New Belgium Biere De Mars

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

On tap at the Flying Saucer in KC. Pours a very hazy, bright golden orange body with a finger-width, creamy beige colored head that sticks around for the session and leaves a light lacing. Aroma is light wheats, some sour lemons, banana bread, and a funky yeasty spice. The flavor is exactly the same with the funky yeast spice more pronounced. Slightly sweet maltiness throughout with an underlying sourness. Palate is medium bodied with a bit of a tickling carbonation. Pretty dry throughout with a small lingering aftertaste of lemony, grassy wheat. Overall, a refreshing fruity beer, just not very impressive.

Kips of faith bottle. Clear golden orange pour with a white head. All spice, hint of sour, wheat, somewhat floral, and brett. Flavor is big brett sourness up front. Followed by some herbal and earthy flavor. Also some citrus, lemon zest. Lively carbonation.

On tap @ Hopleaf Friday. Poured a cloudy orange color with a slightly orange small head. Aroma of bread dough and spiciness. Had a nice malty, spicey taste with a hint of lemon peals, citrus/orange flavor. Easy drinking beer, not really my style, could be a good summer beer.

Draft at Jerry’s. Hazy orange with creamy, beige head / Nose of sour fruit and bread / Medium body, malty, with good balance and finish / Big flavors of yeasty bread, malt, and oats, with notes of sour banana, peach and lemon / Flavors are muddy with too much emphasis on the malts and grains.

Bottle from BevMo. Pours a brilliant clear copper color with an initial 1cm foamy white head that fades to light lacing. Aroma is light orange peel, cinnamon spice with a bit of nutmeg, and toasted malt. The fizzy carbonation releases a few hints of tangy brettanomyces yeasties. Flavor is simple; toasted malt toffee, more orange peel, and a bit of sweet lemon. Finish is simple, with minimal sourness from the wild yeasts. Typical Bier de Garde brew.

Pours a slightly hay golden copper color with ripe banana yelloe hues when held to a light source. 1.5 finger frothy off-white head that quickly fades into a lasting ring and cap. Slightly funky earthy aroma with citrus fruit notes, mostly lemon peel, and spicy nose. Subtle hops accompany citrus notes with hints of corriander, cinnamon, pepper, wheat and yeast. Slight caramel malt backbone. Medium bodied with a pretty prominent yeasty/bread flavor with a spicy cinnamon presence and hints of corriander, pepper, light crisp fruit, subtle hops and a slight touch of brett proving a refreshing dry finish.

On tap at Papago. Pours a light copper color with a creamy off-white head that leaves a fair amount of lacing. Smells of apricot and faint yeast. Tastes of both with the sweet taste of caramel on the mid-palate and a tart peach flavor that dries on the finish. Nicely balanced. Re-rated from one of the new 22oz bottles and liked it even better. Has a really comforting butterscotch richness to the flavor.

Hoppy nose, light golden/orange color, fluffy head, mildly hoppy flavor with hints of citrus and maybe even a little love.