New Belgium Biere De Mars

Brewed by New Belgium Brewing Company
Style: Bière de Garde
Fort Collins, Colorado USA

12 oz. bottle into tulip glass. Purchased at Wild Oats supermarket, Omaha NE. The bottle said this beer is dedicated to March, so I had to try it, since it’s March. Smelled yeasty, skunky, a bit toasty, kind of like melon rind, and a little bit like what I thought was basil. Wasn’t that great looking: not much fizzy head, dissipated quickly and totally. Effervescent bubble action with some lively but uneven "racing." Glowing amber orange in the glass. Tasted just as yeasty as it smelled, with that toasted malt apparent under a very appropriate level of acid (chewy, buttery fruit flavors: mango, pineapple). The taste was spicy to me: cinnamon, basil, oregano?, black pepper? It was acrid and dry. I couldn’t quite place it, but it was there and blended nicely with the balanced level of bitter hops. The finish was complex: dry and malty at first, transitioning to fruity hoppiness after about 20 seconds, and resting at last into banana and then a mealy kind of funk that wasn’t great at first, but grew on me. Good powdered sugar sweetness in the malt, too. The mouthfeel was perfect, the carbonation biting just enough with the bitter hops and spices, the body staying medium-light to complement the acidity to make this crisp and refreshing. I guess that’s the "Spring" part of March. Enjoyable session beer that provides plenty of balanced stimulation without anything that makes you say, "Wow" (in either a good or bad way).

Cloudy orange color,small head.Funky , yeasty aroma.Dry light malt begining,followed by some light bitternessand some different spice flavors at the end .

03.23.05 12oz bottle. Orange and cloudy, looks more than a bit like that iced tea-lemonade combo stuff. Dry and funky aromas, wheaty and spicey, plastic, locker room(?) but in a good way. Chewy malts, leaf litter and wet bark, more sweat, old fruit, musty. A bit of a sharp spice to finish, but sweet in the end, too. Soft and full body. Odd, but good.

Draught @ New Belgium. Cloudy orange haze. Lemony nose with other hints of apple, passion fruits and peach. Light, grainy, toasty, herbal, almost minty flavor with a slight hint of a brettanomyces contribution. I’ve never been fond of this one.

Starts rather carbonated, but I let it sit after takinng what I felt was a pre-mature sip to sample. The lecitrusy aroma was increasingly evident as the ale warmed up to room temperature. However, the intent of an oat flavor was not felt on the palate as I sampled this ale. Overall, a refreshing and unique offereing from New Belgium.

Bottle. Hazy orange colored. with a fast fading white head. Little lacing left behind. Aroma is slight spices and citrus. Perhaps a little bit like orange pekoe tea. Smooth bodied. Some spices a bit yeasty with mild sweetness throughout. Tasting again like the orange pekoe. Refreshing carbonation. Not getting much from oats or wheat. Solid American saison.

Hazy light apricot color. Mild tartish yeast armoa. Medium heavy bittering. Sourish fruit, some chile pepper vegetable flavors without the heat. Medium light sweetness. Plum and sloe in the tartish medium finish. A doughy, twangy aftertaste. Nic NB yoked bottle. Finish got a little clingy.

Murky though spotty bright orange body topped by a pillowy manila head. The aroma is nice and funky, spices, fruit and some sweetness. The flavor is interesting. Much more malt intensive then some Saisons, pepper and citrus throughout. Does not taste as funky as it smells. Lightly sour with an astringent biting finish. The palate is dry spritzy and medium. Decent effort it could use a little more of that farm house funk to really make it a true stand out. Thanks to my Ohio connection.