Castelain ChTi Blonde (St. Amand)

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Gold light copper not much head but look quite alive nonetheless...This beer is all you need ifv you want something complex and refreshing...A bit yeasty well malted and hopped with a sweet finish,and offering well reccomended.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

Purchased at the SAQ in Hull, QC. Had this beer way too long, but we'll see what it gives us. Best before date says 26/02/09, so long overdue. Pours a light golden-orange colour hazed by the millions of floaties all around created by the yeast. Its head is frothy, white, has good retention and leaves thick and chunky lacing. It definitely looks like a craft beer. The aromas remind me of a pilsner, mixed with a lighter Belgian brew. Spices, bread, biscuit, honey and grain malt. A little oily in the mouthfeel, but quite refreshing. It has well-blended flavours, with some sweetness, some bitterness and some grainy middle. A decent finish with hop, which is not too bitter, but shows some hints of citrus and pine. Quite a beautifully crafted brew that I would have again.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Bottle: Poured a deep clear golden color ale with a huge pure white foamy head with good retention and minimal lacing. Aroma of floral malt with some light fruity yeast notes. Taste is also a very well balance mix between fruity yeast notes with some floral malt notes and a very unique and interesting grain bill. Body is quite full with some great carbonation. Very well done and refreshing with some nice complexity.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 5

Tried this on New Years Eve at my wine snob buddy's house. St. Amand had a thin head that evaporated quickly into the dark yellowish body. Pungent sweet odors of candy sugar, smoke and alcohol penetrate the nostrils. On the palate, it was very watery with a malty finish. Notes of rye and scotch whiskey and dense carbonation were very prevelent. The French should stick to wine!

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Golden colour, fluffy big white head. Aroma is sweet caramel, fruits, hops and cooked vegetables. Flavour is caramel, malts, hops and slight barnyardishness/earthyness. Dry and hayish aftertaste.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Pale golden color with a full white head. Acidic aroma, slightly sour with a sweet malty back drop. Flavor was complex - huge sweet malt body, a bit tart in the middle, nice hops towards the end and a bready, yeasty finish. Strong, almost cloying, sweet aftertaste. Alot going on here.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

750 ml bottle, corked "champagne" style, bought in Denmark. Pale golden colour, like a pilsener. Enormous and lingering fluffy white head, leaves a nice lacing. Delicate yeasty aroma with notes of grass, flowers and honey. Pleasant mild flavour with a certain spicyness and decent hops, but light bodied for its 6.4% ABV. Well balanced and "dangerously drinkable".

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

I've always been a fan of the "French Country (Farm-house) Ale"-pseudo style, since it brings me back to the time that I was first experimenting with all types of hugely fascinating (and often fascinately huge) beers from Belgium and the vicinity. The various 5-7%ABV beers I sampled back then may seem kinda tame by what I'm routinely sampling these days (i.e. >10%ABV), but for an adventurous beginner, they were quite bold and wonderful.

And while I can't say this is my favorite of the style (would be very hard to overthrow Darbyste from that particular honor), it's still a winner in my book.

Ruddy-tan in appearence, with very little in the way of lasting foam.

Huge biscuity aroma -- immediately reminded me of a fresh De Koninck, but with even less hops in the nose than that. Has an almost fresh baked-bread-like aroma.

The same "fresh baked goodness" in the nose follows through in the flavor profile. A little sour in the middle, and perhaps some hints of bitterness in the back, but otherwise, this beer is all about emphasizing the biscuity maltiness -- a maltiness that isn't neccesailry sweet, cloying, and/or heavy-handed.

Reminded me of a Czech Lager that I had a few days ago -- a Czech Pils that happened to have an impressive malt profile, without compromising the overall drinkability.

Overall, a great beer for the Summer IMO, since this gives you quite a bit to work with in the flavor and mouthfeel, but is neither heavy nor heavy-handed. Recommended.
//TB

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

golden-orange colour, few head, alcohol, spicy and fruity (pear) nose, full and quite heavy, dry, short medicinal finish - looks unfortunately a little bit like a malt liquor

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Pours with an orange-amber body topped by a medium thick head with some lacing. It’s sweet and floral with a slight maltiness and a little fruit. Light to medium bodied and smooth.