At the start of the century,
in Hainaut, every small brewery produced a top-fermenting beer
which was drawn from wooden barrels.
This traditional beer was the pride of the local breweries and quenched
the thirst of the most demanding customers!
At the Friart Brewery, this beer, of which the formula is a carefully
kept secret, was called the Grisette.
A few years ago, the St-Feuillien Brewery decided to take up the
tradition and now presents four new varieties of Grisette.
   
Fruits des Bois and Cerise are
fruity beers that are especially light and thirst-quenching. The
traditional Grisette Blonde or Blanche is refermented in the bottle
and unfiltered. These varieties have all the aroma and savour of
top-fermenting beers.
These full-bodied beers, which are remarkably light (from 3.5%
to 5% alc. vol.), are available in bottles or draught.
Three distinctive features
- The quite different steps of fermentation and storage take
place in separate specially designed cellars, but each step is
essential in forming the character of the beer.
- With the exception
of the fruity varieties, these beers undergo secondary fermentation
in the bottle. Therefore, they are much richer than their saturated
counterparts.
- In contrast to most special top-fermenting beers,
they are light and thirst-quenching.
Sampling tips
Grisette
Cerise (3.5 % alc. vol)
Grisette Cerise, a light top-fermented malt and wheat beer, is lively, refreshing
and delicately fragranced. This ruby red delight rich in natural fruit juices
has a sweet yet slightly tart taste enhanced by a smooth blend of the delicate
beer and cherry flavors.
 top
 Grisette
Fruits des bois (3.5
% alc. vol)
Scintillating,
fresh and delicately flavoured, Grisette Fruits des Bois is a light,
refreshing beer that is brewed with the best malt and wheat, with
a slightly hoppy taste. The colour of Grisette Fruits des Bois
is reminiscent of a young Burgundy. The head is thin and compact.
This blend creates a riot of sweet yet slightly bitter tastes redolent
of red berries and other exquisite fruits.
Grisette Fruits des Bois, a naturally sweet beer,
is characterised by easy digestibility and low alcohol content.
top
 Grisette
Blonde (4.5 % alc. vol.)
Grisette Blonde is a pale ale that is very refreshing in summer.
When drunk at a moderate temperature, it releases aromas of a
richness that it is seldom found in other beers of this strength.
Its head is smooth and white and it has a light yellow colour.
top
 Grisette
Blanche (5.5 % alc. vol.)
Grisette Blanche belongs to the rich family of Belgian white beers.
It is therefore very refreshing in summer.
However, it remains a full-bodied, savoury beer offering lots of
contrast.
Its head is typical of wheaty beers - creamy and compact - with
an opaque, hazy appearance.
top
|
