Category Archives: France

Ch’ti Blonde

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A friend brought round this beer a couple of weeks ago and it’s been sitting in the fridge.  I’d never heard of this French brewery but it’s really excellent.  Even though it’s 6.4% its quite drinkable and the taste is not badly affected.  Lovely clean and refreshing when served cold.

I’ve done a little online research and I think it’s going to be best to make a trip to buy this as it’s about 2 euros more buying in the UK.  Anyway there are also several other beers from this brewery to try and so a full car is probably order of the day.  Visit the brewery website for the full range. I can’t wait to try some more.

Excellent! Five stars.

La Trobonix Blanche

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Before I went on this holiday to France I hadn’t realised how many French breweries brewed a Blanche.  This brewery, Brasserie Terra Comtix, was just about 10km from place I was staying in Ornans in the Doubs valley in Franche-Comte.

Although I have been to France many times I hadn’t explored this area – I recommend it over say the Lot or Dordogne.  Anyway we had been out walking in the hills and on return walked down to one of the riverside bars and had this Blanche.  Note the typical table and I think you get a flavour of the place.

5.5 %abv is quite high for a blanche and I didn’t really like it which is odd because I think Blanche at lunch or mornings is great.  I had one in the fridge to try but instead it got shipped back to the UK.  I amd drinking it now in a Hoegaarden glass as I write and being good and cold I really liked it, shame it’s the only bottle.!

Just goes to show that you need to keep at it

La Trobonix Biere – Ambree

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This is a local French beer where I am staying in Fanche-Comte – in the south east of France. This brewery, Brasserie Terra Comtix, was just about 10km from place I was staying in Ornans in the Doubs valley in Franche-Comte.  I bought three different beers from this brewery in a small cheese shop when we were out walking in the hills.   Of course the main reason to go to the cheese shop was to buy the strong Comte cheese (they come in a variety of ages and strengths – we went for 24 month!).

The brewery’s artwork is a Asterix like and pretty much wasted on me.  Unfortunately this, the first of the three I have tried, and my first amber for a little while, didn’t excite me.  The strength is 6.5% ABV.  It’s fine but unremarkable – I will report separately on the other two later on.

No special glass was available at the house we are staying at, nor do I know if one is available.    The orange table cloth came with the rented house, the other beers from this brewery will have a more interesting background.

Montbeliarde

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This was the strongest of the three beers from La Brasseries Rouget de Lisle that we tried at a small restaurant in the Franche-Comte area of France (think Comte cheese).  The area is not well visited by the British but a holiday area for the Dutch and Germans.  The brewery is based at the foot of the Jura mountains and produces a range of beers reviewed here.

The Blonde was in my view the nicest of the ones we tried and was strong and well flavoured and a very acceptable alternative to the regular pression beers we get in France.  Of the three we tasted this afternoon this was the one that I would go back for.  Probably best served with a strong hard local cheese!

No special glass required but as can be seen from the pictures there is a brewery specific tumbler.

Blanche des plateaux

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Tastings from the Loue Valley in South Eastern France close to the Swiss border.  We were served these beers from La Brasseries Rouget de Lisle at a small restaurant/bar (which strangely closes at 11am on Mondays!)  we tried the three versions they had.  This Blanche was much less cloudy than the familiar Belgian or German equivalents and actually was much more like the Blonde beer.  It was the least strong of the variants but again lacked the bite of its more famous cousins.   When we were served this it came in brewery specific regular beer glass.   There was no difference in glasses across the range from this brewery.

Sorry about the alternate photo taker!

Combe aux Loups

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Well here we are in Franche-Comte on holiday so lots of opportunity to taste some beers.  We have just been walking in the forest to the source of the river and came across a bar.  Since we were three we tried all three of the bottled beers they had.  This brune from the brewery at the base of the Jura mountains is made with toasted malts and despite being 6.4% is surprisingly refreshing.  It lacks the commercial brune refinement, maltiness and depth.  But it is always important to support the local breweries.   When we were served this it came in brewery specific regular beer glass.   There was no difference in glasses across the range from this brewery.

 

I’ve got a feeling there was an Amber beer but we were only three drinkers and a driver!

Pelforth Brune

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Pelforth Brune is a dark malty northern French beer.  This really is an old favourite and was my preferred beer when we had holidays in France.  We always bring a good many of these back from the French supermarket when we go over.  It’s just something a little different to the usual small lagers you find in the south of the country.  This is a reasonably strong beer at 6.5% which is compensated for by the smaller bottle.  Actually I also rather like the small 25cl bottle it seems somehow more special, they also sell 33cl in bars and cans in the supermarket.

Pelforth also make a Blonde which is also nice but a little more pricey than the usual generic Alsace largers and I’m not convinced it’s worth the premium.  There is also an Amber beer which I have tried once. I must have another go with both of these.

I have made a point of specifying the type of glass and I think there is a Pelforth globe type glass and I’ve also seen a tankard with the familiar Pelican logo but it works fine in a small straight glass or even straight from the bottle.

The Pelforth website is worth a visit (but use IE not Chrome), with tips on what food goes with the beers, best serving temperatures, strange beer cocktails and so on.  Bon Chance!