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Bière de garde is a malty model of beer that’s undiscovered to many. Translated to “beer for retaining,” the model was historically brewed in Northern France. Similar to a Belgian saison, this beer is understood for its malt-focused, toasty style, and slight sweetness.
Visually, it’s clear to barely hazy, and the colour is gentle amber to chestnut brown or pink, largely depending on which variation it’s: blond, brown, or amber. This malt-forward brew’s hop aroma, taste, and bitterness are low to medium, typically with a smooth to mouth-coating physique.
As Cambridge Brewing Firm notes on its bière de garde description, the model is historically brewed within the Flanders area of France, bordering Belgium. The identify is in reference to the apply of brewing a stronger beer in winter to retailer as provisions for the hotter months when it was tougher to brew. The upper alcohol content material (usually 6 to eight.5 %) helped forestall spoilage throughout storage. Cambridge’s bière de garde, Desk for One, is described as having a smooth toasty, malty taste whereas ending exceptionally dry.
Cambridge brewmaster Will Meyers was launched to bière de garde and saison within the early 90s and has at all times been drawn to the 2 types. “In describing the model, it’s vital to notice that we’re speaking in regards to the modern/fashionable concept of bière de garde as cleaner total, utilizing a monoculture yeast, with refined yeast expression that solely hints at ‘Belgian’ yeast character,” Meyers says, including that traditionally, the model would have typically seen (unintentional) mixed-culture expression from Brettanomyces and micro organism in addition to some vinous character from age and oxidation. “Desk for One is a ‘clear’ bière de garde versus these we now have produced in oak with combined flora.”
For the Barquentine Brewing bière de garde, Kyle Knudson leans slightly extra amber with the grain invoice than some business examples to focus on how a perfectly-kilned Munich malt will be enhanced by a farmhouse yeast.
“It’s a disgrace this model does not get the recognition it deserves,” says Knudson. “I consider it to be one of many good examples of what craft beer will be—fragrant with a spherical mouthfeel and an effervescent and quenching, dry end.” Knudson explains that the beer was traditionally brewed within the French countryside in the course of the winter and lagered for farm employees to drink throughout planting season. “Bière de garde is an ideal year-round beer due to the anomaly of a medium physique with a crisp end.”
When Boulevard Brewing’s Rob Odell, lead filterman, and Sterling Holman, senior brewer, have been requested to brew a beer for the autumn journey pack, the rapid response was bière de garde. “Stylistically it is a beer that Boulevard has by no means brewed, and I’m at all times up for the problem of exploring extra conventional beers which can be ignored or practically forgotten,” Holman defined. “On this day of hop-forward beers, we felt that making a nuanced malt-forward beer can be a breath of contemporary air.”
Holman says a bière de garde just isn’t dissimilar to a Kölsch or steam beer in that it’s a hybrid beer. They used their home lager pressure however fermented at the next temperature. “Utilizing a beer pressure permits for a softer mouthfeel and actually lets the layers of malt shine and work in concord,” Holman stated. Seven completely different malts have been utilized in brewing the beer: Pilsener, pale, Munich, abbey, Vienna, amber, and chocolate rye.
“The concept is to create a full-flavored beer that’s straightforward on the palate—not overly candy however nonetheless malty,” Holman stated, including that considered one of Boulevard’s brewers described the beer as “a pleasant bread basket.”
For the Colorado Brewers Guild Collaboration Fest, Phantom Canyon Brewing and OCC Brewing in Colorado Springs teamed as much as brew one thing that might be much less widespread than different types, would supply sufficient leeway to make it attention-grabbing, and would play to their very own strengths and preferences for conventional Belgian beers in addition to German lagers. Bière de garde was the winner.
“Bière de garde combines the complicated, rustic taste profile Belgian beers are recognized for with subtle malt richness and power of a beer meant to be saved for particular events,” stated Phantom Canyon head brewer Charles McManus. Bière de garde will be constructed from a mess of various malts and hops and fermented at completely different temperatures relying on time of the yr and the place it was made, McManus explains.
OCC Brewing head brewer Kyle Stevens factors out that it’s a method that’s surprisingly loosely outlined, and that almost all examples are basically cleaner, lagered, restrained variations of your favourite malty Trappist ales. “They will vary in coloration and maltiness from fairly pale to fairly darkish, however they often all characteristic a maltier-than-average physique and yeasts with attribute ‘Belgian’ fruity and spicy flavors however in a extra refined, balanced package deal than a warm-fermented monastic ale,” Stevens stated.
Russian River Brewing Firm’s Perdition is a play off of a bière de garde, known as bière de Sonoma. Proprietor and brewer Vinnie Cilurzo says the beer is a darker model of saison with extra bread and biscuit notes and a malt-forward aroma and taste. Providing a malt-forward beer is a boon for Russian River’s pubs, he says. “As a brewery with so many IPAs, bitter/barrel beers, and a few lagers on always, having this one malt-forward beer makes it a simple suggestion for our crew to make to friends who don’t desire a hoppy beer.” Within the Santa Rosa, Calif. location, it’s additionally the go-to beer for the pizza dough.
Hill Farmstead Brewery produced a associated model, Biere de Mars, an amber farmstead ale brewed in celebration of spring, in addition to Biere de Norma, aged in the identical oak pink wine barrels for greater than 12 years. The barrel-aged beer was largely impressed by each Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales in addition to Brasserie Theillier’s La Bavaisienne, with a style of vinous dried fruit, toffee, and a contact of wine-like acidity.
Ponysaurus Brewing’s Bière de Garde is an homage to higher-gravity French farmhouse ales, reflecting the historic realities of the model, when brewers made do with what was readily available. The beer is brewed with three sorts of barley, wheat, rye, and oats.
Clutch Brewing Firm’s Barnstomp is described as a clear however malty French-style ale with hints of toffee, biscuit, and toast with black currant. Bigelow Bière de Garde is a collaborative beer brewed with Humble Abode Brewing and YaYa Brewing.
Many different breweries recognize the nuances of the bière de garde model, together with Humble Monk Brewing, Two Brothers Brewing Co., The Misplaced Abbey, and Schlafly Beer.
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