New Belgium Biere De Mars

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

12 oz bottle. Opens with an enormous gasp of CO2, then pours a hazy dark straw colored body under an excessive foamy and craggy meringue like white head. Aroma is fruity and earthy with a light sugary sweetness, peaches, apricot, pepper, honey, wheat, and fresh cut flowers. The flavor is very earthy as well, with a definate oat and wheat character. Finishes very fruity with noticable alcohol, even at a modest 6.2%. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with very active carbonation, yet it’s very soft. The late finish is slightly sticky. This was an interesting beer if nothing else. Not sure that I liked it a whole lot, but it did have alot going on.

22oz bottle at Morandi’s Record Street Brewing Company. Pours a highly effervescent, bright orange color; fluffy off-white head with good retention and mixed-bubbled lacing. The spicing in this makes it come off as something like a pumpkin beer: nutmeg, light cinnamon, slightly stale; bland; more spice than dry and biscuity character. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: lots of dense, chewy spicing, orange candy (light sweetness), and earthy / citrus bitterness; ultimately sweet and chewy; very light metallic note muddling things. Chewy, spiced biere de garde. Lengthy finish: candy sugar, oranges, and light pumpkin-like spicing.

While very mellow and lacking for a saison, this is a nice light ale to have on a hot day. Thanks Gusler!

Pours a hazy orange-gold color and is topped by an off white head. Aromas of lemons and herbs waft from my glass. There are also some thin malty notes in the nose. The taste is lightly sweet up front, and is quite crisp and clean. Some subtle notes of herbal lemon character are present. Nice, crisp, and refreshing, with perhaps a hint of acidity in the finish. Basically a good hot weather beer.

My biggest complaint is that this beer is being released in the wrong season. It should be a late spring/ summer beer. For this to really work, for me, the alcohol should be boosted up to about 8%.

Wonderful seasonal that gives a nice representation of its parts- sweet apricot, tangy hops, and a nice roasted malt. A very satisfying brew that I wish was available year round.

Nice hazy orange color with a big frothy long lasting head laying on the brew. Soft carbonation. Apricot, orange nose - not very intense. Some koriander with grape and alcohol are in this fruity tasting brew.

Cloudy orange body. Huge bubblegummy aroma. It’s like liquid Dubble Bubble. Interesting. A bit of soft fruitiness around the edges.

Orange bodied, spicey and full of citrus fruits in the nose. Body is full of soft carbonation, but nice flavors - sweet malts, coriander - dry finish with lots of citrus around the edges. Good saison.