Petit Desay
de Garde Brewing

 

 

Inspired by the Belgian Saison, the rustic brewing team at de Garde must have the deepest farmhouse pushing to the brink of civilization kind of idea while on the verge of the wild when making their sour saison.

Foggy gold and swirling with a dainty looses froth, Petit Desay pours with nearly the exuberance of champagne. Its captivating scent comes over the senses with a fruitiness that hinges on grape, pear, citrus, melon and apple. Though winey and cidery, its early maltiness is crisp with a wafer thin dryness and a hint of sourdough and agave.

As the ale washes over the middle palate, the flavors bounce on the tongue like pop rocks. Crisp green apple, white grape and under ripened berries begin to show the beer's wine and cider influence while the juiciness of honeydew and pear add a gentle sweetness to buffer against the brazen acidity that build upon. Piquant oak flavors seem weathered like attic woods or cellar-like conditions that float above the tastebuds in a retro-olfactory sense. Peppery with a light grassy tone seems grapefruit-like and of lime moving forward into a light briny margarita kind of way.

Medium light on the palate, the low gravity beer trends dry, crisp and highly refreshing with a quick afterglow of sour sangria and margarita along with a whimsical character of extended oak aged chardonnay. Petit Desay is a controlled but wild kind of saison that barely fits the style.

 

This has been in my fridge for almost 3 years. Hmm, cap came off without a sound. There are signs of possible leakage with two stains running down the label. Oh well, here goes:

Vigorous pour yields a 3/4 inch off white head over a medium amber body with a bit of sticky lacing. Nose of grapefruit, funk, and oak. Taste mirrors nose somewhat with high acidity. Nice feel for a questionable bottle. Overall, I'm very surprised there was any head or mouthfeel after the way it opened. Not bad, but I'm thinking it could have been better. Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've had a few of these over the last 2 or so years. Another one of those "saisons" that might as well just be called a wild ale. Light orange in color with a 1/2" white head. Quickly recedes. Plenty of citrus and sourness in the nose, oak is readily apparent, and these have a breath of Oregon funk to it.

Taste, just super sour, acidic and enjoyable. Also love how this doesn't have a small niche, its good in summer, its good at the end of a tasting, its good pretty much anywhere in between. Yes, it is a glorified wild ale, the subtlety of a traditional saison and the dry back end are often swallowed up by the vast amount of citrus, sour, tart and citric acid notes.

But its still a joy to drink, still relatively inexpensive, still reliable every time I've had it.

So well put together, this beer makes me weak in the knees. I wish I could drink this every day. Just a clean, amazing saion in oak with tons of flavor.