Two Brothers Domaine DuPage

Brewed by Two Brothers Brewing Company
Style: Bière de Garde
Warrenville, Illinois USA

Has a nice floral nose and is beautiful to behold - nice copper/amber with a small froth. Very nice up front with buttered bread and honey. A little warmth. Seems a bit overly hopped at the end. Finishes more like an American amber. Not bad at all, just loses some style points.

Bottle - got to admit, I’m not overly familiar with the style, but here it goes. Nice aroma. Malty sweet with just a touch of well hidden grassy hops. Deep orange to amber bodied with a quite small beige head. To me, the flavor exactly matches the Commercial Description - sweet caramel start, it finishes with just enough hops to clean off the palate. I’d like to try this one on draft or better yet, on cask. Do they do that with Biere de Garde? Very enjoyable.

Mine poured lighter than others have indicated, more a hazy orange/copper. Starts off sweet malt characteristic, a hint of toffee. Ends with a surprising little hop bite. Enjoyable, but I’m not really seeing what sets apart a Biere de Garde so far (this is my first).

Bottle. Pours a dark amber brown with a good sized creamy head. Aroma is lightly toasted malts. Taste is very smooth with caramel malts, plums and a little earthiness. No real hop character, but that doesn’t take too much away from the overall character.

Not a bad one here, darker than I expected, deep brown. Aroma is a bit bland but had a bit of peel to it. The taste was smooth and not unbecoming. I suppose I just expected a bit more uniqueness. Decent summer ale.

In the bottle. I’m concerned that the single I purchased in Peoria, IL was old because this was quite the disappointment. Poured a dark chunky cloudy amber with a weak off white head. Strange floating chunks of unidentifyable particles floated atop the foam of the head. Has an earthy aroma, and maybe just a touch of cider vinegar. Flavor was astringent and mildly malty. Little to no hop bitterness to discern. A bit thin in the body department. I need to try this vom fass someday.

Tap at Kane County Cougars game. I thought I had rated it, but hadn’t. Perhaps I have just seen it in stores so much and passed over it that it was familiar. Roasted malt aroma. Dark, reddish brown with a small, tan head and some lace, though hard to see through a plastic cup. Roasted malt, fresh. Has a hop profile. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Very solid.

This is not good. Poured a orange amber with a bit of offwhite head. Aroma is honey and spices. Flavor is huge malt and stinky earth...not much that leaves me wanting more. Mouthfeel is quite thin. I didn’t finish this one.