Bierre De Garde
White Bluffs Brewing Company

Purchased as a growler fill. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a very slightly hazy, medium coppery amber with a thin white head that dissipates to patches with slight lacing. Aroma of grainy, biscuity malt, a little orange. Flavor is dry caramel, grainy and biscuit malt, apple, a hint of farmhouse yeast funk. More husky grain malt in the finish. Medium bodied with light creaminess, nice mouth feel. Has the grainy malt of the style, but is slightly sweeter and has some caramel and biscuit notes, almost like hybrid between a biere de garde and an Octoberfest lager; has some lager character. While not quite traditional in style and less rustic than a continental biere de garde, it is quite tasty and doesn't disappoint in my farmhouse beer expectations. Nicely made.

I had this beer on-tap in a tulip at the brewery.

Appearance: rich orange hue with a moderate haze and a thin layer of ivory foam. Not bad.

Smell: sweet, bready and mildly funky. Straightforward, but well done.

Taste: toasty, bready, a little caramelly, and a little farmhousey. Sweet for the style, but still not bad.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good carbonation and creaminess.

Overall: a good bière de garde, if a bit sweet and a bit strong.

16oz can purchased at Community Pint, in Spokane, Washington, for... some dollars. According to the stamp on the bottom of the can, this was canned on April 6,2024. Incidentally, the can states that this is 7% ABV, whereas 6.7% is the figure posted here, and 7.9% is what's posted on untapped. As it happens, this is my first time reviewing it as a package beer, but I rated it years ago when drinking at the brewery in Richland, and have had it several times on tap since then. Indeed, despite the popularity of NOG, this is the original White Bluffs flagship beer, and I believe it is still considered so by WB, as it is always on-tap.

Poured into a 12 oz tulip glass, this was a dark, slightly chill hazed copper color, which took on a reddish hue when held up to direct light. Good sized, creamy looking off white head. Said head was relatively long-lasting.

The nose is of mildly toasted malts and, way in the background, some herbal smelling hops.

The flavor is similar to the nose, although slightly more complex. Toasted malt flavor up front, with a slightly bready, slightly caramel flavor, and, deep in the background, an herbal, grassy dryness from the hops (Hallertauer and Fuggles). Finishes clean and very slightly dry.

Medium bodied, with a clean, soft mouth feel.

I'm not sure if they used a lager or ale yeast. The way it tastes it could go either way. Regardless, it is a rather pleasant beer to sip on after spending a day cleaning, packing, and purging ahead of moving.

 

 

 

 

 

On tap at White Bluffs tasting room, 5.19.11., $3.00 12 oz. glass.

Hazy reddish brown body, some visible carbonation, half finger white head, good lacing. The Belgian yeast is prominent in the nose, mild orange aromas, some coriander, floral hops. Taste mirrors nose, got more coriander aggressive as it warmed. Mouthfeel a bit on the light side of medium, good effervescence. Pretty full bodied, filling, close to style. This would be a nice beer for a hot summer day, refreshing. Recommended, the house signature beer, be sure to try when you get to Tri-Cities.