Oliver's Biere De Garde
Pratt Street Ale House

On tap at Max's today.

The beer pours a copper amber color with pretty good head retention and lacing. Don't get a whole lot on the nose, but what's there is pretty attractive... maybe some cereal, a hint of vanilla and some underlying spice. On the palate, this is a pretty tasty brew. There is some sweet malt, and coupled with the restrainted bitterness and spice, I get some nice melon and cherry, along with a hint of brown sugar, chocolate and more spice. There's some nice light bitterness in the finish that balances the moderate sweetness quite well. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, but this beer delivers plenty of flavor. Drinkability is very good, and I'm impressed by how much flavor I get for the alcohol in this beer. Very, very nice...

On tap at the Warf Rat in Baltimore, a tricky style to fine on tap indeed! Pours a nice deep color with earthy notes of pepper and grains.
Tastes very light and not as spicy as some other Biere de Gardes I've had in the past, yet none the less delicious. I absolutley agree that this makes an incredible lunch time beer ... especially for the $7 Satruday special, one beer and a half dozen oysters!
A great beer for an afternoon that bleeds into an evening of more beer and food!!

A style I rarely find on tap. Surprisingly complex malt flavors, with some bright, fresh green hops thrown in for good measure. Some fruityness that was not too sweet, and nicely balanced with a bit of dryness at the end. A nice lunch beer, and would go with about anything.

Served on tap, this is a dark amber red beer with a finger and a half of off-white head head and some nice retention. Nose is a nice biscuity malt with some subdued earthy hops. Taste is the same, a nice smooth bready malt, some slight hint of nuts, with a light earthy hop finish. Medium bodied with a moderate carbonation, this really is a nice easy drinking beer. This is a truly sessionable beer, can easily be drank in quantities alongside most anything, and is one of my favorites at the Wharf Rat.

I am drinking a tumbler of Oliver's Biere de garde, served at Frisco Burritos in Columbia, MD. The ale is chilled.

Appearance: The ale is a deep amber color, almost to the point of being red. There is a clear carbonation in the ale, although due to the pour, there is little head.

Smell: The ale has a strong malt nose, almost to the point of doppelbock. This is consistent with a few other bieres de garde that I've had. The malt notes are very sweet, imparting a doughy aroma.

Taste: The malt character does not back down in the taste arena also. It adds a biscuity flavor that balances well against the light bitterness of the hops. The hops used remind me of European hops, earthy and restrained.

Mouthfeel: The ale's malt character imparts a chunky, hearty feeling in the mouth.

Drinkability: The ale is quite drinkable, balanced with a light hop taste and strong malt character.

served as cloudy light tan-amber color wuth white puffy head.Smell is a slight spiciness that promised a good brew. First taste was austerely dry but improved as the glass emptied. Left a pleasantly dry taste in the mouth . Drinkable beer, but I've had better.

Pours a dark cloudy brown with light lacing. Smells slightly sweet and malty.This is sweet caramel goodness with a light hop balance. Goes down smooth and easy, with some malt flavor on the back of the tongue. Definitely worth a few…

This is by far my favorite Oliver beer. Never bitter, never flat, always satisfying. I’ve never had it for lunch, but “the alcohol is in accordance with a northern European lunch beer.” I’ve had it with peanuts, nachos, and Shepard’s pie. The sweetness and excellent balance makes it a good crossover beer for non-craft lovers, and quite a few ladies. The roasted malts are awesome.

For the last few years, I’ve been drinking it, and calling by its “inside” name, Brewer’s Choice. It wasn’t until the other night that I even knew there was a difference. For years, I only drank at the Fells Point Wharf Rat, happily taking in the atmosphere at the best bar in Baltimore. It has a better character, and less tourists and business people drinking bad beer.

However, the other day, I stopped into the downtown Rat before an O’s game. I sidled up to the bar, and asked for a pint of Brewer’s Choice. They looked at me like I was crazy, and said they didn’t offer the beer. Heartbroken, I thought they no longer offered it.

A recent trip to the Fells location settled the mystery. Evidently, the Fells location had the beer, but not the tap handle, for a long time. They only referred to it as “Brewer’s Choice,” because it was the only spare handle they had sitting around. Although they now have a handle that is actually listed as “Biere de Garde,” they will accept you asking for Brewer’s Choice. In fact, the Fells folks will respect you more, and think you are a long-time client.

Drink back a few, and enjoy…