Pelforth is a brand of beer made by a French brewery. It was first brewed in 1935 using two different types of malt and English yeast.
The name of the beer came from a combination of two words, Pel for Pelican and forte meaning strong. It contains a lot of malt (43 kg/hL), and the h was added to give it an English feel.
Origin and history
Pelforth is a French brewery founded in 1914 in Mons-en-Baroeul by Louis Boucquey, Armand Deflandre and Raoul Bonduel. It is known for the Pelican symbol that it carries on its label.
The company produces 22 different brands of beer including George Killian’s and a whisky beer, as well as Biere de Mars and Biere de Noel (seasonal French beers).
They also have some more higher-end varieties. Their Blonde shines with a clear sunny yellow color, fruity aromas and almond notes.
Another specialty style is whiskey beer, which uses a variety of peat-smoked malts to give it a distinctive taste. Adelscott Biere au Malt a Whisky is one of the most popular, though a darker version called Adelscott Noir is also brewed. Kronenbourg brews Wel Scotch with this type of malt, and the Meteor Brewery’s Mortimer is packaged like whisky but actually classed as a Vienna lager.
Brewing process
Pelforth beer is brewed in Mons-en-Baroeul, close to the city of Lille in France. It was founded in 1921 by three brewers from Lille, Louis Boucquey, Armand Deflandre and Raoul Bonduel.
It is one of the most famous French brands and is distributed by Heineken International. It is mainly sold in cafe-bars and supermarkets.
The brewing process involves mixing different types of malt with heated water in a mash tun to extract fermentable sugars. The mash is then pumped into a lauter tun and separated from the grain husks, leaving behind a sweet liquid known as wort.
Fermentation occurs as the yeast converts sugars to alcohol. This step is critical and can make or break a beer’s flavor. It takes place in a temperature-controlled environment and is carefully monitored by the brewer.
Flavor profile and taste
The flavor profile of Pelforth beer depends on a variety of factors such as carbonation, hops, malt, water and yeast. These factors and a brewer’s personal touches contribute to the uniqueness of each beer.
Pilsner: The BJCP describes this style as “Moderate to moderately high maltiness similar in character to Continental Pilsners with a slight grainy, corn-like sweetness from the use of maize (corn) or rice used as an adjunct. Typical offsetting hop bitterness from German & Czech grown noble hops.”
These beers have a crisp, light body with medium to high levels of carbonation. They generally range between 4.5%-6% ABV and 25-40 IBUs.
Pairing of Pelforth beer with different food
The Pelforth brewery in Lille has been brewing beer since 1937. The company has a long and distinguished history of producing top shelf brews. Its Blonde, Brune and Amber have all been recognized as among the best in their category. The most popular is the bourbon infused dark beer. The company also has a line of limited release microbrews, and several specialty beers such as the Pelican olympics, which is an award winning IPA. Its flagship product is the aforementioned Brune, which is a big boy at 6.5% alcohol by volume. It also happens to be the highest octane beer in the entire line. Sadly for the gents in the know, it’s a rare occurrence to find it on tap in the US. The company was purchased by Heineken in 1986.