La Goudale Grand Cru Fantasia is a Biere de Garde from Brasserie Goudale in France. Founded in 1919, the brewery recently celebrated their centenary. Part of the ‘G de Goudale’ range, La Goudale Grand Cru Fantasia is a French Biere de Garde, a regional variety of farmhouse-style ale. Blond and slightly tart, it’s similar to a Belgian saison or farmhouse ale.
Pouring a blond colour, La Goudale Grand Cru Fantasia offers up aromas of apricot and white grapes. The flavour is sweet and ever so slightly sour, with fruity apricot flavours from the German Fantasia hops. Buy La Goudale Grand Cru Fantasia to explore a beautifully presented French Biere de Garde, finished with Fantasia hops for a stone-fruit character.
A Moore –
A very sweet beer. There are some citrus notes and light malty taste. However these are over powered by an almost artificial sweetness. Nice bottle though.
Walter McGregor –
A rather sweetish French beer in a nice black bottle, There are several interesting after tastes. I would highly recommend this beer to the true connoisseur
Ben Lennox –
Strong but on the sweeter side. Lovely bottle!
Kris –
This was a fine beer that was a delight to crack open to celebrate a special occasion
JOHN FORD –
Appearance is the same size dinky wee bottle as La Goudale previously reviewed, pouring an equally well carbonated but slightly darker amber beer. Glass well laced as it empties. The bottle itself is a bit more upmarket and the black minimalist artwork reminds me of Biba where I used to buy baked beans to impress the girlfriend at college. The glass is frosted too which is a nice touch if you don’t want your greasy fingers to mark it.
Aroma is fruity, I get a little apple or pear mixed up with something a bit richer, maybe apricot, it’s still yeasty and is still promising something tasty.
Taste is sweet but less so than La Goudale. It’s beautifully balanced better than La G imho. Tingly carbonation, coriander and oranges again. It’s lovelier. Lots more for others to home in on but I’ll leave it there. It’s slightly more alcoholic at 7.9% which is probably why it’s less sweet. I saw somewhere that it’s the same recipe with the addition of one more hop.
Mouthfeel is velvet smooth, perfect carbonation, well bodied – the glass is emptying far too fast
I will probably get some in for Xmas. Out of the two this is the one to go for.
Xavier Crepin –
A nice malty and spicy beer in a trendy bottle shape