257. Schlafly Biére de Garde

Our second beer from Schlafly/Saint Louis Brewing Company; our last one was their IPA. We picked this up while we were in Louisville at the Beer Store. Biére de Garde pours a hazy copper with a rich ivory head that laces the glass partially; the nose is a creamy toffee with some bright fruit ester aromas. The beer opens with some toasty light caramel malt sweetness before transitioning into a bit of a juicy middle—the fruit evident in the nose is a bit fresh when mixed with the sweetness of the middle, giving the beer a malty fruitiness that is not quite dry enough (think the first few bites of Juicyfruit gum). Biére de Garde ends with some spiciness and slightly dry. The medium body has a creamy rich mouthfeel, although there is a bit of chalky dryness on the palate at the end. The carbonation is bright and lightly sharp, and helps lighten the profile. There is a bit of diacetyl in the nose as the beer warms; the toffee gets increasingly buttery, although it still works well with the beer. Biére de Garde is a good beer across the board; we wonder if aging it would balance out the fruitiness of the middle, or possibly dry it out a bit more. The flavors are good right now, but the balance could be cleaner and smoother, front to back. Nonetheless, we’ll certainly be picking up a couple of bottles of this next time we get a chance—we’ll throw one or two in the basement to see how they age, and having another to toast the season. Oh, and the label is very nice; we’re making it a Top 10 Best Label contender.

From the bottle: “Schlafly Biére de Garde is a bottle-conditioned, French farmhouse-style ale. The name refers to the beer’s ability to improve with age and if you choose to age this ale, the tart fruitiness from the yeast and the sweet maltiness from the grains will meld together nicely for several years at cellar temperatures (51-55 degrees F). Brewed as a modern re-creation of a classic European beer style to celebrate Saint Louis’s French heritage, Schlafly’s Biére de Garde pairs well with fruits, cheeses, and cured meats.”

From the Schlafly website: “A bottle-conditioned, French farmhouse-style ale. The name refers to the beer’s ability to improve with age and if you choose to age this ale, the tart fruitiness from the yeast and the sweet maltiness from the grains will meld together nicely for several years at cellar temperatures. (Available in bottles only.)”

ABV: 7.0%
IBU: 25

(3/14/2010)