RagallachMC (631), Cleveland, Ohio, USA May 25, 2007 750ml bottle from MrBendo. Aroma: Lots of bready maltiness with a light sourdough tartness. Light caramel, citrus, and a healthy dose of spiciness. Appearance: Light orange in color and hazy. Ivory colored head was full and frothy with good retention. Good lacing. Flavor: Breadiness continues into the flavor with a strong helping of yeasty sourdough. A little more biscuity in the flavor than the aroma. Light lemon, spice, and some herbal hoppiness. Light hop bitterness into the finish. Finishes medium dry with a bit of astringency. Palate: Medium bodied. Medium-high carbonation. Light alcohol warming in back of mouth. Overall: This was a nice beer. I didn’t drink it with food like the label says, but I imagine it would go nicely with some bread and cheese. ChillCoat (1029), Concord, California, USA May 20, 2007 Updated: May 21, 2007Bottle. The label says to enjoy this beer with oven fresh bread, soft cheese and a tree ripened apple while watching the sunset. I almost pulled this off without even reaading the lable first: only I don’t have bread or an apple (hey, its only May) and I have an Irish cheddar- oh, well. Rich copper color with a white head that dissapates quickly but leaves nice lacing, especially directly over the ’’D’’ on the bottom of my Duvel glass. Sweet, biscuity malt aroma with fruity notes of apricots and apples. Much more body than I expected. Tons of malt, pleasantly fruity with a hoppy finish. Nice. ChainGangGuy (2523), Kennesaw, Georgia, USA May 20, 2007 Updated: Sep 7, 2007After years of planning and months of waiting, I cannot describe how gratifying it was, for me, to finally be able to review the Bière de Garde style.
Appearance: Pours a deep, orangey-copper body with a foamy, snow white head.
Smell: Sugary breadcrusts, honey, dried fruits, rolled hay, maybe some lemon in there as well.
Taste: The taste is an array of delicate, elegant flavors, light caramel, fruitiness, buttered sourdough bread, and a splash of Lady Grey tea. Lighty bitter finish, with some alcohol popping in right at the end.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Light carbonation. A slight stickiness on the palate. Some alcohol warmth, too.
Drinkability: There were times where AndoBrew and I thought "What did we get ourselves into? This is never going to come together!!" But when those wonderful smells start coming from the beer, when the flavors begin the meld, when the obscenities start flying, and the smiles start shining, we knew that it was all worth it. redlight (1445), Winter Park, Florida, USA May 20, 2007 Spicy aroma, with bready malts and yeast. Pours golden blonde. The flavor is smooth, malty and spicy. Finishes nicely with hints of spice. StewardofGondor (1934), Washington Heights - Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA May 17, 2007 Translucent and pristine, clean glowing copper in color. A sudsy, praline tinted tan head rests like laundry foam an inch tall on top. Aroma revels in the bakery. Sourdough and buttered baguettes. A hint of caramel glistening bran sneaks in through the later whiffs while magnolias and semi-sugared bakers biscuits ride the limelight. Flavorful, bready bounty gives us some warm, doughy innards. Biscuit rapture has a slight herbal tint as magnolia sourdough reverently hums. Soft bitterness and butter flaked crepes. Creamy carbonation gives a full bodied flavor that slips out with the subtle stutters of tossed, doughy crust. Subtle honey suggestions. Golden sweet biscuits sweetly and wholesomely sing long into the afterlife. The pinnacle of working class beers. Many thanks for the bottle, tpkenned! Zeswaft (1000), Seattle, Washington, USA May 15, 2007 Updated: May 16, 2007hell yeah this is a good beer. i’ve been drinking it for about an hour now and it’s super malty. got a little bit of flowers. sersdf (1000), chicago, Illinois, USA May 15, 2007 i can’t tell what it ooks like but but it olooks cool. where in the hell is hell is and. so on. i don’t care enough to rate this propoerly but i will say that i have immensely enjoyed it and it’s well balanced and it’s very balaned and i love it. rerate: the next morning it smells like flowers and honey. best biere de garde ever. dmac (1420), Toms River, New Jersey, USA May 14, 2007 750 ml bottle. This one looks great, sparkling golden/orange pour with an average size white head. Poured so clear that I would of thought it was run through some type of filter even though it’s bottle conditioned. Aroma was light with notes of fruit, especially apples, flowers and upon warming a hint of malts. Taste is slightlyspicy and very dry. I know this style is known for its dry palate but its not my cup of tea even though I have tried severl now.
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