Last night, I had Southampton’s Biere de Garde. The beer pours a pale amber/brown color with a huge white head. Lots of tiny carbonation are present. The beer smells kind of dry and grassy with a little fruit. The beer has a dry mouthfeel and the carbonation is very noticeable. The flavor is slightly fruity and grassy with a touch of yeastiness. I found it quite drinkable, though I will admit that it’s not my favorite style (though this was the first of the style I’ve tried).
Bière de Garde is a French farmhouse ale. I’m familiar with Saisons, a Belgian farmhouse ale, but this was quite different from a Saison. I have another Bière de Garde stocked away, Russian River Perdition. I’ll have to try that soon.