Biere de Garde

Biere de Garde translated literally means "beer for storage". A beer of French origin that is a medium bodied ale made with noble hops and a relatively high gravity to survive the summer heat.

History

Biere de Garde is a beer originally brewed to quench the thirst of farm and field workers near Nord-Pas de Calais (French Flanders) close to the Belgian border. It is related to Flemish styles such as Saison but has its own round rich flavor.

Description

Medium to med-full body. Malty caramel/toffee-like flavor with spicy, fruity character. Low esters and alcohol flavor. Little to no hop aroma/flavor. No diacytl. Gold-blonde to red-bronze in color. Moderate to high carbonation. In French, this "beer to keep" had high gravity in Spring to survive summer's heat. Related to Saison, but rounder, richer and sweeter. Comes in brown (brune), blonde (blonde) and amber (ambree) variations.

Characteristics

• Color Range: 6.0-19.0 SRM
• Original Gravity Range: 1.060-1.080 SG
• Final Gravity Range: 1.012-1.018 SG
• Bitterness Range: 20.0-30.0 IBU
• Alcohol by Volume Range: 6.0-8.0 %
• Carbonation Range: 2.3-2.9 vols
• BJCP Style Number: 16 D

Ingredients

• Pale malt base
• Vienna, Munich malts in most, but dark versions also add crystal malts
• Floral and spicy continental hops - often noble hops
• Lager or ale yeast fermented near room temperature
• Cold conditioned
• Soft water

Examples

• Brasseurs Biere de Garde, La Choulette, Sait Sylvestre 3 Monts, Castelain, Jade, Biere Nouvelle, Henlain, St. Amand, Ch'Ti Blond

See Also

• Styles

References

• The Charm of Biere de Garde - from WorldofBeer.com