BREWER: Castelain, Hauts-de-France, France

STYLE: Biere Blonde

ABV: 6.4%

VESSEL: 33cl brown bottle

TWITTER: @Biere_CASTELAIN

INSTAGRAM: brasseriecastelain

DATE POSTED: 27th March 2020

JYMI SAY’S…

Pretty ugly looking little brute this isn’t it?!

Can you imagine… you’re laying there in your deck chair enjoying the mid afternoon French sun when the thought crosses your mind. “I fancy a bloomin beer I do”. So you mop your brow and reach for one of those little bell things that rich folk have in the movies. You ring said bell and Bruno your trusty butler appears from nowhere to tend to your need. “What can I get you sir”? “Can I please have an ice cold beer my good man”. “Of course sir”. Bruno then whizzes inside with alarming pace to fetch your request. Upon his return the mood turns rather sour. It’s not Bruno’s fault, he didn’t design this thing. Bruno can see the disappointed look on your face and you spend the next 2 hours explaining to him that although the look of a beer bottle doesn’t effect the taste of the beer it certainly goes a long way towards a beer being appealing or not. Eventually you get to the moment where you crack this gloomy looking mess open only to discover that sunshine does lay inside.

Ch’ti, as is to be expected from a French blonde, is light, crisp and smooth with a touch of sweetness knocking around. It is about as classic as it gets really when it comes to this style of beer. And it is certainly good. But it is not great. It does the job. However there are superior brews out there in this style that are simply doing a better one.

Jymi’s Rating: 67%

SAMMY SAY’S…

I’m going to get it out there straight away: as an English speaking person, this is a pretty awful name for a beer. I mean, I’m sure in it’s native France, it’s pronounced in a perfectly acceptable way. But here, you can’t escape the giggles that follow as soon as the name of this beer is uttered: Chti…

As a product, it’s very acceptable. It’s quite light, it’s easy to drink and it has a pleasant sweetness about it. Chti (still giggling) is what you’d expect from a French beer.

However, for me, it doesn’t do too much to impress. It’s got no, how do you say it? Ah yes, je ne sais quoi.

Would I have one again? Most definitely.

Would it be top of my list? Most definitely not.

Are there better beers out there? Yes.

Are there better French beers out there? Yes.

Sammy’s Rating: 74%

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 70.5%

 

MOB review next weekend: PUPA by VIBRANT FOREST

SEVEN WEEKS UNTIL CLOCKWORK TANGERINE FOR YOU MOB SQUADERS OUT THERE

BEER IS BETTER TOGETHER