Congratulations to St Feuillien! Their 'Grand Cru' has been awarded a gold star at the European Beer Star Awards. I think they'll be adding a little bit more gold to their already well-trimmed label. Is this the best beer in Europe right now?
Well, not really. Whilst I'm not taking anything away from St Feuillien for the award, you have take into consideration that a) the European Beer Stars are not the only beer awards, let alone in Europe and b) there are 50 categories in this competition; so 50 Golds, Silvers and Bronzes. There are some fairly specific categories too. This Grand Cru won the 'Belgian-Style Strong Ale' category but there is also a 'Belgian-Style Tripel' category. Yes, 'Tripel' is a specific type, but it's also a strong Belgian ale. Do both need to exist? For Germany, there are a mind blowing 19 categories! That's a hell of a lot of different styles for a country who only allow 4 ingredients in their beer.
So, what's my beef? Well, I feel a little bit duped, really. I saw a notice on Twitter announcing the win and thought 'Cool, I've got this in my fridge' and was looking forward to going home and drinking one of the best beers in Europe this year. So, with expectations so high, does a gold star help a beer or hinder it? I guess initially it helps; I'm a sucker for buying wine if it's won a medal and everyone wants you to buy their product. But are expectations then raised too high? In my case, yes but perhaps I'm alone. Instead of enjoying a hidden gem I found myself trying to work out on what premise this beer had won the award. Then, on finding it a little underwhelming, I find it's one of 150 winners. But hey, it'll work out well for them, I'm sure.
St Feuillien Grand Cru is beautifully packaged in a taller, standard shape bottle rather than the usual squat 'Duvel' style they put their standard beer in. It's ready for a night on the town, for sure. It's a pale, clear (if you keep out any sediment) sparkling beer. The fizz, I found, was sharper than your usual and the head very good.
Aroma-wise, I was searching. Nothing flew out and hit me in the face. It smelled like strong lager. Yes, there were faint hints of green apples in there, we're not talking nothing, but no complex headiness that I'd usually expect from Belgium (and a gold star winner, to boot!) There was a slight bitter aroma, like the smell of a tangerine without the sweetness. Reading this back these do sound like exciting aspects but they were fleeting and boy did I have to try.
Taste-wise, I also found it lacking sparkle. What struck me the most was the absence of any sweetness. While this might not be surprising in a cool, crisp lager that's designed for gulping, a 9.5% supping ale like this needs a little something sweet, in my opinion. In fact, it also lacked any strong bitterness so it was a little bit middle of the road.
So what's going for it? Well, finesse, I suppose. It's incredibly sophisticated and controlled for its very high strength. Apart from a bit of a zing in the nose you could be convinced it's 6.5%. It's a gym instructor in a tuxedo: strength and control in a smart package but a little bit dull when you get to know it.
I suppose I shouldn't complain, I've only myself to blame. Why should I believe hype without checking just what the hype really is? But on sage reflection I still think there are much better Belgian strong ales out there. It goes to show, that even if it is an opinion of a learned collective, an award is still an opinion and the only one you should really trust is your own. Get a clean glass and a bottle opener, sit your bum down and get supping.
St Feuilllien Grand Cru - 6.5
No comments:
Post a Comment