St. Sylvestre 3 Monts

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

While I know Biere de Garde is a mile wide style-wise, I found this to be a very unusual Bier de Garde compared to othes I’ve had...in appearance, aroma, and flavor it was light and lemon-y, which really struck me as characteristics that would be more suited to say a witbier than to this style. It was a very light yellow and highly effervescent. Aroma was very faint and smelled like lemon zest with a bit of maltiness. Flavor was a bit sour (that lemon zest again) with a lot of maltiness for such a light smelling and tasting beer. I would recommend this beer as I found it very interesting. However, I didn’t find drinking it to be particulary pleasant. This is a curiousity, not a great beer.

Sampled at Mondial de la Biere. Light, estery. All my notes say other than that is "not too good."

750ml. Bottle. Found this right at the back of a cupboard under the stairs. The best before date was 1/5/2006. Poured a superb golden colour with a nice frothy white head. Plenty of aromas of citrus, honey,crisp, dry and a creamy mouthfeel. One of the France’s better effort.

Bottle from Uto. On opening the amusing 75cl bottle, I was a little put off. The aroma is very lager-ish. The colour very lager-ish. But the taste is something much more. It’s a lot like champagne - quite dry and fizzy. Loads of vanilla in the taste. Some apricot and peach hints. Very well rounded and smoooooooooth. Full bodied. Like honey in the mouth. Delicious.

750mL, no date. Pours a clear orange with a three finger frothy off-white head. Sweet dust, a hint of lemon tang, caramel, sugar cookies, and a fair amount of fruity yeast consist of the aroma. Flavor is pretty caramelly with some stale dust, sugar cookies again, and a fair amount of alcohol--I didn’t realize this fool was 8.5%. Semidry finish. Moderate prickly carbonation with a medium body. Surprisingly refreshing for the strength of this beer. Pretty good brew.

Eccentrically corked 750ml bottle. Work that one out. Pours pale gold with a rocky head of froth shrinking to a persistent creamy collar. Metallic, grassy snout with a sherbety edge of lemon, apple peel earthiness and creamy vanilla maltiness that completely sets it apart. Smooth and almost custard-like malty sweetness with a dusting of nutmeg and parting hop balance. Grassy hop finish with a vanilla-accented aftertaste and a big glug of glowing booze. Best Biere de Garde I’ve tasted by a mile.

Clear golden poor with a nice frothy white head. Aromas of citrus, honey, hint of caramel, earth and notes of a litely perfumed flower. Crisp, dry and creamy mouthfeel. Very vinous like, green grapes lightly carbonated. Dry lightly bitter aftertaste that’s realy refreshing.

750ml. Bottle $5.99 Sam’s Downers Grove 3 Monts poured poured a crystal clear straw golden. The body of this beer was so light it actually looked like water as it left the bottle. A big fluffy white microbubbled head formed on the pour and stayed strong with the rapidly rising carbonation. A really nice looking beer. The head stays throughout. Left spotty lacing. Smell is very soft. Muscat grapes are the dominate smell. Dusty pollen and bubblegum show up in the background. Smells refreshing and tasty. Really unique scents on this one that go together very nicely. This is my first of the style since being on this site. The other I tried in the past I remember nothing about. This on the other hand will be remembered and sampled again and again. Starts off with a solid muscat grape flavor. It’s the dominate flavor but in no way overpowering. Powdery yeast and mild hay overlap each other. Finishes with some white pepper spiciness and a quick hop flash. Very soft and controled flavors that go together perfectly. Light body that moves through rather quickly with the high carbonation. Light mouthfeel with a refreshing crisp snap of prickliness on the finish. Finishes dry. I’m going cliche again but this is a dangerously drinkable beer. Zero alcohol detection and the light body makes this beer disappear far to fast. I bought this beer figuring it would be good but this is simply an incredible beer. All the flavors go perfect together and the body really compliments all the other qualities. A very refreshing and delicious beer. 4/8/07