Rendezvous Biere de Garde
Alcohol by Volume: 7.2%
Find this beer and more at Full Throttle Bottles in Georgetown.

Intro: This beer might be new in a couple different regards for many people; both the brewery and the style are not very common around the northwest. Lakefront, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, just recently started distributing to Washington. The style of Biere de Garde is a style local to Northern France, and it is rare to see an example from a local brewery. This malty brew is part of Lakefront’s “Pure Milwaukee Genius Series.”

Description: Pours dark amber with a good amount of head on top. The taste starts out with some slightly spicy phenols along with some candied sugar sweetness coming through. The focus is on the caramel malts with a mild sweetness and some vanilla. A solid bitterness balances along with an almost herbal character to finish. A bit of alcohol comes through. Full bodied, yet not overbearing. Very enjoyable. This is a style that I’m not familiar with at all, and I quite liked it. In my opinion, it was similar to the better-known bock or doppelbock styles. This is the first beer I’ve had from Lakefront since I lived in the Midwest, and based on this one I’ll gladly try a few others. This paired perfectly with the smoked chicken we had for dinner.

Verdict: Buy it
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Commercial Description/Press Release:

A Biere De Garde—literally, “a beer to keep”—is a style conceived in the hills of Northern France. This traditional farmhouse ale is brewed with a special French ale yeast, giving it a subtle, yet delightful ester fruitiness. Ample amounts of 2-row malt give Rendezvous a luscious, full body. Generous amounts of Munich malts are added for additional sweetness and give Rendezvous an impassioned red hue. Saaz and Mt. Hood hops are added for a mild bitterness and clean finish. Robust, smooth, and surprisingly refreshing, the effect on your palate is an intense, fleeting episode: a rendezvous.