flavors of apples; this is followed by spicy flavors and a mild amount of bitterness.
M: It feels light-bodied and crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. There is some dryness in the finish.
D: The beer is easy to drink and has some refreshing properties.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2011 04:01:19 | More by metter98

Halcyondays

California

3.55/5  rDev -9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ,

A: Pours golden, with a thick white head which leaves a nice rim around the glass, solid lacing.

S: Herbal, flowery, with bready malt.

T: Sweet malt with a definite herbal bite. Rosemary and sage can be found there, with a light earthy hop profile.

M: Relatively light-bodied, smooth and crisp, prickly carbonation.

D: A good biere de garde, I think it would work better complementing food, never really drank this one by itself before.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2008 04:27:16 | More by Halcyondays

jwc215

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml cage-corked bottle, bottled on 03/08/07 (not sure if that is American or European dating system):

Pours light golden yellow with a large white foamy head that descends to one-finger-plus and stays, leaving plenty of lacing.

The smell is grassy/hay-like, a bit musty with floral and honey notes.

The taste is of honey sweetness with sharp herbal/grassy, slightly metallic, notes. Sweetness pulls through again in the finish.

Light-bodied with effervescence, yet not too airy.

I was a bit surprised at drinkability after the first few sips, but it does have a refreshing smoothness and something likeable (despite the sharp, almost metallic notes that come in and out). It's not one of my favs. of the style, but a nice one nevertheless.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2008 13:44:47 | More by jwc215

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I am drinking a 750 mL C&C bottle for what is my first biere de garde. My understanding is that there are certain similiarities between bieres de garde and saisons, so I am looking forward to this.

Appearance: The ale pours a yellow color that resembles apple juice or white grape juice. It is clear with no hint of sediment, at least in the first pour. The ale is carbonated (as the attenuation in the Chimay goblet is showing) and there is a small ring of lace.

Smell: The aroma reminds me of a BSPA. There are notes of fruit and spice dominating, specifically pepper (at least I think, I tend to notice pepper a lot, so I could be full of BS).

Taste: The taste is more tripel than saison. There is a defined hop presence and some soft malt notes that are balanced, slightly edging toward the hops side.

Mouthfeel: The ale sits nicely with the spices providing a playful side.

Drinkability: I am surprised. The taste of a tripel with the punch of a weaker beer, very hard to pass this one up. It is my first biere de garde, as I mentioned, and look forward to exploring more.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2006 01:48:03 | More by akorsak

Billolick

New York

4.03/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Large bottle, caged and corked. Brewer calls this a Biere de Garde, but BA says its a saison? So be it.Pours very light amber, slight haze, delicate white head, dying slowly down to a tiny bubble film and leaving very fine and scattered lacing. Nose is reserved, just a hint of peppery spice and fresh fruit.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2005 01:12:16 | More by Billolick

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Corked and caged 750ml from Waterbury Beverage, Waterbury, VT.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a thick, dense 1 1/2" white head, over a clear, straw brew. Big bits of foamy lace throughout the drinking experience. The aroma is crisp, and consists of a partnership of pale malts and a slight fruity component. Taste is reminiscent of the nose, quite well balanced. Mouthfeel is a bit effervescent, the smoothness conquers all for this one. Could drink it all day, although the price is somewhat prohibitive of that practice...

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2004 21:35:07 | More by ppoitras

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.4/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer is a clear light golden. It's high carbonation level is apparent on viewing the rapidly surfacing gas bubbles. A slight white head sits on top and recedes to an edging in about a minute. Lacing ability is very nice. Really nice deep earthy aroma. Some definite herbal notes and spiciness present on the nose as well. There's a light body to this beer. A nicely carbonated mouthfeel, but not overdone. This is not a style of beer I've not drank a lot of, but after trying this one, I am more prone to try many more (gradually though if they are all priced like this one). It's a very pleasant drinking experience. There's a firm malt base (seems like a pils base to me, but I may be wrong.) A definite earthy, herbal, musty characteristic. This may be stemming from the hops, but could be the effect of herbs and spices. A highly drinkable tasty beverage.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2002 21:05:39 | More by Bighuge

DoubleJ

California

3.43/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

330 ml bottle from the Wine Exchange, on to the beer:

Hazy sandy blonde with smudges of brown mixed in is the color of the beer, head is adequate with room for improvement. Very dry grassy and floral hop aroma with subtle spearmint notes. Into the mouth it goes, it starts with lemongrass and quickly morphs into drying grain. Subtle spice, aspirin, and refreshing carbonation provide some diversification, and there's some barnyard funk here too. Finishes very dry, but not unpleasant.

An authentic bière de garde from France, but I was expecting a little better journey; the overall flavor seemed a little light for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2008 01:47:21 | More by DoubleJ

Brad007

Vermont

4.5/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Color: Light blond color with a one-finger head.

Aroma: Malty upfront with some slight spiciness in the nose. Very subtle and lighter than their other offering that I've sampled.

Taste: Smooth and malty. Some spiciness/breadiness upfront. A bit sweet in the middle. Drinkable.

Mouthfeel: Sweet and airy. Light. A very drinkable beer here.

Verdict: I like this version of Biere de Garde better. It's lighter and appeals to the palate more.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2008 00:38:50 | More by Brad007

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy orange-ish color with a light tan head. In the aroma, floral and a small candi sugar. In the taste, a dry floral flavor, hints of candi sugar and small notes of hops and honey. A small hop bite and medium to lighter bodied mouthfeel, with a dry floral and hop aftertaste. Nice mellow presence of flavors, and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2011 14:23:12 | More by OWSLEY069

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a sparse, light head. That segued into nothingness. Had a very straw-like appearance with some cloudiness and a grainy look. Very faint wiff of malt and a little grainy hops. Tasted very faintly of earth grass mixed malt. But other than that, all the flavors were very subdued. A semi-light mouthfeel with a spritz of lemon thrown into the mix. Not what I expected at all. Very bland and not worth picking up another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2005 00:26:52 | More by scruffwhor

TheLongBeachBum

California

4.13/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 750ml Cork and Caged, tall brown glass bottle with a white oval shaped gold edged label that has a green lined picture of a small Castle on it, just as the BA Database picture in fact. Labeled as ‘Castelain Blond Biere de Garde’, this could well be one of the many beers that Castelain brew that has just been relabeled for the US market (I suspect it is the Ch’ti Blonde). Listed at 6.4% Alc/Vol. The reverse metallic gold label has a background description of the Brasserie Castelain and a stamped Code of “19/06/04 L3170 10:10”.

Appearance: The cork was tight, but as soon as it was loosened it was freely expelled with a very loud thrupp. Pours with a lovely looking golden-blonde body that has a super-model presentation and is completely free of any blemishes. High levels of dissolved carbonation. A thick white rich head forms easily and leaves a thick smattering of lacing on the glass walls. This looks fantastic as it sits atop the straw body, this would put most real Czech Pilsners to shame!

Nose: A rich alcohol whiff drenched in spicy hops followed by light yeasts, pilsner malts, and some herbal barnyard odors. Reminds me of a rather funky farmyard Triple at times.

Taste: This is very nice. Spicy hops mixed with a pilsner malt body start the experience, then lots of earthy, damp straw, musty cardboard and yeast character comes to the fore and adds a delicate ‘Biere de Garde’ character. A fine offering indeed.

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly robust given it’s rather average feel. Like a great Pilsner it is not heavy but has a solid body that has a feel that is certainly far from light yet delicate enough to add a terrific drinkability.

Drinkability: A quaffable offering from the chaps at Brasserie Castelain. The 750ml is easy to drain if you are on your own.

Overall: Cost $7.49 for the 750ml, and whilst it is a nice enough drink that has traveled far, I’m not sure it is one I would seek out and/or purchase again given the relatively high price. Still, if you fancy trying it once though, regardless of value, give it a go!

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2004 06:05:20 | More by TheLongBeachBum

jrallen34

Illinois

2.38/5  rDev -39%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

330ml bottle into my Rochefort glass...Light clearish gold, not appealing. A white rises quickly to two full fingers but then falls quickly to nothing, poor lacing....Aroma smells terrible, all skunky through and through....The taste is garbage, its a slightly more carbonated bud light...The feel is super bubbly, tickles the tongue...Almost impossible to drink.

This is a horrendous biere de garge, run far far away.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2010 23:15:16 | More by jrallen34

cokes

Wisconsin

4.18/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle dated 10/2002.

Clear and gold, with tiny, rapidly accending bubbles and a stately ivory-cream crown.
Fragrant of tangerine, white pepper, and clove. Backed by ample rustic yeast tones, and a generalize sweet maltiness.
Enters with a firm malt base. Sweetish, yet mostly dry. Carapils? A honeyed sensation gains a foothold, and mingles with vaporous citrus fruits. Orange peels mostly, but a bit pulpier that that. Spice adds clove and vanilla. Yeast contributes an earthy pillow. Not sharply "farmy" though. There is something of an oat-like feel and flavor to this that I find difficult to grasp. Ends vaguely florally bittered, almost minty. Lingering, lemon-honey tea afterward.
What's impressive here, is that everything seems compacted and necessary. Nothing forced, nothing raw. Mellow, flavorful, and right. Not flashy. Just tasty.
Spritzy, but never sharp. Cushioned but not fat. This is like a lightweight fleece blanket in the mouth.
And it begs for large doses.

This one is nice, Hugey. Thanks bro.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2004 22:07:31 | More by cokes

Tone

Missouri

3.7/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, golden color. 5/4 inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and good lacing. Smells of strong pale malt, sweet malt, slight alcohol, hint of hop, hint of yeast, and slight caramel malt. Fits the style of a Biere de Garde. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. There is also a noticeable dryness. Tastes of sweet malt, pale malt, slight alcohol, hint of yeast, hint of hop, and slight caramel malt. Overall, decent appearance, good blend, and decent aroma. For a Biere de Garde, the body is lacking in potency, though the flavor is still good.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 18:21:47 | More by Tone

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I picked this up at The Perfect Pour yesterday. This is a style that's still fairly new to me, and the top ten for the style is littered with beers that are just horrendously misclassified. Best by 28 October 2010.

Pouring a clear light orange with a dense, white head that recedes to a disk, there's a little lacing left behind. The nose is quite excellent. Rustic and raw, the malt character is unrefined (in a good way). In some ways, this does come across as oxidized, even, with a slight dullness, but it only adds to the rustic character of this brew. Delicately fruity and a touch floral with some light English hop character, there's some grass, a little lime leaf and some honey. Solid.

The palate opens rather sweet, with a blend of honey, Splenda and some sugar. Sweeter than I like my BdGs to be, this does have a mild balancing hop character, though not enough in my book. Earthy hops are present, and the finish is light with a rather unpleasant Splenda-like artificial sweetness, along with a little bitterness, grassy in nature. Mildly fruity, there's a delicate interplay between citrus and light stone fruit here. Light in body with a fairly crisp carbonation, this is decent apart from the finish. I'll pick up the St. Sylvestre BdGs over this, though.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2010 03:30:36 | More by DefenCorps

francisweizen

Australia

4.38/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

This is such a great brew! A lovely dark golden appearance witha huge head of fluffy, white, whip cream head. The aromas are unreal, lemons (and their respective peels), other citrus fruits, citric and lightly floral hops, dirt, a bit of alcohol, light malts, and a distinctly pleasant mustiness. The taste is good. Sharply citric, hoppy and earthy up front, before the blankets of malt smooth out the whole operation. The finish is dry, pleasant, and lingering. The mouthfeel is a bit light but the drinkability is off the hook!

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2004 17:02:57 | More by francisweizen

champ103

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Avenue Pub

A: Pours a hazed golden/orange color. A two finger, pillowy whit head forms. Nice retention and lace. I really attractive pour.
S: Bready malts that are slightly sweet. A light honey sweetness in the nose. Musky basement like yeast. Some fruity esters in the nose as well. Apple and pears.
T: Love it. Toasted, bready malts that intermingles with the musky yeast and fruity esters. The esters become more apparent as this warms up. Apples and pears are strong, but also some grape flavors. Excellent.
M/D: A medium body and crisp carbonation. A great crisp snap that is smooth at the same time. Really clean as well. So easy to drink. I really enjoy this, and can drink it all day.

A great under appreciated version of an under appreciated style. Really well done. Something I enjoyed and would recommend.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2012 02:41:59 | More by champ103

Gmann

New York

3.65/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Out of a 750ml corked and caged bottle. Pours a hazy straw color with honey hightlights, big meringue white head that left chunky lacing on the side of the glass. The aroma has the farmhouse effect; spicy with clove, white pepper and horse blanket. Some light lemon fruitiness and mild apple skins. The taste is of pale malt, grainy sweetness, light honey and metal; unfortunately the funky yeast is subdued by the malt. Moderate feel, tingly carbonation; finishes quite neutral with a touch of a grassy hop. The brew starts off great but just coasts its way through. The rather bland malt crushes the yeast and muddles any of the nice flavors. There is no off flavors and is well made but is just ok. Biere de Gardes are all about the caramel malt and this is absent is this offering.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2009 02:44:51 | More by Gmann