Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Tasting- Les 3 Brasseurs

Finishing up our home brew day, Nitch grabbed the car keys and took a grey day drive to a location recommended by a friend: Les 3 Brasseurs. It being out of the way and an international chain restaurant wards craft beer geeks away, but pacing the same kitchen area for over four hours (and using the same wash sink more times then countable) will inspire a need for a change of view and something to gurgle while viewing it.
"Our mission is simple – to share with our patrons our passion for beer"

5


Tasting Location- Les 3 Brasseurs


Upon arrival one is greeted by a massive outdoor seating area that the French so require for restauranting and pubbing. What made this one so delightful was the hop laced fencing- beauty and functionality!DSC01437

The entrance is guarded by a shiny copper brew kettle that gleams in it's darkly lit euro pub style restaurant. The ceilings have pho-newspaper coverings and beer related paraphernalia is spread tastefully about, reminding one of a beer'ed up Shenanigans. "A stunning authentic microbrewery installation and European décor mixed in with some local flavour makes the atmosphere inimitable."   Although I wouldn't go so far as to agree with the website's "inimitable" (since it's likely that all the locations are immitations of each other), I did instantly feel like I was in a place where a beer lover could geek out and not feel awkward.

Which of course- I was completely wrong. As the partons stared at my picture taking and constant note scratching/beer sniffing and the extravagant why that I held beers up to the light and exclaimed things like, "oh my, hello cascade!" These things might have not only fasinated the dining families but also be the reason why one of the older servers came with two extra tastings: the local brew. La Belle Province is made with all local ingredients and I was immediatly drawn into another bout of, "Ooo! Smell that goodness," while shoving the petite glass as far under my nose as possible without looking like a beer addicted Scarface.

Menus are freakishly well designed with mouth watering pictures creating hunger stirrings through already full bellies.

They have beer cocktails- some are blue- let's discover more about those next time.

4Today We Tasted 6 Les 3 Brasseurs Bières


Blond


A: Bright hay to sunflower color with a head that isn't there.

S: Banana ester, later yeast, mild earthy hop

T: Traditional lager style with spice, light farmhouse tastes with a delicate hop finish

M: Oily but dry

O: The French Man feels like it is an overly hopped lager, but I disagree and attribute his messed up tasting abilities to him having hovered over the home brew brew kettle for hours. There is for sure a hop element that sticks out, but it feels more like a home brewed IPA lover's lager then a normal French blond.

Ambre


A: No carbonation again, but that will be a pattern, as sampling platters nearly always seem headless and lacking proper carbonation.

S: Belgian spices with clove, coriander, caramel and bread yeast

T: Bitter in the front with a roasted sweet backing that finishes rather bland.

M: Medium body

O: Meh.

Brune


A: Amber almost violet colors when helt to the light, but mainly a deep earthy brown.

S: Toffee and coffe softly, softly

T: Almost creamy on the palate but cut directly with a bitter coffee finish.

M: more bubbles then the other beers, which means it has a medium carbonation. I'm wondering now if there is either something wrong with the beer or the taps. Have to look into that at my next visit.

O: He has that cold, stale coffee direction in sight but turns just before cliffing into gross. As the beer warmed slightly the caramel came to stand out and wrapped the whole beer better together.

"It's so hoppy I feel like I'm smoking weed"



The French Man hates all these beers so far.


The Queen


A: Golden yellow with small motionless bubbles


S: Lager


T: Slightly bitter, so mild. Malty finish. Not displeasing but nothing great. Session style. I don't think the Queen would enjoy this beer but some of her people might.


M: Moving on


Cherry Cuvee


A: Valentine's day red, fading to pink around the edges


S: Smells like juicy juice red flavor.


T: All cherry, maybe strawberry. Oh NO! Vicks Nyquil.


M: Pass


La Belle Provence- Special Local BrewDSC01450


A: Rose tinted sun rays in a glass

S: The smell knocked my hop loving socks off! Honey hops and apple blossoms. I want to burry my face in it's sweet and tangy head, but am aware of the public location, so I take pictures for later beerporn referral and hope that the olfactory senses will be recreated by my imagination appropriately.

T: There is a great fruit sweetness, like a hard cider with the tartness of the fruit skin substituted with floral hops. There might be cherry juice in there but no matter what, the balance between fruit, floral, sweet and bitter is delightful.

M: Juicy and refreshing, light body

O: I feel like the beer would like more bubbles, but maybe that would turn it directly into more of a cider style. Not with standing this finishing treat is something I'm going to return for and inquire more about. Local huh?

Although I wouldn't call it craft beer and I wouldn't say it's something to seek out, Les 3 Brasseurs is better then nothing.

Les 3 Brasseurs is massive international company (including locations throughout France, Quebec, Tahiti, Réunion, and New Caledonia) but that doesn't mean they can't be spreading the baby step understanding of what beer culture invites. Many'a Joe has stated that their first "craft" beer was Blue Moon. Baby steps, as feeble as they are, begin consumers in the right direction toward freedom. Beer Freedom!

 

 

1 comment:

  1. [...] I did have the help of my live in French character but there is only so much sanitizing and waiting a girl can do before a reward is needed! [...]

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