Crisp light ale with “100% Fuggles hops”” contains floating insert to preserve flavor, but lacks distinct English grain-malt character and creamy resilience, hurting chance to deliver knockout punch. Disappointingly un-Special, though pint can features snazzy elephant insignia.
Monthly Archives: January 2009
(CAMERON’S) CASTLE EDEN ALE DRAUGHT
Softly textured ‘draught pasteurized’ premium ale with desolate barley-hopped malts supporting meager quince blitz and ester-y grape snip to bland creamy caramel finish. Watery texture similar to most British canned draughts, except this is an ale, not pilsner or lager.
CASTLE LAGER
Inexpressive clear golden smoothie stays bland as maize-fronted sugar-watered flow barely registers. Miserly lemony grapefruit speckle never rises above carbolic fizz, staying plain without being either bitter or sweet.
CASTELLO DOPPIO MALTO
Malt-sugared Imperial pilsner-styled pale lager affirms up-front lager yeast pungency with sweet barley-wheat enticement, but lean hops need better bite at moderate sour-fruited finish. Perfect as mainstream fodder.
CASTELLO BIRRA FRIULANA
Pungent grain aroma consumes pale-toned pilsner-styled Italian. Sharp hop bittering enhances corn-buttered malts and distant wheat chaff for assertive richness. But metallic shard lowers appeal.
(CASTELAIN) ST. AMAND FRENCH COUNTRY ALE
Dark auburn-hued flowery-scented ale in fancy bottle retains typical French wine essence. Creamy caramel-malted apricot-mango tropicalia, brisk orange zest, and cider-y barleywine symmetry receive exuberant carbolic gush rounded out by prune-raisin balm and herbal touch.
CASTELAIN KORMA BLONDE ALE
Unassertive puffy white-headed, Brussels-laced,crystal-malted blonde with dank-cellared grape souring, musty earthen farmhouse breech, and spicy clove continuance deepening buttery white wine palate. Peachy green apple tartness wavers.
(CASTELAIN) JADE FRENCH COUNTRY ALE
Lightly textured artesian-filtered pale ale with tiny foam bubbles consuming large blossoming head. Clay-hopped barley-wheat conflux and caramelized cereal graining encroach dry white wine silkiness. Snazzy fruit swirl dissipates as soapy, solvent-like finish disappointingly ascends.
CASTELAIN BLOND BIERE DE GARDE
Startlingly complex caramel-hued blonde with earthen-grained herbal-spiced grassy-hopped inception, subtle yellow-fruited honeyed malt sweetness, and pastry-like frosting will endear experienced drinkers. Floral white-peppered rosemary-thyme-sage seasoning informs ascending buttery Scotch creaming.
CASTEL LAGER
Prudent creamy malt opening and buttery caramel stipend washed out by slick soapy finish as alcohol-smitten sharpness abates.
CASTA TRIGUERA WHEAT
Uncanny Mexican-bred German Weiss (with washed out sour wheat aroma) gathers floral hop pizzazz, lemon-limed clove spicing and cotton-candied sugar sweetness before losing citric zest by ester-y finish. Just as Unibroue brought Belgian brewing practices to remote Canada, this South of the Border brew takes a chance at Bavarian styling and nearly succeeds.
CASTA MORENA DARK ALE
Roasted malts deepen moderate hop bitterness of reddish-coppered, dry-bodied, Scottish-styled Mexican. Finish goes from grain roasted sweetness to citrus rind sourness. Not nearly as efficient and too soapy when compared to aggressive Modelo Negra.