The Filbert
de Garde Brewing

bottled in April 2020

Light gold color. Mostly translucent. Medium-fine white head, and lots of it. Not a lot of lacing.

Funky nuts for the smell. Maybe a touch of fresh cilantro. I'm trying to pick out hazelnut, and I just can't.

The taste is expectedly funky up front (yet mild), and it quickly gives way to nuts, but while the hazelnuts are finally present, they're simply not strong. Other than that, it's still pretty decent. It does have a good amount of citrus, more lime than lemon, even tripping over into astringency. More fresh cilantro here in the taste. Definitely packs an acidic punch.

Medium-light weight for the type. Aftertaste is dominated by lime, although I can catch a little nuttiness. Medium-fine carbonation, and it's not prickly. Alcohol is not detectable.

Label says it was bottled 4/20.
Pour is a murky golden body. Initial fizzy swell of foam settles immediately to no retention whatsoever. Active carbonation calls forth a constant stream of wet bubbles that pop immediately upon reaching the surface.

Nose has some lemon to it, but also a lot of wet/fresh nut. Like, most people are accustomed to nuts in their dried snackable form, but this is much more like the freshly shelled... kind of reminds me more of chestnuts that have been cooked in their shell around the winter holidays kind of nuts. There's an interesting sweet uptick on the back end that I can't quite place my finger on. Definitely very unique. I don't hate it, but it's probably not going to be for everyone.

The lemon tartness steps up front here again, and really drives the concoction overall. Tart tart lemon juice, and again the nuts come in as a complementary note: fairly oily and meat rather than the dried nuttiness that I usually think of when there's nuts in a beer. Some barnyard funk in there, and it finishes tart and with a yeasty bitterness that lingers.
This is a bold one to be sure, and unique. Very tart, and the hazelnuts add an interesting layer, but this is really defined, to me, by the juiciness of the lemon and the bitterness of the finish.

Decently full body for the style, and the juiciness of the lemon adds to that depth. Subtly sharp carbonation helps cut the tartness some, and augments it in other way. Definitely elicits a decent coating of the mouth in response to the acidity.

Thanks, Sam. Bottled April 2020, 5.5%

A clear orange with a dense white head that falls off rapidly leaving no lacing, this looks OK. The nose is compelling. Tart, sour lemons, mildly preserved with a lactic funk, but also with a definite, mildly oily nuttiness that's fresh, lightly toasted hazelnuts. A touch of skin bitterness, and nut meat sweetness, along with the depth of hazelnut flavor present. There's a mild savory, umami richness present. Really deep.

The palate opens sour, lactic, lemony and with a firm earthy and mildly leathery funk. This is followed by a really deep, rich, yet well-integrated hazelnut flavor, with a blend of bitter skin tannins, fragrant, fleshy nut tones, savory and mildly herbaceous notes. Just awesome. Medium-light in body, moderately carbonated. Long, nutty and sour finish. This is a really unexpectedly good beer, a joy to drink.