A Year of Craft Beer, Vol. 46, Brasserie Duyck Jenlain Winter Ale

I'm searching for this on Beer Advocate and having a tough time finding it, I don't think it is one there.  It is considered a French Farmhouse Ale or a Saison.  This beer is described on the bottle as more simple than a saison only using malts and hops from the Alsace region of France.  To me, it tastes like a grand crux without all the extras, yet just as fruity.  It's quite good!  Take a look:

This beer is brewed in the winter by Brasserie Duyck in France.  It is intended to be drank in the summer months and it is very appealing as a beer that isn't really heavy, yet fairly high in alcohol.  I guess a good way of putting it is that it is thirst quenching!

Yes, this crimp top bottle gets homebrew points!

The beer pours an amber red with a thin head of the tiniest bubbles and stays throughout the drink as a ring and a central cap with very fine lacing.

It has the nicest citrusy caramel and malt aroma that I have yet to have encountered!  Coming from all malts and no additives, it is really interesting!

The flavour and aroma are similar!  The beer starts off with a nice amber malt character and mid way through the sip the caramel and fruity flavours come out.  There is some citrus, some pear maybe or plum and then the sip tapers off from sweet to very slightly dry with only the mildest of hop taste.  Remarkably refreshing!

I think the mouthfeel is really smooth and creamy yet moderately light.  The carbonation is just above mid range and really carries the fruit flavors well to your tongue.  It's not hoppy but does finish slightly dry.  This beer is phenomenally balanced especially for being 7% abv.  There is almost no hing of alcohol at all and what there is is not offensive at all.  I get a warming feeling from it and that is all.

Overall, this is also a world class beer.  Two in as many nights!  Two totally different genres as as well.  This beer was one of Scoats's 24 Beers of Christmas case and is such a welcome addition to my blog.  Well Done Scoats!

This beer gets an 11 as well!  I will seek this one out again and again!

Have a great weekend and those of you who have monday off, enjoy the holiday!

-Wiss