Ch’ti Blonde

Another bière de garde from Brasserie Castelain in Bénifontaine, France that I sampled during my brief stay in Carcassonne was their Ch’ti Blonde. Ch’ti was a 6.4% golden farmhouse ale sold in a stubby 330mL bottle. It poured with a short-lived cover of off-white head and had an aroma that was sweet, metallic, and slightly earthy. The sweetness persisted in the flavour, which was malt-forward, a bit bready, and featured honey and fruit notes.

Unlike the other B de G from Castelain that I sampled during my travels (Blonde du Nord), Ch’ti was stronger and had a bit more bitterness at its back end, contributing a bit of balance. Again, I was expecting a bit more yeastiness, akin to a saison, but I think the problem was less with the beer than my own misconceptions about the style. A touch too sweet, perhaps, but nice and strong, Ch’ti featured an array of subtle flavours that emerged as the beer warmed.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.