The Rocksanne
de Garde Brewing

Poured from a corked and capped 750mL bottle into a SP LC tumbler. Pours a beautiful purple with a light pink head of about three fingers that cracks and fizzes and fades away to nothing in no time. Oak, sweet grape and a wonderful funk on the nose. Taste is sweet grape and even a hint of cherry with a dry, oak-forward finish. Medium-full mouthfeel with a slightly watery, thinner finish. This bottle has close to five years of age on it and it shows a little. It’s far from bad but also far from fresh. Sometimes these types of beer need a little time and then there is also the problem of too much time in bottle. Probably should have tried this one about two years ago. Oh well, still quite good.

Bottled 11/21.

A clear deep red with a pink head with good retention and lacing. The nose is excellent. Fruity with grape, dried cherry, mint, eucalyptus, mildly spicy and peppery. Moderate grape tannins. Earthy funk, minimal wood. The palate opens fruity and spicy, with grape, cherry, mild floral notes. Spicy, minty, mild eucalyptus notes lend a mild menthol like character. Drying, mildly tannic finish with limited oak presence. Briskly carbonated, but once it dies down, it's really supple and delightful.

The Rocksanne from de Garde Brewing. Received from @Rub_This_BBQ in NBS BIF #13. Stored at 37 degrees at home. Reviewed 25/08/22. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Cap and corked bottle appears with “Bottled 5/20” on the label. Served at 54.1 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King Snifter. Final temperature 59.3 degrees.
Appearance – 3.5.
First pour – Sweet pink, slight haze (Bottle conditioned).
Body – Barn Red, opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, cerise red and translucent with lots of effervescence. A small amount of sediment remains in the bottle.
Head – Average (Maximum three cm, aggressive center pour), pale pink, medium density, fizzy, short-lived. A three mm crown is left, with a thin partial cap.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 3.5 – Begins mildly grapey and fruity but not grapefruity; shortly, as the glass breaths, some vinous aroma wafts up. No hops, no yeast.
Flavor – 3.25 – Initially, slightly bitter and fruity, no hops, no yeast. No ethanol (8 % ABV as marked on label) aroma or taste. Allowing it to warm in my mouth fails to enhance the flavors but it certainly ramps up the bitterness. Mild lower gastric warming. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3.25 – Short of medium, watery, fizzy carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3 If you’re a wine lover, then maybe this is a beer for you. I’m not and it isn’t.

These grapes are great. Darker purple reddish body. Big juicy red wine grape sweetness, fairly mild lemony acetic acidity, light leather and a bit of oaky cobwebs. The grapes take front and center here and it's great. Reminds a bit of a fresh St. Lam. Med body+carb.

750ml bottle at share. Ruby colored pour, still, flat. Wine-like aroma, tartness. Grape-y flavors, fruity, sweet and sour, light, smooth. Full mouthfeel.