Biere de Garde
Platt Park Brewing Company

Bought from Beer Drop in a 32 ounce crowler (a cheaply made can for that much beer that also needed to travel in a cheap box... but that is another story about Beer Drop, most of which are quite good IMHO.) Canned on 11/13; I'm drinking a very fresh beer brewed 1100 miles away.

First, an explanation of why my can says 10 ABV and UnTappd's rendition (with only 19 ratings) lists 7.7%. Pulled from a tap, the can at least had a label with Biere de Garde printed on it... so they are somewhat serious about improving the style. But it seems from their website and other sources that Platt Park is big into experimenting; they have some 327 beers on UnTappd (BA has 46.) Only my second from Platt Park, I shouldn't make too many generalizations... but I will because I want to help them break into the Belgian tradition better than they have. Experimenting has its limits ... otherwise you can disrespect a style. Biere de Garde almost does with 10%, almost double the classics. This style should pair with cheese, lots of them. (As Charles De Gaulle has been quoted as saying "How can you govern a country with 265 types of cheese"... and there probably are 50% more in this Century. ) Nonetheless, this is the right question for brewers of the biere: how do you respect the many cheeses out there? The solution has two core ingredients: keep the hops low (which Platt Park does); and don't let cut corners by letting the alcohol distract from the effort made to make the cheeses (which Platt does not do.)

I give Platt Park a better rating on this beer than it deserves. But I do so under one condition: that its next Biere de Garde be under 7.7 and that its yeast is more lively. A votre Sante' !