Midi Frais
de Garde Brewing

I picked this up from a bottle shop on a whim thinking it would be nice to try with some friends. From the description I anticipated a unique tasting sour, not necessarily what we expect but still something good. After opening it our unanimous opinion was that it tasted like olive oil, smelled like gym shorts, and of a dozen different beers this was the only one we poured down the drain. And it was the most expensive one of the lot - it was an enormous letdown.

750mL (bottled 9/2021) into a tulip. Pours a hazy honey golden color with a fluffy white head.

Aroma is bright and acidic, very grapefruit forward. Not tart or sour as expected, just totally dominated by grapefruit rind from the Strata dry hopping. A hint of horse blanket as it warms.

Taste is clean and acidic with more grapefruit, light bready malt. Juicy, gently sour, dry oak on the finish.

Mouthfeel is balanced and soft, super drinkable and refreshing.

Overall a balanced, delicious, well made wild ale.

Bottle from the source. Thanks, Sam!

A clear light yellow with a dense white head with good retention and lacing this looks great. The nose is delightful. Deceptively simple, there's a bit of grain to go with the tart, bright lemon, a mild lactic acid bite and a delicate snap. This is a good base for hops. Bright and tropical, pairing well with the lemony base beer, there's also room for the fresh hop character, mildly earthy, to find a comfortable niche. The palate opens crisp and tart, with bright lemon and yogurt notes, carried on a light, crisp, delicately grainy base. The mid-palate has the hops, with the tropical and pineapple Strata notes, and the earthy, leafy fresh hop flavors present. Drying, tart, snappy, crisp and focused on the finish. Quite excellent.