Bière des Sans Culottes

Brewed by Brasserie La Choulette
Style: Bière de Garde
Hordain, France

Golden with minimal white head. Aroma was sweet and fruity and herbal. Very aromatic. Texture was pleasant, creamy. Flavor was moderately sweet and moderately acidic. A nice blend. I’m just not fond of the style.

My first biere de gardes. I did some research on this one and discovered it was one of the highest rated beers from France. And, although it took a few sips to get used to the style, it did not disappoint. Cloudy with good carbonation. White head. Not much lace. Tart, almost sour flavor. Highly carbonated. Citrus notes. Somewhat like the Schultheiss Berliner Weiss, but this is drinkable. Quite good. Hides the 7% ABV well. Good complexity. Not my favorite style but I enjoyed it. A tip: tip the bottle gently upside down for a minute or so and repeat until the yeast/sediment pervades the whole bottle. This adds the beer’s flavor and complexity. Otherwise, your first pour will look clear and filtered and the last murky and unfiltered.

Not being familiar with this style, I was expecting something a little bigger. (I am always learning) Honey like nose, with noticeable apple and pear. Empty feel to it. In the middle of the taste I could not identify what I experienced but I believe it was taste from the water used to brew with, chlorinated? Finished with a sweet dryness.

Nice appealing aroma which is lightly hoppy with some nice notes or apple and pear. Beer pours golden color with a big rocky egg white head. Very interesting flavor!! Almost more like drinking fruit juice than beer. Strong apple juice flavor with very light hoppiness. Exceeded my expectations significantly.

Pours a beautiful, clear, light gold color. It is crowned by a thick off white head. Aromas of lemon zest, grain, and hay are found in the nose. Overall though, the aromas are quite light. Mmm, this beer is much tastier than the faint aroma would suggest. The beer is lightly sweet and it has a medium full body, which is a nice surprise. The taste is redolent with lemon, green apple, bergamot, grain, and a tannic bite. There is a bit of bitterness in the finish, which is followed by an astringency and some tingling acidity. A nice bit of toasted biscuit and toasted malt flavors come through as this beer opens up. This beer is definitely quite malty.

Golden colour with small head. Sweet, fruity, some wheaty notes, soft palate. Nice but forgetable. Different label!

Delicate flowers gently peer above the swaying field of wheat...Creamy cheesy hay perfumes adorn the whole setting...Dandelions fly through the pillowy grain and add a dash of class to the daydream...A piece of country land reminiscent of Beatrix’s, without the sourness...

750ml thanks to MartinT. The appearance is a nice clear shining gold. White head, well-laced, but pretty thin. Aroma is spicy, something along the lines of chive, very dry and farmy, almost closing to a wheat field in that respect. Slight floral and yeast notes complement the nose, but overall, it seems a bit harsh in its dryness, like a farm in summer that didn’t receive enough water during spring. Palate is also very dry, not unlike a white wine, grapey with notes of orange, grapefruit, bread and lemon. Subtle hay and tartness come and go leaving a pleasant yeasty/spicy finish.
Last sampling did offer an interesting heavier bitterness, saisonish character, a cloudier pour, a forever lasting head and more (nice cellar mustiness, salty corky edges that blend in nicely) that have me bumping the score from 3.6 to 4.1.