In a blind tasting by BJCP trained experts, this beer rated

96

de Garde Brewing Grand Blanc

Aroma: “White grape that’s somewhere between wine and white grape juice, bright, with apple, fruit, honeysuckle, and floral notes. Peppery phenols, with a touch of lactic and vanillin and some oakiness.”

Flavor: “White grapes on the vine, with notes of citrus, cherry, red berry, pineapple, and tropical fruit—the fruit blends with the beer in the flavor. It’s not until the swallow that the grapes kick in during the retronasal. Not much sweetness, but a high, sharp, clean acidity. Lactic with a touch of acetic, with makes the taste buds tingle—it’s relatively soft, but lingering. Oak and vanilla, dry white wine, and a dry finish.”

Overall: “The grape comes through more in the aroma, and blends in the flavor, with complex fruit character that nods toward white wine. Light and refreshing character, with a very clean, sharp acidity. It’s like a white wine with the tang of a sour, and its low carbonation is similar to a reisling.”

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