Tasting Notes: Castelain: Ch’ti Brune

Castelain: Ch’ti Brune (France: Biere De Garde: 6.4% ABV)

Visual: Initially quite fizzy but settles quickly. Dark brown red – nigh impenetrable to light. Head dissipates soon to leave a brown pool staring back at you.

Nose: Figs and prunes. Burnt offerings, slight acidic quality.

Body: Sharp, quite fizzy and malty. Unripened fruit. Some lactose milk, distinctly nutty.

Finish: acidic, malt chocolate. Dry paste and peanuts. Burnt fudge. liquorice .

Conclusion: A sharp beer with some reasonable notes bubbling under the surface.

Its got good elements but they don’t quite come together in a coherent whole.

The main body seems elusive with tart and nutty hovering around but never settling. A lot of notes but no connection between them.

Its ok as a refreshing beer but it cant settle into a groove. Its beer type apparently indicates a beer meant for ageing, so it would be interesting to see if an older expression was a more satisfying beer.

If I had to match it up for a use, I would put it out on bonfire night with some roasted nuts and burnt ashes wafting on the wind.

I think on this turf it would settle in much better that the environ I tasted it, as the nuttiness is possibly the most distinct and most pleasurable characteristic.