Les Brasseurs de Gayant
Douai, France
Imported by: United States Beverage
Stamford, CT
Available: MD, CT, DE, NY, NJ, FL, SC, IN, WI, IL, MI, MO, NE, CA, NV, AZ, CO
Brewed by a family-owned company, founded in 1919 in the northeastern region of France which borders Belgium.
Alcohol (vol): 7.8
Alcohol (wt):
Color: 12
Bitterness: 28
Original gravity: 1072
My French is nowhere to be found, but I’ve got to believe this is about Good Ale. Pop the cork and instantly I’m smelling aromas of a banana orchid. The mousse-like foam traps what’s good below. Though seemingly bottle-conditioned, with care this blonde ale pours crystal clear. The 7.5% alcohol is masked by the rough and earthy character of grain malt and fermented fruitiness which only a small artisanal brewery could dare to achieve. A very delicate overall impression despite the earthiness of malt. Please pass the artisanal sausages and asparagus.
Here’s a golden bière de garde, delivered in an imposing corked and cradled bottle. The ale inside is just as imposing, loaded with smooth, sweet malt and overlaid with estery pears and ripe apples. It’s spicy, warming and floral, too, with more than a suggestion of bubblegum. Hops are light and unintrusive, which perhaps is the beer’s downfall — to me, the sweetness is just too powerful. If you take a glass with a fruit pudding, on the other hand, you could discover something special.
Author of the New Complete Joy of Homebrewing, founder of the Great American Beer Festival and a Beer Examiner at www.examiner.com, Papazian is a leading voice in beer and brewing.
Author of the Good Bottled Beer Guide and The Book of Beer Knowledge, Jeff Evans is an eight-time editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide and one of Britain's best-known beer writers.
