Gavroche - Brasserie De Saint-Sylvestre

madpentzer

California

4.15/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed off notes from a tasting at Beer U: Craft Beer Around the World at Stone Brewery.

A - Pours a nice copper color with a finger head that dissipates quickly.

S - Smells sweet with some sour notes in there. Also, picking up some bread. Some funk in there, too. Probably the yeast.

T - Nice malt with a little bit of hop bite. Also, some funky sour notes, but not tart like a lambic.

M - Great carbonation and very easy to drink for a beer of its strength.

O - I really liked this beer. Champagne-like effervescence and great balance between malt and funk makes this one of the better examples of its style.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2011 20:48:27 | More by madpentzer

Matt1516

Quebec (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I'm not sure if it created anticipation or nearly gave me a heart-attack but struggling to open the bottle with its banded cork is quite an experience.

Best Before: 14/12/12

Poured into a tulip--medium to strong carbonation provided a frothy cream-coloured head for 3 minutes on an amber base.

Smells of white bread and yeast. Creamy mouthfeel.

Malty taste with sourness (a little banana) and a crisp, dry carbonated finish. You can definitely taste the alcohol but it doesn't overpower.

An interesting sipping beer, but a too strong to say it's highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 02:20:07 | More by Matt1516

revdrjbob

Australia

2.85/5  rDev -24%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I think this was my first Bière de Garde, and I had to BA search the beer beer before finding that out. Brewed by the same Fenchies that do 3 Monts, which is awesome.
Poured into goblets a rich clear bronze with a huge white rocky head that clung to the glass the whole way down. Very Belgian indeed.
Aroma... well initially, none, then malt and yeast, a bit dank and cellar like funky, then back to the malt again. Very little to no hop aroma, but that expected.
Initially the taste was a bit lacking as well, not very Belgian (or French) for that matter, quite malty and toasty, and not really what I was expecting. But, the description of the style says that hits the mark, so clean cut really. Mouth feel was good, plenty of carbonation, and not too hot for it's 8.5% abv.
Overall a nice introduction to the style, but I think I'll overlook it next time at the bottlo.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2011 22:30:51 | More by revdrjbob

allforbetterbeer

Colorado

3.93/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Corked bottle, with an interesting thick steel wire running over the cork and causing it to nearly bifurcate as it bulges around it.

Pours dark sunset orange with 3 fingers of off-white head. As it sits in the glass, the head begins to rise and forms a mushroom of dense thick foam that rises nearly another 2 fingers from the bottle. Quite impressive, I have only seen a few beers that can achieve this. Truly outstanding.

Smells of sweet toasty grains paired with something lactic and fruity that reminds of or Flemish style beers. No hops in the nose. Smells interesting and pleasing.

I had to take a few mouthfuls of foam just to reach this liquid, this head didn't want to fall. Alcoholic medium-toast malts greet the tongue, and as they don't taste like the generic and often used crystal malts, this singular flavor is better than just 'simple'. Maybe at one time hops were present, and I think I taste the sweet sticky remains of their flavors. This beer has a slight yeast character as well, but overall the interesting sweet grain flavors (with some obvious alcohol) make up the flavor. Hard to describe, easy to enjoy.

The mouthfeel is bursting with carbonation, which (in my experience) is consistent with this style. As the carbonation calms down, this beer reveals itself as a medium to full bodied ale with a nice bit of smoothness.

Conclusion: Totally different from the other Biere de Garde that I have tried, but very good. I am intrigued by this beer, and am happy that I picked it up without knowing what it was.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 01:06:55 | More by allforbetterbeer

JudgeRoughneck

Louisiana

4.08/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

AROMA- Rich, thick, maltiness,- molasses, caramel, Steen's cane syrup, with a big black cherry ester, herbal hop is restrained but noticeable, grape skin and apricot notes, ever so faint musty malt character

APPEARANCE- Gigantic out of control rocky biege head, deep, dfark bronze beer with slight chill haze, thick frothy lace.

FLAVOR- Deep candy-sweet malt base is well-attenuated and kept in balance by assertive alcohol and a punchy hop bitterness. Big dried cherry ester. Big perfumey herbal hop hit in the finish lingers.

MOUTHFEEL- medium-light bodied and chewy, lively carbonation, alcohol numbs palate a bit.

OVERALL- Comes off almost like an American Strong or British Old Ale, very bombastic for biere de guarde, but tasty none the less. Big but balanced, intense, but not really complex. Would probably make a great cellaring project.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2011 02:41:07 | More by JudgeRoughneck

theopholis

California

3.88/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Body is a clear, deep amber color, the color of old honey. A 3 finger off-white head slowly settles, leaving behind a fair amount of lacing.

Smell: I poured this when it was quite cold. The aroma was very subdued. I did get a lot of graininess and some maltiness. As it warmed, it did start off-gassing a lot more complexity. Toffee, vinous grape and cherry with hints of pepper.

Taste: A very pleasant, soft maltiness with soft malt sweetness. Some toffee on the back of the tongue, along with a hint of vanilla. Very nice!

Mouthfeel: Medium body, decent carbonation.

Drinkability: Nice. I will definitely be coming back for more.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2011 22:16:22 | More by theopholis

Rayek

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Tulip. The code on the bottle and cork is 19-19, which means?

A: Straight up copper with an ever so slight haze. A big, cloud-like copper-tinged cap slowly falls to a patchwork pillow. Leaves generous chunks of lace.

S: When cold the aroma is nothing to write home about. Add some warmth and things get interesting. Toffee dominates no matter the temp. Vinous grape and cherry aromas give a hint of red wine, while a glint of pepper adds extra interest. A light lemon sourdough funk rounds things out.

T: The taste doesn't quite live up to the nose, but letting the beer warm helps. Bittersweet toffee is front and center. A lemon, pepper and coriander spice adds good balance to the toffee. A sourdough taste comes on late. Alcohol adds some heat as the beer goes down, but its flavor is well masked.

M: The body is quite light for the ABV. The beer is dry and slightly puckering. The carbonation feels about right.

D: The nose and appearance are this beer's strong suits. If the flavor had lived up to the nose, the score would be even higher. Overall, I'm very happy I grabbed this.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 02:49:40 | More by Rayek

Glory

Quebec (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is the kind of beer I buy when I don't feel like going all the way to my local beer shop..I buy the Gavroche a the supermarket for 5.99 and each time, the cashier has to call someone to double check the price because it never scans properly. Anyways...its a 750 ml bottle and hits a nice 8.5 ABV.

Poured in a Magnum Cabernet Riedel it gives out this great redish copper like color. It's a little hazy and the foam is thick creamy and pretty tight ! Hangs out for a while too !

The smell is a bit odd, I get some sort of burnt plastic smell, kinda rubbery or Sharpie pen. Beneath that is caramelised Malt and a Metalic smell as well... no fruits no spices !

The first few seconds is just a big rush of carbonation going in every directions of your mouth. Then it turns to a weird acid feeling and ends up leaving your palate with a taste of cheese bread sticks. It's a beer on lees and I taste that alot.
That metalic smell is also in the taste...
Its not a bad beer, It's not a great beer...it does the job pretty nicely.
Will buy again even though I'm not having the time of my life with it...
I'll probably try to age one just for fun !

Cheers lads

WS

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 20:26:04 | More by Glory

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This was bought on a whim from Julio's to fufill my "mix a six". Quite glad to see I picked a winner, however, this bottle errupted like a volcano when I opened it. Immediate fountain and lost atleast half the bottle. Damn shame.

A - Poured, or tried to, into my Duvel tulip. A deep muddy burnt rust colour pour with a nice 2 finger head that faded into a good white blanket leaving some sticky side lacing.

S - Some nice dark fruity esters as well as a light musty aroma. There are some nice sweet malt and yeast notes too.

T - This reinforces the nose. There are the nice fruit notes (raisins?) as well as yeast qualities, however, there is some definate malt sweetness here too. Not getting any hop qualities, but thats fine.

M - Nice mouthfeel here, not fully low carbonation, just enough to keep it from being syrupy or heavy.

D - Stuff is quite drinkable. The 8.5% is just slightly noticeable. I'm sure a nonexploded bottle would shine a little better than this but it was still a tasty drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2011 05:19:56 | More by rudzud

foogerd

New York

4.1/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A- Dark amber/peach colored body, some light orange hues in the middle. Small eggshell head with nice lacing.

S- Sweet nutty flavor with malts, some booze. Subdued nose.

T- Light fruits with nuts, some yeast, lots of stuff happening, tastes lively.

M- Creamy, thick, and full of carbonation.

D- Very tasty and the alcohol is expertly intergrated. Would love to try more examples of the style from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2011 01:33:59 | More by foogerd

Donnie2112

Alaska

4.28/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

poured into a Hennepin glass

Looks like: Dark Amber, heavy head, excellent retention, pretty lacing

Smells like: Cereal grains, (bready, sourdough, oatmeal, wheaties), yeasty (just a hint of banana) and hops (herbal, rosemary a bit of mint)

Tastes Like: Very subtle beer, it's hard to make out individual flavor notes. Hints of caramel and molasses, banana like yeast flavors and dry lemon peel hop flavors balance this beer out very nicely, just a hair of peppery alcohol. It creates a delicious and integrated sort of "whole" character to the beer.

Feels like: Dry, astringent, cleansing, snappy carbonation

Drinks like: For eight and a half percent alcohol by volume, it's EXTREMELY drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 09:19:14 | More by Donnie2112

PEIBeerGuy

Prince Edward Island (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This strong ale is darker than I thought it would be. I expected something pale, golden, and clear. What I got was something the colour of an average IPA - deep, orange/amber with some brown. There was lots of tall, creamy head, requiring me to pour it in stages. The head had great retention. It was there for the whole glass, and left some large patches of lacing.

The smell, initially, is of yeast, alcohol, and fruits like apple and peach. As it warms up, it releases smells of dates, liqueurs, and must. It started reminding me of Rochefort 10.

The taste is of yeast and the aforementioned fruits, as well as raisin. There's also a bit of something like... wet dog? At least the dog wasn't a very distasteful one. The aftertaste is slight.

Carbonation is crisp and a bit interesting... the tingle of it is at the leading edge of each sip. You can feel it move like a wave through the whole motion / action, from tongue tip to throat. The finish is slightly dry.

It was a pretty nice beer, with the smell being better than the taste. I may get another someday, but it didn't make a really memorable connection with me... other than the glass and how good it looked in it!

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2011 00:30:09 | More by PEIBeerGuy

wajacobs

California

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a bottle at ABC in Long Beach.
It pours a deep amber with a big lasting white head. The aroma has a faint soapy fragrance and cellar musty-ness that gives way to some nice floral hoppy note The flavor is mineraly with just a slight grassy sweetness up front that gives way at the end to a tart acidity. Gavroche is an extremely light and refreshing beer with little CO2 explosions that contantly tickle the senses.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2011 02:12:04 | More by wajacobs

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

3.15/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Impossibly corked with just a contorted nub of a cork scrunched down with a sort of packing crate staple gripping the bottle lip. Weird. I used a screwdriver to pry off the band and to inch the nub up enough I could grip and pull with my hand. Most awkward bottle closure ever.

Poured all head and took a long time to settle down (and each subsequent glass refill again erupted into all head, even when just the remnants of the bottle were being poured in the end). Color is reddish orange (or dare I say simply amber, both unique and yet not). Smell and taste have hints of caramel and some very mild hints of orange or other fruits. Mouthfeel was average.

Hey, I'm glad I tried my first French Red Ale, I recognize the quality and enjoyed it, BUT, the truth is it's not much more than just any beer and in a blind taste test with the head already settled down I would have had no idea of this beer's foreign pedigree and just scored it a little above average.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2010 09:40:55 | More by MoreThanWine

Halcyondays

California

3.3/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330 mL bottle,

A: Pours red amber with an almost gushing off-white head, thick lace, good retention.

S: Crystal malt, hay, fermented oranges and melon. Peppery notes of Belgo-French yeast.

T: Crystal malt dominated, quite a bit hoppier than the usually biere de garde. Light acidity, malty but well attenuated.

M: Medium-bodied, dry, ashy at times, prickly carbonation.

D: Not really what I was expecting in this style. Has its good points, but not something I'd revisit.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2010 00:52:25 | More by Halcyondays

DoubleJ

California

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Wow, that's a clumsy way to keep a cork in the bottle. I'm referring to the top of the 750 ml bottle that I drank omn my ownlast night. On to the beer;

Clean amber colored topped by an inch thick of foam. The lacing it leaves is spotty. The nose is different from what I'm used to, primarily because I don't drink the Bière de Garde style often. Strawberry and dry earthy caramel are the aromas showcased.

Flavor is very dry, but complex. The first part of drinking it yields dry caramel and chocolate powder on the tongue. Once you get past that first stage (6-7 ounces) it becomes very earthy. Fruit esters come out of nowhere as the dry chocolate note dies off. Hints of strawberry as the beer warms. As for the mouthfeel, it is a medium bodied beer with a smoothish texture and hidden alcohol.

I liked this beer, but this type of beer I would need to be in the mood for. The earthy flavor really hits you hard.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2010 00:29:24 | More by DoubleJ

BieresDesMoines

Iowa

4.08/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a perfectly clear reddish orange with a decent enough head. The aroma is fruity and deeply nutty with some root herb. The hoppiness is both bright and earthy. The aroma is rye bread and some mild fruity sweetness. Overall this beer is nicely dry and has some complimentary pear and peppery notes. The carbonation is lively.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2010 19:10:58 | More by BieresDesMoines

jibbyvonjibb

California

4.15/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Amber color. Slightly hazy. Fluffy head.
S: Spicy. Caramel maltiness.
T: Toffee/caramel maltiness. Some esters. Warming alcohol.
M: Well carbonated. Smooth. Finishes clean, long. Not too sweet and not too dry.
O: A very drinkable beer. Not super complex, but has some interesting malt-derived flavors.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2010 05:19:36 | More by jibbyvonjibb

metter98

New York

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is a slightly hazy copper color and has some yeast particles are visible floating in suspension. It poured into a tulip glass with a three finger high foamy beige head that has good retention properties. A light amount of carbonation is evident.
S: Earthy aromas dominate the smell; there are notes of toasted malts, fruits and sweetness.
T: The taste is rather well balanced between malty sweetness and mild amounts of hop bitterness. There are notes of apples, caramel, grapes and yeast in the flavors.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. There is a little bit of dryness in the finish.
D: The beer is quite drinkable due to its balanced taste and interesting flavors. I would definitely try this again.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2010 15:07:55 | More by metter98

NightINgale

Quebec (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle...

A - Deep amber body, almost clear. Beautiful white pillowy head. Great head retention and some lacing.

S - Smells very malty, with strong caramel and bread notes. Hints of plum and raisins. Some yeast.

T - Tastes malty, with strong caramel, plum and chocolate notes. A bit of earthy hops and some bitterness, which lingers on for a while. Bready in the finish.

M - Medium-bodied, with some moderate carbonation. Some alcohol presence, some warming sensation. Quite smooth, though a little spicy on the tongue.

D - Drinks pretty well for its abv. This beer definitely has enough flavour and body to be enjoyable. Reminds me of other beer styles, like red ale, brown ale and dubbel.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2010 06:38:10 | More by NightINgale

TheHammer

Ontario (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had a more indepth review but I lost it to IE's treacherous lack of form saving. Serves me right for not using Firefox.

Appearance: Overwhelming head that overflowed the glass, however as a result the head was abundant, lace filled and well sustaining. The body is a cloud of yeast and carbonation.

Smell: Didn't take much warming, but it helped it's case. Very fruit as grape, citrus and yeast filled caramel malt make their presence known. I'm catching a slight acidic tone though.

Taste: Starts with a abundantly citrus mix of orange, lemon and tangerine backed by the mild malt and large yeast presence that defines the beer. It then turns to a slight kick of fruity hops that have a slight acid and solvent alchohol taste to it.

Mouthfeel: The carbonation and transistioning are exceptional, and the alchohol taste seems to cleanse the palet leaving only a fruity yeast aftertaste. Only downside is it is a little bit dry.

Drinkability: I find it very difficult to rate "high class" beers high in this catagory. The yeasty dryness and big carbonation really hamstrings it here. Still, no bloating issue and I had not problems getting it down.

Final Thoughts: This beer, and I suspect this style reminds me very much of trappist beer, specfically Chimay Red and Blue. It's nice, but it's not something I'd regualarly buy. I would recommend it though.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2010 05:01:12 | More by TheHammer

Brad007

Vermont

4.4/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice amber color with streaks of blonde. Thick, frothy head that greets the eyes.

Aroma has a bit of spice and a bit of funk as well upfront. Otherwise, very clean.

Taste? Crisp with a slight hint of spice and fruit. Very clean profile. Alcohol is barely noticeable. Not much else beyond the flavors mentioned.

Mouthfeel is full of carbonation with lingering spice and fruit. Warms the throat.

An interesting take on the biere de garde style. Easy to drink and enjoy but beyond that, nothing really complex to report about.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2010 03:00:46 | More by Brad007

Seanstoppable

Nova Scotia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My first Biere de Garde. Best before date of October 1, 2012.

Pouring into a tulip results in a dark honeyish amber color with lots of foamy off-white head. Head evaporates at a decent rate, leaving little sticky bits of lacing sporadically.

Scent consists of an earthy maltiness.

Interesting flavor. Feels light up front, but quickly goes down to some spicy flavor, along with some earthy malt character. Some hop character when it is warmed up, along with a recognizable alcohol taste.

Very interesting beverage. I don't think I would use this for casual drinking, but it would be very good with food.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 23:21:40 | More by Seanstoppable

SleepyMonk

Australia

3.75/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Chilled bottle poured into a tulip glass.

Body is a splendid rust and oak red with soft tan colored creamy head of 2-3 fingers. Head retention is strong and falls away to an uneven rocky mass with large carbonated aeration. After sitting the head sticks and maps the surface down the glass.

A little thin aromatically. Sticky malt is evident along with sweet fruit notes but nothing dominates or comes in over and above as a stand out.

Earthy malt with dusty dried hops and a bitter edge profiles the taste. The overall dry taste is enhanced by spice and peppered finish.

Actively carbonated with a smooth curvy mouthfeel and alcohol is well hidden when you consider the abv sit at 8.5%. This is like a quite achiever, moderately weighted whilst still generating a mild complexity.

Would have preferred a little more kick in the aroma and a sweeter edge to the malt taste, but then again that would be messing around with what defines it.

Absolutely nothing like a 3 Monts, but still well worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 13:26:31 | More by SleepyMonk

peabody

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours out a clear amber to ice tea color with three fingers of off-white suds.
The smell is mellow malty and very bready. A very pungent yeast and some hoppiness that burns the nose a bit.
The taste is a dirty mess of malts and spices with the alcohol coming on top. The bitterness/sour berry flavor is hid by the strong alcohol sweetness.
Mouthfeel is a bit sticky. The aftertaste is strong bitterness and a sugary malt finish.
Drinkability is low here. Should be more flavorful and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2010 00:54:27 | More by peabody