The Fall was produced by Angouleme’s flagship brewery La Débauche and finished for several months in bourbon casks from Bimber distillery. This barley wine style ale is top fermented and has excellent ageing capacity notably thanks to its high bottling strength. Flamboyant, it combines malty power with syrupy character and juicy freshness.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Grenade red.
Nose: Fruity, woody. The first nose is unmistakably influenced by the casks and imbued with fruity (cherry stone, apple, raspberry) and exotic (coconut, vanilla) notes from the American oak. Allowed to breathe, surprising rich notes of frangipane and almond paste mixed with cooked caramel from the barley wine appear. A beautiful resinous freshness (pine cone) completes the aroma palette of a very promising powerful yet refined nose.
Palate: Full-bodied, distinguished. Very unlike the nose and slightly oxidative, the attack is first characterised by heady notes of Morello cherries. It then develops notes of nuts (bitter almond, hazelnut), candied fruit (prune, apricot stone) and spices (vanilla, pepper). The mid-palate which is somewhere between tasting a Kirsch, a walnut wine and a bourbon, is underscored on the after-taste by maple syrup and toasted beer malt.
Finish: Woody, tangy. The start of the finish naturally follows the palate’s path, between frank bitterness (citrus fruit zest) and very animal notes (leather, tobacco). The retro-nasal olfaction reveals sweet spices and a beautiful fresh and juicy acidity (citrus fruit. Granny Smith apple). The rich empty glass brings to mind mildly alcoholic desserts (rum baba, flambeed crepe).