Biere De Mars
Silver Lake Brewing Project

On tap at Silver Lake Brewing Project in Perry, NY.

This one pours a light brownish color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This smells like Earl Gray tea, caramel malt, wet pine, straw, and earthy funk.

This is an interesting rendition of the style. There's a dominant flavor here that really reminds me of tea- slightly sweet and slightly earthy, with a very mild funk, and a big sweet malt character. This is a good start, and if the malt sweetness was toned down a touch, it would be excellent.

This is pretty light bodied, and fairly clean, with a good level of drinkability.

This brewery generally does farmhouse ales well. This is a solid beer.

Pours gem clear and golden amber with small, lazy carbonation. 1.5 inches of fluffy white head dissipates within a couple of minutes, leaving only a ring of lace in a Pretentious Beer Glass Company "Sparkle" mug.

Earthy funk gives way to sweet malt and toasted white bread. Caramel is a bit too much and likely the source of the sweetness. Faint wet pine straw morphs into pumpernickel as it warms.

The sweet/bitter balance is exceptional. There is a lot of grain with a touch of banana and a hint of sourness. The toast is very well done, leading to a long, dry, grainy finish. Warmth brings out celery. While the banana may be a style detraction, I thought it added a pleasant and surprising characteristic.

The smooth texture marries well to a medium body. Light alcohol nibbles with soft carbonation in this fairly dry, thirst-quenching beer.

This is clearly the most enjoyable beer I have had to date from Silver Lake Brewing Project. It was definitely worth the trip to Perry. It made an excellent match to a warm, bright Spring afternoon. It would work equally well with a group of buddies at a ballgame. The toasted melt truly shined with warmth.