La Grole - Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.

Bourre

France

3.48/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I wasn't really sure where to put this review. The label mentions a "fromages en fetes" company in the French town of Manosque, but I couldn't find any information about this company online. This beer is supposed to be "Savoyarde", from a region in the Alps, but Manosque is not located in this region. Then I found a website that said this beer was brewed by Van Steenberge. So here I put it.

I think La Grole is the name of a traditional kind of glass/pottery in the Alps. Not sure though.
The head was short and faded quickly into a thin collar. The body is of a slightly hazy copper color. Some altbier features in the smell, that's quite enjoyable: figs and dark fruits, some sweetness, notes of bread and cereal with hints of citrus. Nutty too. The taste is even fruitier, the first impression I had being from tropical fruits that I can't describe in English (carambole?). In the background, the nutty and chestnutty aspect grows and remains in the aftertaste. Hops are herbal and grassy. The label says "bière ambrée", but I classified it as an altbier, since I thought it had more similarities with altbiers I've had than with amber beers I've had. Ambrée is only a matter of color for beers in France. Mouthfeel is not exceptional. Both in the smell and the taste became the cereal aspect more noticeable (and disturbing) after a while, which made me lower the grades given. The finish I found excessively grainy. My appreciation of this beer really changed over the time I was sipping on it, and as I'm done with this bottle I think I wouldn't want another one.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2004 21:28:05 | More by Bourre