Maillot Jaune

One of the English style ales brewed by an Englishman in this brewery in southwestern France, thanks Craftmember for sharing. Moussy, pale yellow-beige, even-bubbled head, slowly diminishing over a misty deep burgundy-hued ruddy-bronze beer. Aroma of toasted hazelnuts, bitterroot, dry tree leaves, bitter dark tea, brown bread crust, minerals, nutmeg, some sweeter notes of pear, medlar and even very vague chocolate when warming up. Dryish onset, dried apple peel, minerally carb but fine-bubbled, immediately malty in a dry brown bread- and toast-like way, remaining sleek and dry while the bitterness grows, eventually becoming a bit walnutty and even very lightly ‘burnt’ without going into actual roastedness. A firm rooty and leafy hoppiness takes over the strong bitter factor from there, further accentuating the dryness and becoming a bit herbal and ‘granular’ even in the end. Very focused ESB style beer, a stronger, darker, maltier bitter, truly a sip of merry old England in a picturesque French setting.