The Blanche Réserve
de Garde Brewing

 

 

Bottle from the source.

A crystal clear golden orange with a dense white head with good retention and lacing this looks great. The nose has a rich, fruity, vinous character, a blend of perfume and tropical jackfruit, honey, melon. Funk is secondary. The palate opens super fruity with melon, floral honey, a rich golden raisin. Stirring up some of the yeast provides some funk with earth and mushroom which pair well with the fruit. Juicy, jammy, concentrated grape character is present, faintly acidic, pairing well with the base beer. Medium light in body and softly carbonated, this beer finishes fruity with a wonderful grape acidity and tannin character.

Viognier strikes me as a fruity grape with a light buttery character, not as much as Chardonnay, and this beer has that. The blend of Muscat and Viognier makes me think Vigneronne, but this might need a couple of years to gain the funk needed to compete there, but fresh, the similarities exist.