I picked this up at Nonsuch a couple weeks ago and have meaning to open it up.. I'm starving for Belgian ales, especially corked & caged ones, there's so few left at liquor stores near me.Today's sampling is Nonsuch's La Vie Dorée, a French Oak Barrel-aged Golden Strong Ale. 7.4% ABV
From the label: The name La Vie Dorée, which means "The Golden Life", perfectly captures the essence of this beer. Not only doers it refer to the beautiful golden colour of the beer, but also the luxurious and elevated experience that it provides. This beer is a true celebration of the good life and is meant to be savoured and shared with friends, making memories, and enjoying life's pleasures.
Appearance: An opaque golden ale with a bit of floaty bits right from the beginning.. that's something I haven't seen in quite some time. Good amount of head with a moderate thickness and a beige hue to it.
Aroma: The first impression I get from this was pretty much the French oak, giving off a bit of a tartness of wine, as well as a moderate amount of woodiness. The beer is fairly sweet with a hint of honey and bubble gum, I want to say there's a hint of barnyard funk/wild yeast but I think my mind is just expecting it at this point so I don't think there is. Very light for a Belgian-style Golden Strong Ale.
Taste: Okay, the flavour is definitely giving off more personality than the aroma did. La Vie Dorée is moderately sweet and brings me back memories of corked Unibroues back in the day. There's notes of honey, bubble gum, a hint of oak, a slight tartness of wine and a light tart aftertaste at the end (and a tad buttery a moment or two later). Mouthfeel is pretty smooth, not dry. Lastly, at 7.4% it creeps up on you but doesn't come off as boozy at all.
Overall Thoughts: I'm not even going to mention how much it was but I missed Nonsuch's Belgian-style beers.. or really any Belgian-style ales really. Not bad, a tad tart and hint of oak from the barrels, mildly sweet, smooth for the ABV.
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