Diversey & Lill(e) - Brasserie Castelain

mactrail

California

3.05/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Medium dark amber in the world's heaviest chalice. A little of the yeasty flavor. Very fruity.

A little drier in the finish. finally the Belgian flavor comes through in the aftertaste. Tastes like grapes and pomegranate but mouthfeel is kind of flat. A touch of oatmeal with a little mustiness. I can't say this even reminds me of a Bière de Garde, and it defies categorization. Not particularly pleasing in any case. A case of authentic Belgian blahs.

On tap at the Neighborhood in San Diego. Tasted 10/29/2012 and transcribed from notes.

Serving type: on-tap

12-19-2012 06:38:33 | More by mactrail

Gmann

New York

2.43/5  rDev -34.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a crystal clear copper color with a semi-dense off-white head that left a small wall of lacing on the glass. Seems a tad light for the style.

The aroma has a light caramel note a bit buttery. Light pepper and grass. Kind of an overall funk, dirty line aroma.

The taste is of caramel and rust. It has a white wine grape sweetness. The malt is quite bready with a honey butter flavor. I must say it has a dirty tap line flavor or old english pale ale flavor. Not very appealing.

Moderate feel with fizzy carbonation. Sweet on the palate. Easily drinkable.

Very much a disappointment. Not what I expected a Biere de Garde to be, not that I have had many of the style. Very buttery and dirty tasting. Doesn't live up to the "crisply bitter adn dry-hopped with American hops" billing on the label.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 03:10:08 | More by Gmann

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark golden copper color with apricot colored edges and a two finger, fluffy off-white head that slowly settles into a lasting ring. Streaks of soapy lacing left behind.

Slightly earthy aroma with a decent balance of floral hops, bready yeast, sweet malts and dark fruit. Slightly grassy and resinous with some sticky pine needle and straw character followed by hints of bready ale yeast, caramel, toffee and biscuit. As it warms, there's some dark fruit sweetness with dark cherry, apricot and plum.

Medium bodied and surprisingly hop forward with some dry, earthy bitterness that lingers over the yeast and sweet malt notes into a slightly dry finish. There's a prominent floral, grassy hop presence up front but it's still light and easy to drink with some caramel, chestnut, toffee and dark fruit sweetness balancing things out. Nothing too out of the ordinary but this beer is pretty flavorful and nicely balanced with the hop profile adding another dimension that's often missing in this style.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 02:45:11 | More by corby112

womencantsail

California

3.68/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Beachwood Brewing

The pour is amber in color with a finger of khaki head. Very sweet on the nose. Lots of toffee, caramel, and brown sugar. Somewhat toasty, light vanilla notes, lots of spice, and a moderate fruitiness (mostly stone fruits). The flavor is also on the sweet side. Banana, peach, and a touch of golden raisin. Light spiciness along with a strong toasted bread and sugar character. A touch of caramel and toffee, and a very light floral hoppiness.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2012 19:43:48 | More by womencantsail

Etan

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750ml into a tulip.

A: Pours a nice copper color with a large, soft off-white head.

S: Buttery, caramel, even a bit of butterscotch.

T: Mildly floral esters, caramel malt, a bit of dried pear,

M: Light-bodied with moderate carbonation.

O: Tastes fine, honestly a bit boring.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 22:22:36 | More by Etan

emerge077

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Label states: "Brewed & bottled by Brasserie Castelain"

" On March 30, Jason and Jim Ebel (sic Two Brothers) will travel to Benifontaine to brew a special beer, Diversey & Lille, with Nicholas and Annick Castelain."

source: http://belgianexperts.com/beers/castelain/diversey-lille/

Clear saturated orange body, lasting dense layer of white foam that has a creamy surface texture. Retention is really strong, and there's a sticky halo of lace in the glass.

Light yeast esters and vaguely malty aromas.

Flavors of dried apricot and caramelized sugars, smooth creamy feel, light grainy aftertaste. Medium bodied with smooth light carbonation. Ho-hum malt character, the fruity esters are its saving grace, but still only slighty above average. A decent Biere de Garde.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 01:13:03 | More by emerge077

UCLABrewN84

California

3.53/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Verdugo Bar in Los Angeles, CA.

Pours a clear orange with a foamy bone colored head that settles to a film on top of the beer. A foamy latticework of lace coats the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, and caramel aromas. Taste is much the same with fruity flavors on the finish. There is a mild spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is drinkable and pretty tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2012 06:03:34 | More by UCLABrewN84

Halcyondays

California

3.63/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Beachwood I,

A: Pours a dark amber with a spritzy white head, solid lace.

S: Sweet caramel with some toffee, caramel, floral character.

T: Orange and caramel, fruity overall, big flavour. Some peach as well.

M: Medium-bodied, a tad cloying at times, some crisp carbonation.

O: A nice bigger biere de garde. Castelain always makes good stuff, glad to try this.

Serving type: on-tap

09-22-2012 00:46:35 | More by Halcyondays

Billolick

New York

3.48/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bomber bottle, caged and corked.

Pour is copper amber, under an off white moderate head, going to a thicker film, collar and then leaving adequate fine lacing.

Sniff is mildly of earthy malts.

Malty brew...that about it malt...and not much else...looking for other notes but not much coming to mind...minor complexity...
perhaps some earthyness..perhaps..nothing special-kinda disappointing truth be told

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 01:13:08 | More by Billolick

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed on tap at Novare Res. Cloudy peach appearance, with lots of foaming head, and good lace. Malty aroma. Decent and drinkable biere de Garde, though not my favourite in the style. Some fruit: orange and pineapple. Appropriate carbonation. A blond with passion but fits of off-putting flavours. Average mouthfeel.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2012 02:41:12 | More by northyorksammy

bmoriarty

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Corked bomber into half pint tasting glass.

Clear amber color, with a finger of off-white head that fades slowly into thin film. Nice lacing the whole way.

Smell is malty; also picking up some hops and fresh cut grass? Very lightly aromatic, not a big nose.

Taste is hard to nail down - no specific flavor jumps out. Malty, woodsy, crisp, slightly bitter. Nice hop presence, but nowhere near the level of an IPA. Musty. Yeast flavor becomes more pronounced as the beer warms.

Nice mouthfeel, finely carbonated, easy to drink.

Generally good, very drinkable. A great table beer to drink with dinner. But - and this is my complaint about everything that Two Brothers touches - it's SAFE. Which might be fine for a biere de garde, but when everything you brew starts to taste the same and blur together, you're doing something wrong.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 15:46:27 | More by bmoriarty

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Bruery snifter.

So, I made a pledge to only review "local" beers and beers that need to be added to the database. I have my reasons. This one doesn't appear to qualify, but though it was brewed and bottled at Castelain, Two Brothers was involved, so I'm gonna allow it. Anyway, it pours a clear early-sunset amber topped by over a finger of off-white foam. The nose comprises bread, light cracked wheat, and a hint of caramel. Everything is so weak, I have to strain to get any scents up my 'strils. Fair enough, I guess. The taste holds notes of caramel, sweet biscuit, light flowers, black pepper, very light cinnamon, and a vague sense of citrus-ish fruit that pervades without fully showing itself (it reminds me of the monster from a cheesy, but still somehow cultishly awesome, 50s horror flick). It's a big step-up from the barely-existent smell. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a semi-dryly smooth feel. Overall, a very nice brew, one that's enjoyable at a few levels: complexity (it's both simple and not), texture (it's somehow both kinda dry and kinda fluid), and straight-up flavor (is it wheaty, spicy, or fruity...or all of the above...?). Good times.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 03:46:38 | More by TMoney2591

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.95/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

reinheitsgematt brought this one over tonight... Thanks Matt!!.. Pours with a good lite tan head into my HotD goblet. the brew is a very pretty deep orange/lite amber...

Nose is good.. slight hints of American hops and then only something that I can describe as "Biere de Garde" maltiness... toasty and dry lite caramel essence.. Aroma is sorta musty with warmth..

Flavor is big and malty with some lite toffee notes... dry nutty brown malt.. malt lingers forever... the hops may be there, but I could be making things up...

Body may be a touch thick/carbonation a bit light... but really, things are good.. very malt centric, without ever becoming cloying... Though, I would have a hard time finishing this bottle in the heat of the Boise summer.. Nicely done despite my minor bitches.

Thanks Matt!!

4/4/4/3.5/4

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 05:43:29 | More by JohnGalt1

samie85

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear dark copper with a finger of white head.

Smells of deep caramel with rich dark fruit and some vanilla.

Follows the nose with rich caramel, dark fruit and a nice, crisp, herbal finish.

Light side of medium bodied with moderate carbonation and a slick feel.

Very drinkable, well put together Biere de Garde. I like that it's on the hoppy side of the Biere de Garde spectrum.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 16:43:13 | More by samie85