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I like to think of myself as a beer hunter. Not THE Beer Hunter (a certain, non-singing-n-dancing, non-baby-dangling Michael Jackson), Good Lord, no. More of a beer scavenger, I suppose. Wherever I am, I search out different beers to try...and there are so many.
Anyway, long story short, here's one from France I tried earlier.


The Lancelot brewery has been in business since 1990 in what used to be an old gold mine. They use traditional methods and natural ingredients to produce a range of bottle and cask-condition beers, including Telenn Du, which is Breton for Black Harp. This has nothing to do with any musical aspirations, or to pay homage to any members of the African branch of the Marx clan, but in recognition of one of the main ingredients of this beer, a local variety of buckwheat called La Harpe.

You can find out more about the history of the brewery as well as their brewing methods and products by visiting their website.
That is, if you understand French (there is a translation, but let's just say ees not vert good.
For instance, they suggest serving the beer in a tulip-shaped glass, or as they put it, a ball.

This beer pours a dark ruby, verging on chocolate brown colour with almost an inch of puffy, off-white foam that sinks a little, but still stays impressive right to the end, leaving sheets of lace clinging to the glass.

The aroma is all about malt, with wafts of dark chocolate being most prominent, and lots of treacly, licorice tones. It's a little grainy, dusty even, like something reminiscent of a bakery. There's also a faint citrus aroma.

It's full-bodied with a lively mouth feel (but not gassy), and the initial taste has a very dominant bitter kick - not from any hops, more from the roasted malt. The bitterness is of dark, dark chocolate. It's dark and rich with coffee and toffee and licorice flavours all nipping at your taste-buds. There's a faint smoky flavour, but it's quite subtle and not overwhelming at all. It turns a little sweeter midway, with some honey-ish flavour and a late blossom of floral, perfume-like tones. This late sweetness manages to save the beer from sliding into one-dimensional trap. It finishes dry and sticky with a very dry, almost parched, aftertaste.




At 4.5%ABV, this beer has many of the attributes of a stout or porter, but it's not. The brewers like to compare it in style to a Trappist Ale - it's not that either. The truth lies somewhere between. It's an interesting beer with lots of rich, complex malt character, and it's quite tasty too but I've had better. It's perhaps a little unbalanced and if hops are your thing, probably a little disappointing. Still, it's far better than some fizzy euro-pis...or even pils.
I quite enjoyed it - but then I usually prefer a dark, malty offering - and it's nice to get good quality artisanal beers from France instead of that grape-juice they insist on making
As for food, what about some crepes (that'll be buckwheat pancakes to you) smeared with Port du Salut (probably the closest this beer'll get to a Trappist monk!)

Would I drink it again? - Would I drink Lancelot? If I got the chance...a lot.

Learn more about this author, Andrew H Brown.
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