Gavroche

Brewed by St. Sylvestre
Style: Bière de Garde
St. Sylvestre-Cappel, France

Guzzled a little bit upon opening. Color is amber with a very big off white head. Aroma is mildly sweet, with caramel, slightly earthy. Taste has a nice sweetness to it, followed by light alcohol, caramel, hay character, with a light bitterness at the end. Body is a little fizzy.

12 oz bottle, Stateline Liquors. Pours a slightly hazy reddish amber body under a large fizzy and foamy beige head. Lots of very fine visible carbonation. The aroma is quite similar to a Flemish Sour, showing some fruity malt and some light tart apple notes. A little alcohol, farmhouse funk, and sweet malt. The flavor shows dry farmhouse funk with some light malt and yeastiness. Some apparent alcohol showing on the finish. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with too much fizzy carbonation. You can actually hear the carbonation as the beer hits the front of the tongue with every sip. Overall, this was OK, but not a stand-out for the style.

Ochre orange body, huge fluffy white head that lasts forever. Aroma and flavor of toasted bread crusts, and slightly boozy. Very lively body. 8 4 9 4 17 orig.rat.

11.2oz bottle, courtesy of artusory. Thanks, Ryan! Pours a hazy, reddish-yellow color; off-white head with good lacing. Medium, sugary and bready notes in the aroma; some coffee as well. Lively carbonation at the tip of the tongue; dense, chewy Belgian sugar and esters, with a toasted vanilla / doughy character; tasty stuff. Medium, sugary and estery and dried fruit finish.

Bottle, courtesy of artusory. Somewhat hazy copper with a high white head. Rich caramel, cherry and a little pear in the nose. Malty and flavorful with notes of caramel, toffee, light sherry, apple/pear, cherry and grassy/herbal hops. Ends with a nice, dusty aged malt character. Pleasantly sweet with balanced bitterness. The alcohol is very well-hidden. The body is full to medium with a smooth texture and moderate carbonation. Quite enjoyable.

(33cl bottle, thanks artusory) Medium beige head atop cloudy amber body. Aroma is medium sweet, floral/orange, caramel, some peach. Taste is moderately sweet, orange, chocolate/caramel, light orange peel sourness. Medium-full body, somewhat creamy. Alcohol well hidden.

Bottle via trade with HogTownHarry. Reddish-golden colour with a small white head. Aroma of overripe peaches, honey, oak, yeast - very interesting. Medium mouthfeel. Flavour is fairly sweet off the top, with some malt and honey notes, developing a slightly boozy warmth in the middle, with a moderate bitterness and notes of yeast and wood in the finish. Definitely improves a great deal as it warms.

Bottle picked up from Carrefour, Lille, 30-07-07. Poured murky warm gold colour, with large erupting white head of foam. Having had two other Biere de garde’s in recent day’s I’m getting to notice the style now and this seemed quite typical of the style although the alcohol did become a little invasive at times. Some toffeeiness in the mouth, bit malty and sweet but fine.