Across The Nation Bière D'ici Honey Ale
Central City Brewers + Distillers
- From:
- Central City Brewers + Distillers
- British Columbia, Canada
- Style:
- French Bière de Garde
- ABV:
- 6%
- Score:
- 80
- Avg:
- 3.4 | pDev: 8.53%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 9
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Apr 15, 2018
- Added:
- Apr 30, 2017
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 5
SCORE
80
Good
80
Good
Collaboration with Prince Edward Island Brewing Company
P.E.I. may be small but it is often known as the birthplace of Confederation. Brewed with local P.E.I. honey and maritime grown hops, this brew is a lighter take on the Bière de Garde style.
P.E.I. may be small but it is often known as the birthplace of Confederation. Brewed with local P.E.I. honey and maritime grown hops, this brew is a lighter take on the Bière de Garde style.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by thehyperduck:
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)
3.44/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.44/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
330 mL bottle from the LCBO; dated Mar 23 2017. Originally included in their Across the Nation Collaboration sampler, this bottle is one of several stragglers from that mixer that I placed in the back of the fridge and then promptly forgot about. Oh well, if it's truly a "bière de garde" then a few months shouldn't have left it any worse for wear.
Pours a clear medium golden hue; basically the colour of honey, coincidentally enough. One finger of loose, foamy white head establishes itself soon after, lasting 2-3 minutes whilst steadily receding from whence it came. A modest-sized soapy collar remains in place, but there's not much in the way of lace. The aroma is muted at best, with saccharine notes of honeyed biscuits and caramel being the most noticeable facets. Smells a little grainy and bready, with hints of brown pear and stewed fruits.
Approachable in terms of flavour, but the honey flavours seem to drown out the more varied (and interesting) contributions of the hops and yeast. Bready, doughy flavours fill in the background, while hints of apple and pear struggle to punch through the ceiling of honey and caramelized sugar sweetness. Finishes with hints of grassy hay, floral hops and a touch of yeasty, indistinct spiciness. Just a touch of alcohol in the aftertaste, which I am only mentioning because it's unusual for a 6% brew (malt liquors excepted). Medium body, with potent carbonation that prickles and prods the tongue assertively. The texture is a little slick, with fair-to-good drinkability.
Final Grade: 3.44, a passable B-. Having had very few bières des gardes over the years, I'm far from the most knowledgeable judge of this uncommon style - but at the very least, I know they're supposed to be 'farmhouse ale-like'. PEI Brewing's Bière d'Ici meets that prerequisite, but only barely, reminding me more of a honey brown ale than anything. Maybe I'd have had a better experience if I'd reviewed it back in June, but the beer's middling aggregate score doesn't seem to support that theory. So far I've liked nearly all of the beers in these sampler packs, but I guess they can't all be winners.
Oct 01, 2017Pours a clear medium golden hue; basically the colour of honey, coincidentally enough. One finger of loose, foamy white head establishes itself soon after, lasting 2-3 minutes whilst steadily receding from whence it came. A modest-sized soapy collar remains in place, but there's not much in the way of lace. The aroma is muted at best, with saccharine notes of honeyed biscuits and caramel being the most noticeable facets. Smells a little grainy and bready, with hints of brown pear and stewed fruits.
Approachable in terms of flavour, but the honey flavours seem to drown out the more varied (and interesting) contributions of the hops and yeast. Bready, doughy flavours fill in the background, while hints of apple and pear struggle to punch through the ceiling of honey and caramelized sugar sweetness. Finishes with hints of grassy hay, floral hops and a touch of yeasty, indistinct spiciness. Just a touch of alcohol in the aftertaste, which I am only mentioning because it's unusual for a 6% brew (malt liquors excepted). Medium body, with potent carbonation that prickles and prods the tongue assertively. The texture is a little slick, with fair-to-good drinkability.
Final Grade: 3.44, a passable B-. Having had very few bières des gardes over the years, I'm far from the most knowledgeable judge of this uncommon style - but at the very least, I know they're supposed to be 'farmhouse ale-like'. PEI Brewing's Bière d'Ici meets that prerequisite, but only barely, reminding me more of a honey brown ale than anything. Maybe I'd have had a better experience if I'd reviewed it back in June, but the beer's middling aggregate score doesn't seem to support that theory. So far I've liked nearly all of the beers in these sampler packs, but I guess they can't all be winners.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by patre_tim from Thailand
3.19/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.19/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Copper and clear filtered with little carbonation, and 4 fingers of off white, rocky head.
Smells of toasted malts, hard water, and toffee.
The taste is slightly sweet, mostly has toasted malt flavours, hard water, a few floral notes, and a hint of pill box dust bitterness.
Medium body with light carbonation.
Got this with the across the nation pack at LCBO. I love Charlottetown, and love PEI, as I've been there a couple times before my beer drinking days. I was glad to get my hands on this. As far as fitting the style, it falls short as far as carbonation levels, and could fit into many other categories if one were to taste it blindly. Drinking April 15 in Muskoka, ON.
Apr 15, 2018Smells of toasted malts, hard water, and toffee.
The taste is slightly sweet, mostly has toasted malt flavours, hard water, a few floral notes, and a hint of pill box dust bitterness.
Medium body with light carbonation.
Got this with the across the nation pack at LCBO. I love Charlottetown, and love PEI, as I've been there a couple times before my beer drinking days. I was glad to get my hands on this. As far as fitting the style, it falls short as far as carbonation levels, and could fit into many other categories if one were to taste it blindly. Drinking April 15 in Muskoka, ON.
Reviewed by TheHammer from Canada (ON)
3.46/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.46/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Appearance: Poured with a single finger of head that was quick to disappear but produced a little lace. A clear and light bronze body showcases ample but very slow moving carbonation.
Smell: There's a dry yeast/flour smell that dominates the nose but it's backed by mild caramel malt and a touch of honey. It's not strong, but does benefit from warming.
Taste: I find that a lot of beers that use honey either make sure it's the feature upfront and centre, or it's drowned out. In this case though, it's the backdrop of the beer with other notes taking the stage. It starts with sweet malt with a floral note and that malt seems to rise with fruity notes of pear and mild peach that regrettably builds to an odd mixed punch of floral hops, an awful hard water mineral note and some kind of dryness that I would expect eating raw yeast would produce. It's not so bad that you can't get past it, but it's certainly there.
Mouthfeel: That mineral note clings and wants to stick around, but thankfully it doesn't seem to build on itself. The carbonation helps out most of the beer, but seems absent at the start and the transitioning is good up until that mineral jerk at the end.
Drinkability: On the lighter end of medium bodied, and it does manage to overcome that dry note to stay quaffable. Particularly impressive giving it's high alcohol content that it masks very well. It's extremely easy and sedate on it's way down and stays that way. Once again, the use of honey is intriguing enough that you want to keep sipping and looking past it's flaws, but not sure how long that novelty would last.
Final Thoughts: Certainly an interesting experience that would make me want to try more from the brewer, and overall a positive one. That said, my socks remained firmly on my feet on this one. Oddly enough, I can for some reason see it going very well with pork chops of all things. Anyways thumbs up, give it a whirl but don't expect to be blown away.
Jan 30, 2018Smell: There's a dry yeast/flour smell that dominates the nose but it's backed by mild caramel malt and a touch of honey. It's not strong, but does benefit from warming.
Taste: I find that a lot of beers that use honey either make sure it's the feature upfront and centre, or it's drowned out. In this case though, it's the backdrop of the beer with other notes taking the stage. It starts with sweet malt with a floral note and that malt seems to rise with fruity notes of pear and mild peach that regrettably builds to an odd mixed punch of floral hops, an awful hard water mineral note and some kind of dryness that I would expect eating raw yeast would produce. It's not so bad that you can't get past it, but it's certainly there.
Mouthfeel: That mineral note clings and wants to stick around, but thankfully it doesn't seem to build on itself. The carbonation helps out most of the beer, but seems absent at the start and the transitioning is good up until that mineral jerk at the end.
Drinkability: On the lighter end of medium bodied, and it does manage to overcome that dry note to stay quaffable. Particularly impressive giving it's high alcohol content that it masks very well. It's extremely easy and sedate on it's way down and stays that way. Once again, the use of honey is intriguing enough that you want to keep sipping and looking past it's flaws, but not sure how long that novelty would last.
Final Thoughts: Certainly an interesting experience that would make me want to try more from the brewer, and overall a positive one. That said, my socks remained firmly on my feet on this one. Oddly enough, I can for some reason see it going very well with pork chops of all things. Anyways thumbs up, give it a whirl but don't expect to be blown away.
Rated by spinrsx from Canada (ON)
3.25/5 rDev -4.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.25/5 rDev -4.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
from the LCBO for around $2
Jan 15, 2018
Reviewed by taxandbeerguy from Canada (ON)
3.35/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.35/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
330 ml bottle served cold into a chalice. Bottle 2 of the Eastern Canada Central City collaborations. This one is from PEI with Prince Edward Island Brewing Company.
Appearance - A bright and clear rich golden color. Topped with three quarters of a finger of loose quick receding but brilliant white head. A little lacing left behind.
Smell - A little earthiness, a little bit of sweetness too with traces of honey. A vague yeastiness that is appropriate with many Belgian styles. Also some light fruitiness that seems akin to underripe peaches.
Taste - Some honey sweetness but cut into by a metallicness or mineral water characteristic. Again a touch of yeastiness and the underripe peach plays again here but only as a slight affect as opposed to being central to the beer.
Mouthfeel - Light bodied and perhaps thin, this may not be a style to be presented as thin. Very dry finish.
Overall - Certainly not my favorite from this taster's pack. Still a honey infused Biere de garde is an interesting idea, even if it doesn't quite work here.
Jul 23, 2017Appearance - A bright and clear rich golden color. Topped with three quarters of a finger of loose quick receding but brilliant white head. A little lacing left behind.
Smell - A little earthiness, a little bit of sweetness too with traces of honey. A vague yeastiness that is appropriate with many Belgian styles. Also some light fruitiness that seems akin to underripe peaches.
Taste - Some honey sweetness but cut into by a metallicness or mineral water characteristic. Again a touch of yeastiness and the underripe peach plays again here but only as a slight affect as opposed to being central to the beer.
Mouthfeel - Light bodied and perhaps thin, this may not be a style to be presented as thin. Very dry finish.
Overall - Certainly not my favorite from this taster's pack. Still a honey infused Biere de garde is an interesting idea, even if it doesn't quite work here.
Reviewed by Borbly from Canada ()
3.45/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.45/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Pours a medium golden body with just a slight amount of head that lingers as a thin film. On the nose, aromas of grain cereal and noble hops with a touch of grass are at the forefront, almost in the styling of a good pilsner. On the palate, the beer presents itself as much the same, only with a biting bitterness throughout, along with an interesting honeyed note on the finish. Overall, not a bad beer but a bit of a strange biere de garde. I could see myself drinking it again were it to be available.
Jul 02, 2017
Rated by ewpass from Canada (PE)
3.54/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.54/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Clear amber with small head. Mild sweet nose. Light, thin, crisp body. Very drinkable but there's only one in the Across the Nation12 pack!
Jul 01, 2017
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)
2.77/5 rDev -18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
2.77/5 rDev -18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
Bottle: Poured a clear deep golden color ale with a medium foamy head with limited retention and no lacing. Aroma of honey with light cereal notes. Taste is a mix of honey with light floral undertones with some cereal notes and quite a bit of residual sugar notes. Body has oily texture with medium carbonation. Too sweet for my taste.
Jun 27, 2017
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