Yves Castelain, the proprietor and grandson of the founder of the brewery, is a central operative in the revival of artisanal brewing in France. He is doing this against a backdrop where more than 90% of the beer consumed is made by industrial brewers. We bring in three beers from this brewery: St. Amand is a traditional copper colored Biere de Garde, with a grassy earthy aroma and a hint of licorice.
Castelain is the classic example of the rare blonde Biere de Garde. Castelain has a sweet palate. Many beers that are sweet and malty have a tendency to be insipid. Castelain, on the other hand, has a great deal of finesse. Jade is the only certified organic beer in France. The ingredients are artesian well water, Perle and Aurora hops from Austria, and Springtime Tremois malt from Belgian Flanders. Like the brewery’s other beers, Jade is filtered, but not pasteurized. It is medium-bodied, golden, grassy, but with an augmented hop nose and lower alcohol content (4.6% vs. 6.0% by volume) compared to Castelain and St. Amand.
Brewery Picture:
