Biere de Garde Ambree

Originating from the farmhouses in the North of France (at the Belgian border), Biere de Garde is one of the very few authentic French styles of beer.  It was brewed in the cool winter or spring for the summer ahead.  It comes in a few different profiles; Blonde, Ambre and Brune (Blonde, Amber and Brown respectively).  The name originates from the brewing process: Biere de Garde translates to 'beer for keeping', a reference to the fact that the beer was cellared cold during and after the fermentation process.

There's no hiding the fact that I love Belgian style beers.  Despite it's origins, Biere de Garde shares a lot in common with its cross border cousins, the Belgian Saison and Belgian Pale Ales.  The cold storage process involved in brewing a true BdG seemed like a good step towards brewing a lager style beer as well.

I wanted to keep the beer authentic so I chose a mildly complex grain bill that would offer layered, bready, caramel notes and a touch of dry fruit.  I chose French hops and a yeast strain that purportedly was taken from popular producer Duyck (who produces several tasty variants of BdG under the name Jenlain).  I kept true to the process as well, fermenting at the bottom end of the yeasts comfort zone, and then lowering the temperature for a month of lagering before bottling.

'Farmium' Biere de Garde

OG: 1.064

FG: 1.013

ABV: 6.8%

IBU: 27

SRM: 12

VOL CO2: 3

Grain Bill:

7 lbs pilsner malt

3 lbs Vienna malt

1 lb biscuit malt

½ lb carapils malt

½ lb special b malt

Hop Bill:

2 oz strisselspalt (2.3% AA) @ FWH

2 oz strisselspalt (2.3% AA) @ 30 minutes

Yeast:

1 pkg white labs WLP072 French Ale

built to a cell count of ~314 billion

Other:

1 tsp wyeast yeast nutrient @ 10 minutes

1 tsp irish moss @ 10 minutes

Brew Notes:

mashed @ 148F for 90 minutes

Fermentation Notes:

Fermented @ 64F

10/10/13: SG of 1.013, allowed to warm to 68F

13/10/13: SG of 1.013, started gradually lowering temperature for lagering

17/10/13: reached lager temperature of 35F

Tasting Notes:

Pours a lightly hazed, medium amber color with a frothy head of eggshell colored foam.  Aromas of dark bread, medium caramel, raisin, earthy yeast funk and a hint of roast.  Mildly sweet, offset by woodsy hop bitterness.  Thick, coating mouth feel with moderate to high carbonation.

Really want to see how it progresses over the next six months or so.  If I ever get to rebrewing this I would probably cut down the special B to a few ounces, the roast character that it gives just feels out of place here.  More yeast character would be nice, perhaps a slight under pitch or the addition of brett would do this some justice.  Slightly higher carbonation and a drier finish couldn't hurt either.

Beer Ratings!

Merry Christmas everyone!  Here's a round of reviews for you, featuring a lot of beers from the new LCBO winter release.  Be sure to grab the Breakfast Stout from the Founder's feature, a top notch Imperial Stout intensely flavoured with two kinds of chocolate and coffee.  If you are feeling cold, don't be afraid of it's foreign language name, the Sigtuna Brygghus Midvinterblot (Sigtuna Brewhouse Mid Winter Only), is winter drinking in it's essence.  Balanced sweetness, full body and warming alcohol do not disappoint.

Amsterdam Wee Heavy Scotch Ale
500 mL bottle. Dark brown with a thin beige cap. The heather really comes through, some Demerara, a hint of smokiness and medicinal phenolics. Only mildly sweet. Full carbonation, moderate body. Not for me.

Beau's Rudolphus IV
600 mL bottle. Pours hazy golden with a thick white head of foam. Aromas of mango, papaya, melon, orange, biscuit like malt, pine and a hint of yeasty spice. Flavour offers a hint of sweetness followed by a massive bitter hop bite. Hugely carbonated and waxy/sticky on the palate. Long lingering aftertaste of hop goodness. Good stuff.

Garrison Imperial IPA
500 mL bottle. Pours hazy amber with a foamy white head of lace. Aromas of tangerine, honey, beeswax, pomelo and grapefruit. Moderately sweet on the palate, followed by a bracing hop bitterness that balances out quite nicely. Medium plus body with slightly below average carbonation. Leaves a lingering sticky feeling on the palate. Not as dry as many; well done.

Beau's Burnt Rock Vanilla Porter
600 mL bottle. Pours black with a nice cap of khaki head. Aromas of bittersweet chocolate, coffee, Dr. Pepper, vanilla and raisin. Moderate sweetness with very subtle hopping. Thin on the palate with below average carbonation. Reminds me too much of a soft drink, sorry.

Beau's Doc's Feet Dubbel
600 mL bottle. Pours a rich reddish brown with a soapy white head. Raisin, over ripe pear, spicy hop, subtle bubble gum and yeast here. Mildly sweet contrasted well by the hops. Moderate plus carbonation but feels very light. A tasty, if Americanized, example of the style.

Founder's Pale Ale
355 mL bottle. Pours bright gold with a foamy white head that dissipates. Bright citrus and floral notes, herbal hop spice, subtle malt. Dry and refreshing with a long bitter finish. Crisp and clean on the palate despite the hoppiness. Very clean and well made. Average body and carbonation. A nice session beer.

Founder's Breakfast Stout
355 mL bottle. Pours black on black with a thick brown head of foam. Aromas of dark chocolate, rich coffee, almond liquor, cinnamon, deeply roasted malt. Sweet but never cloying, well balanced with the bitterness of all the coffee, chocolate and hops. Massively structured and thick with oats on the palate, moderate carbonation and a long lingering finish. Dangerously good.

Panil Enhanced
750 mL bottle, gushed like mad. Pours a hazy golden orange with a thick white head that never ends. Nose is funky with brett, white peach, ripe pear, cut grass and chamomile. A surprising note of sweetness here, contrasted by the overwhelming carbonic acidity. Moderate body with huge carbonation. Somewhat creamy on the palate with a layered finish of brett character. Interesting stuff; imagine a lambic with no sour.

Sigtuna Brygghus Midvinterblot
330 mL bottle. Pours dense black with a thin beige head. Aromas of rich chocolate, Demerara, sweet roasted grain and a hint of smoky earth. Moderate plus sweetness, balanced with hop and a hint of booziness. Thick and coating on the palate, slightly warming. A delicious winter drink.

Lake of Bays Old North Mocha Porter
750 mL bottle. Pours deep, dark mahogany with a thin white cap. Aromas of cocoa, sweet grain and a hint of coffee. Slightly sweet balanced by a slight hint of roastiness. Thin on the body for what I expect in a porter. Moderate carbonation. Sessionable.

http://www.ratebeer.com/user/169526/ratings/

so many samples, so little time

A set of mostly product sample reviews.  Tastes from F&M/Stonehammer, Muskoka and Amsterdam.  The highlight here was the Nickelbrook Naughty Neighbour on cask.  My soft spot for cask ale aside, I loved the fruity hoppiness and extreme sessionability of this brew.  If you can't find that (it's not unlikely), grab a tall can of St. Ambroise Pale Ale for a great, inexpensive, old world style pale that puts commercial macros to shame.

Stonehammer Autumn Bock
Draft. Pours amber with a thick tan foam. Roasted nuts, light cocoa and deep toffee. Moderately sweet with a clean lager finish. Mildly herbal hop. Average body and carbonation. Very pleasant.

Nickelbrook Naughty Neighbour Pale Ale
Cask. Pours pinapple juice with a well sparkled head. Hop notes of tropical fruit on the nose; pinapple, mango, citrus and a hint of pine. A mild touch of biscuity malt. Dry and light bodied with a slightly bitter finish. A great pale ale, really accentuated by cask format.

Stonehammer Light
341 mL bottle. Pours very light with minimal white froth. Grainy nose with a hint of apple. Taste is faintly sweet, some yeast notes and more pilsner malt. Thin body and moderate carbonation. Light beer.

Stonehammer Pilsner
341 mL bottle. Pours gold with a lacy white cap. Grainy malt with straw and toasty barley. Lightly sweet without as much bitterness as I expect for the style. A hint of herb like hop. Light to medium bodied with average carbonation.

F&M MacLeans Pale Ale
341 mL bottle. Pours medium amber with a white cap. Mild fruit, apple, pear, butterscotch and grain. Slightly sweet with just enough hop to balance out. Moderate body and carbonation. Not bad, just not all that interesting.

Stonehammer Dark Ale
341 mL bottle. Pours walnut with a thin beige cap. Nutty toffee on the nose, some grainy malt, but lacking. Taste is a little sweet, watery, slightly bitter on the finish. Light to moderate body and moderate to full carbonation. Leaves a lot to be desired.

Stonehammer Cofee Oatmeal Stout
341 mL bottle. Pours a thick opaque black with a short lived khaki head. Aromas of coffee, dark chocolate, subtle roast and woods. Creamy mouth feel, mild sweetness and a well balanced, bitter and roasty finish. Quite clean. Moderate plus carbonation. Tasty.

Muskoka Winter Weisse
750 mL bottle. Pours mahogany with a tight off white head. Soft cocoa, slightly smoky clove spice, a hint of banana and light caramel. Subtly sweet with a relatively clean finish. Average plus mouth feel, light to medium body and high carbonation. Let it warm a few degrees to enjoy a little more.

St. Ambroise Pale Ale
473 mL can. Pours a very light amber with a thick frothy white head and lots of lace. Aromas of biscuity malt, assorted spices, pine, citrus zest and candle wax. Moderate to full bodied, average plus carbonation. Bready sweetness with a nice bitter backbone and old world hoppy finish. Sticky on the palate. Very approachable.

Amsterdam Downtown Brown
473 mL can. Pours dark walnut with a thin white cap. Caramel, coffee, roasted nuts and a hint of butteriness, some woody hop. Dry for the style with a lightly roasty and mildly hopped finish. Above moderate carbonation. A little too clean on the palate. Not bad.

http://www.ratebeer.com/user/169526/ratings/