Saint Landelin La Divine - Les Brasseurs de Gayant

BellsFan

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance. Poured from a 750 mL swing top bottle into a 400 mL pilsner to reveal a golden beverage with about two fingers of head.

Nose. Its aroma was faint but unfortunately reminded me of an American Lager.

Taste. Honey and a hint of hops. Mostly sweet.

Mouthfeel. Crisp and thicker than a typical pilser, although I don't know if this is a pilsner.

Overall a good summer beer but know the 8%ABV sneeks up on you.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 21:23:23 | More by BellsFan

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.59/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

St Landelin La Divine has a toasted golden tone that would be well on its way to becoming tangelo orange if not for the brown suede gloss. The beer's complexion is perfectly transparent and replete with pin-needle-sized holes poked into it by excited bubbles. Its head has a high tide/low tide effect depending on the recentness of the pour.

Neither exactly grassy nor grainy, neither entirely sweet nor bitter nor spicy, it has an evasive yeastiness and subdued malts. It smells a bit like soggy honey-nut cereal and damp grains. There's also passing, short-lived rose-like florals. Alcohol is present. All in all, a bit of an odd duck.

The flavour has a surprisingly assertive toast to it. Roasted grain and chestnuts, grass clippings and fermenting orchard fruits (pear, apple, plum) make up the bulk of the flavour (though these descriptors don't accurately portray the true flavour which, frankly, is a bit too ambiguous to be properly defined). Again, alcohol feels the need to say 'bonjour!'.

The beer has a mild, almost sanitized amount of 'farmhouse' mustiness. It has a heavily drying note that resembles something like wooden shoots. Earthy bitterness is persistent but negligible; kind of like a fly that won't go away, it's annoying but not actually problematic. Same goes for the alcohol, which is nearly imperceptible but thins out the caramelly toast.

For the most engrossing, captivating beers elements of time and place either evaporate entirely or they are irrefutably reinforced - this beer does neither. It embodies neither the proud (often overlooked) French brewing tradition nor the proper capacities of the Bière de Garde style. While it's a fine enough beer, it doesn't leave much to recommend it for.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 18:33:56 | More by biegaman

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Props to my in-laws for this treat...

A - Pours a clear golden colour, finger of head, solid retention and nice chunky, sheeting lacing.

S - Nose offers up some fruity sweetness, musty pears, caramel, buttered pecans and a touch of sour apple on the finish.

T - Much like the nose, fruity sweetness, with the pears and sour apple coming through alongside the caramel and a touch of musty peat on the finish.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and surprisingly wet.

O - At 8.5%, this is incredibly smooth, easy drinking and dangerously drinkable. Easily one of the smoothest 8%-ers I've ever had. I will be grabbing another bottle of this.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 20:34:04 | More by andrenaline

GratefulEdd

Alabama

4.25/5  rDev +14.2%

05-12-2013 23:37:39 | More by GratefulEdd

twenty5

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%

05-12-2013 21:32:46 | More by twenty5

RedAleMan

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +7.5%

05-08-2013 03:55:29 | More by RedAleMan

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.66/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pale amber colour, 2 fingers of fluffy white head, good lace here as well. Smell is yeasty with a bit of spice, apple and candied fruits, crisp grainy malts with just a bit of lemony hop, finished with more spice and some earthy points. Taste goes south a bit here, some of that candied fruit from the nose, light bitterness but moderatley sweet all the way through, hard candy flavours with a odd smoke like flavour toward the finish here. Medium carbonation and medium body, pretty nice feel. Not a bad beer, but I am begining to suspect that I'm not a huge fan of this style though, still fairly drinkable and would drink it again if someone handed me a glass but otherwise I'm not going looking for it.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 20:43:59 | More by peensteen

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%

04-29-2013 01:03:42 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

WeissBoy

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%

04-25-2013 03:29:13 | More by WeissBoy

yancot

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%

04-24-2013 05:38:28 | More by yancot

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

750ml Bottle from the Ottawa LCBO for $8.00

Appearance - Clear amber colour with an average size fizzy off-white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some fair lacing. The head lasted for 3-4 minutes.

Smell - Breads/grains, bananas, clove/yeast, corn

Taste & Mouth - There is a high amount of carbonation and I can taste breads/grains mixed with bananas and corn. There is also a bit of a yeasty spiciness and a bit of a rustiness. It ends with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Overall - Good not great. Worth trying once but not something that really stands out enough to buy again. It became a little boring to get through the 750ml size bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 00:03:34 | More by spinrsx

cfalovo97

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -19.4%

04-22-2013 00:23:08 | More by cfalovo97

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.81/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

BB June 15, 2014.

Beer is a clear amber colour. Moderate to large white head. Fades steadily, leaves some lace.

Nose contains caramel and biscuity malt scents, light fruits, a bit of an almond scent, yeast and brown sugar.

Taste is fairly similar to the nose. Quite malty, biscuit and caramel. Yeast is prominent as well, with some spicing and fruit. I still get some almond. I like it better in the nose. Fairly sweet.

Medium bodied, moderate to high carbonation, bready.

Overall, decent, but not great. Not something I would return to.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 01:05:36 | More by jrenihan

campfirebrew

New York

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%

04-04-2013 17:37:31 | More by campfirebrew

Andragos

New York

3.25/5  rDev -12.6%

03-30-2013 02:45:34 | More by Andragos

impending

California

3.84/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

B+

750ml into a tulip. Pours nearly transparent copper amber, orange tinged minor head, minor lacing.

Aroma is of sweet light skinned fruits begun to soften. Mild spice and camphor.

Honey as if about to turn, phenolic but pleasant enough. Muted pear and apple. Brief dry twang leads to a sweet aftertaste. A tad thicker than medium smooth mouthfeel. Needs warmth before the full complexity comes out.
cheers
jd

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 05:27:05 | More by impending

jgammoniv

Maine

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%

03-15-2013 13:34:19 | More by jgammoniv

Satyr179

Sweden

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%

03-09-2013 10:09:54 | More by Satyr179

grumpygerman

Alabama

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%

12-13-2012 01:08:14 | More by grumpygerman

mattparsons

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%

09-13-2012 16:01:52 | More by mattparsons

craftybudman

1/5  rDev -73.1%

08-16-2012 13:48:30 | More by craftybudman

kaseydad

California

3.63/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a crystal clear gold color and a nice looking white foamy head. Much retention is evident.

Slightly fruity aroma with light caramel and a little grassy. As it warms, the caramel is more pronounced.

The taste is fruity with a big malt swallow. Kindy earthy tastes as well. Some wood and a slight nutty taste too. Dry finish but a lingering aftertaste.

Bubbly a plenty. Carbonated well. Swing top cap did its job.

Overall I enjoyed the experience. Would I race out to grab another? No. Would I recommend trying this for the Biere de Garde novice? Sure. I will say I would love to try this from the source.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 01:07:41 | More by kaseydad

TheGovernator

4.25/5  rDev +14.2%

03-08-2012 03:22:52 | More by TheGovernator

KrisPaulk77

Mississippi

2.8/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

The beer pours deep golden, next to no head. Light bits of lace cling to the glass. The body seems a bit thick, almost syrupy.
The aroma is sugary and sweet, rich honey, light floral aromas, and malt.
The flavor is sweet, sugary and malty, rich with the same honey noates as the aroma. Mild bitterness in the background. Quite rich flavors.
The feel is thick and syrupy, and honestly, not easy to drink.
Not a terrible brew. Overall, decent. I'd have it again, but not often.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 02:31:42 | More by KrisPaulk77

Kahlerbock

Kansas

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%

02-10-2012 21:42:18 | More by Kahlerbock