Garde Dog - Flying Dog Brewery

UnknownKoger

California

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I think this may be my first biere de garde. Bottle poured into Bruery tulip. Appearance is nice. Hazy golden straw color. Very well carbonated. Smells like champagne. Some white grape and apple notes on the nose. A little bit of lemon zest. Taste is pretty nice! Similar to the nose but with a very faint hop presence. It reminds me of a saison (obviously).

Mouthfeel is really nice due to the carbonation and light abv. Overall this is a very drinkable beer that is quite pleasing. I would definitely buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 00:36:47 | More by UnknownKoger

BeardedBoffin

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Biere de Garde is one of my favorite styles. Garde Dog, a seasonal from Flying Dog, pours a clear dark yellow color with a lively cap of white creamy foam. The nose is fruity, which is fine, but there is a distinct graininess that I find a little off. Some spice mixes with green apple in the aroma. Some earthiness from the yeast is present on the palate, mixed with fruit and grain. Some cellared earthy notes are present, but not enough for my tastes.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 23:19:57 | More by BeardedBoffin

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +30.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz.

Pours a light honey gold with a two inch white head, dissipates to a film quickly but holds there indefinitely.

Smells of lemon citrus, coriander, and light fresh cut grass malts, maybe some orange zest as well, and bretty yeast.

Tastes of mildly bitter fresh citrusy malts, a bit wheaty, with some coriander and orange sweetness.

Medium to fuller body with light stings of carbonation.

A really decent farmhouse-like ale, would definitely have this again and would love to session this. Great warm weather or beach beer of you still want something that feels a little heavier in that category.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 19:49:08 | More by Cylinsier

HardTarget

Texas

2.13/5  rDev -38.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Appearance: Bright yellow glass with painful clarity; lazy bubble streams. Holds spotty cover and a trace of halo.

Smell: Mild corn (DMS) on a sugary base.

Taste: An earthy style appropriate flavor gets jumped on by a malt liquor with a sour twang. It's not pretty.

Mouthfeel: Bit fizzy, light body, oily finish.

Overall: Comes at you like a junky with a knife. Weak and ineffective, but still a bit dangerous. The basic goodness of the style comes across as under supported and thin. Needs more grain base, and possibly a different yeast and this is a bit over-attenuated.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 04:54:18 | More by HardTarget

n2185

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: pours a hazy yellow-gold with three fingers of white head that fades into a dense cap with some lacing.

S: some light spice notes up front along with candy sugar and bubblegum. There are tart and sour citrus notes toward the finish.

T: spices up front again with some faint candy sugar flavors. Funky and slightly bitter flavors along with tart and slightly sour citrus notes bring up the finish.

M: medium-light body with highish carbonation, this beer is light and crisp.

O: a good beer, overall. I'm not very familiar with the style, but this beer is light, crisp, and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 19:31:43 | More by n2185

tdm168

North Carolina

3.15/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a hazy orangish yellow with a mountain of fizzy, soft, loose, white head that has decent retention. The nose is yeasty with some faint spices coming through. The flavor is identical to the nose; very yeasty, mildly spicy, a bit tart, lightly citrusy, and a hint of white grapes. The mouthfeel is light, crisp, warm, and smooth.

This isn't bad, but I'm not impressed at all. The flavor profile is light and rather simple. This is neither intriguing nor memorable.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 18:16:38 | More by tdm168

BerkeleyBeerMan

California

3.63/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Hazy yellow amber to copper color with fizzy long lasting 2 finger head. Bath bubbles lace the glass. Strong head retention. Looks like a heferweizen. Lots of good natural carbonation.

Smell: Toasted malts. Floral. Range of esters including grapes, green apple, and lychee. Notably present malt alcohol smell.

Taste: Sweet Toasted malts. Almond. Grassy and fruity hops. Somewhat spicy and funky. Light german bitterness. Good clean refreshing. Somewhat grape-like funky wine barrel finish. Some trace of medicine and bandaid.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium. Slightly chewy and pleasant upon warming in mouth. Flavor palate is light but goes down crisp and smooth. A nice daytime alternative to most in it's style because it is light in ABV

Overall: Worth having once. Maybe I'd drink it again, in the least it has inspired me to seek out more biere de garde.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 04:16:42 | More by BerkeleyBeerMan

notchucknorris

California

3.6/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Slightly hazy golden color with a great looking one finger tan colored head. Nice retention as well.

S: Lots of earthy yeast, funk, a bit of almond meal and clove as well.

T: Haven't had a ton of beers done in this style, but this definitely feels more like a saison. Taste is light and shows a bit of citrus and spice with a touch of grassy hops hidden in the background. Finish is pretty dry and leaves a subtle bitter funk in the mouth. Pretty well done, but not sure if it fits the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2012 18:18:14 | More by notchucknorris

troysoy2

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012 bottle poured into a goblet. Seems that this beer is a love it or hate it kind've deal, based on recent reviews.

Maybe I served it at a slightly higher temp than some people, but I got 2 fingers of cascading, fluffy, active head. Great retention, and a great deal of carbonation rising from the bottom of the glass. Dense, cloudy effervescent orange body. I'd say this is a good looking beer.

The smell is, well, funky. Some farmhouse-smelling yeast is initially apparent, along with the slightest hint of a metallic smell that I'm not the most fond of. Bit of clove.

The taste is less questionable. It's got the funk you might expect from a saison, as well as some lighter sweetness, and a bit of clove and pepper. The hops don't stick out, but they do dry the finish and quell the sweetness, which would otherwise be just too much for me. Could use a little more malt, maybe.

The mouthfeel is nice and frothy, light like a hefeweizen, yet it's got some body to it. Chewy, even.

There is something about the smell I could do without, but otherwise, it's an enjoyable beer. Time to get in the mood for spring!

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 02:41:29 | More by troysoy2

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

3.28/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a pint glass.

A - Translucent gold with a two finger head. The head remains at about one finger for a long time. The carbonation is very evident in the rapidly ascending bubbles throughout the body. Despite the long lasting head, not much lacing.

S - Smell is of cloves, lemon zest, wheat, toasted malt, and some funky yeast. This is my first beer of the style, but the nose immediately indicates a maltier saison.

T - The taste follows the nose with some added black pepper spiciness. The more I drink, the more get malt and corn adjuncts. There is a definite citrus and funk finish which saves the other underwhelming flavors. I get an alcohol (or something unpleasantly similar to alcohol) flavor on the back of the tongue, despite the low ABV of this beer.

M - Medium bodied with a tingly effervescence. Very dry finish.

O - I just recently learned about the style, as it seems to be the season when many of the seasonal Biere de Garde start popping up on the shelves. This was my pick because it was available in the mix-a-six. I liked the look, smell, and mouthfeel but the flavors and aftertaste weren't good. I really enjoy saisons, which from what I can tell are a close relative of this style, so I will continue to try more, but probably not this particular beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 01:46:38 | More by NoLeafClover44

CowsCanBark

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into Samuel Adams pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a hazy orange gold with a three-finger sudsy white head. Nice lacing lines the glass as I drink.

Smell: Sweet floral notes, bananas, slight clove, earthy

Taste: Spicy yeast, cloves and banana, mild hops and not really any hop bitterness. Really reminds me of a more watery version of Lagunita's Bavarian-Styled Doppel Weizen.

Mouthfeel: Moderate body with high carbonation, a pretty easy drinker.

Overall: A really good beer that reminds me of a session drinking Lagunita's Bavarian Styled Doppel Weizen. Avoid if you dislike banana or clove flavors, as these are dominant to me.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 05:28:27 | More by CowsCanBark

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

3.43/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Tulip Glass

Appearance - Dark Orange with a very hazy look to it with tons of carbonaation going on inside. Pours a 2 finger head which disappears quickly. For an unfiltered beer, it finishes very cleanly.

Smell - Very Grassy/Earthy Scent embodies the fairly fruity notes and malty scents. It smells a bit on the sour side, which I'm not really digging....

Taste - The taste on the other hand is very tolerable, in fact it reminds me of a Hefeweizen. You got the sweet banana and clove notes, but it's got a maltier and more yeasty taste, almost like a Pale Ale sans the hops. Aftertaste is dry and consists mainly of yeasts and sweet banana notes.

Mouthfeel - It feels light in body and pretty crisp. Carbonation is a bit more on the intense side, not to the point where to distracts you from the overall taste but it doesn't add to the flavor either.

Overall - The smell left a bad first impression on me, but the flavor manages to be very good. Overall, I think it's worth checking out!

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 01:17:06 | More by NuclearDolphin

h00kwurm

2.25/5  rDev -34.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Flying Dog - Seasonal - Biere De Garde

Bottled: Unknown (bought a single bottle)
Opened: 03-05-2012

Poured into a standard pint glass.

A: hazy light apricot color with a quick forming and well sustaining
head.

S: the smell is malty and flat. A very bread-y quality is present.

T: slightly overcarbonated, bready and flat. Tastes even a bit
stale/metallic. I suspect its the flavor of the carbonation that is just overcoming any/all flavor of the brew itself. It does clear the palette well, though.

M: the carbonation is a bit too much for the lightness of the beer. the feel is nice, but it isn't consistent with the flavor.

O: this beer is OK. A good brewery like Flying Dog can do much better. Maybe it's just my predilection towards hoppier braus but this really is just OK.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 04:26:04 | More by h00kwurm

confer

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a solid gold and fairly cloudy. Dense white head that sticks around.
Smell is like a banana dominant hefe with a touch of lemon.
First is the wheat taste and then the sour/slightly funky taste takes over in the finish.
Lost of carbonation but still has meat to the feel. Overall it's a pretty good refreshing beer. For the price it's definitely a go to beer in the future.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 20:54:01 | More by confer

Kendo

New York

3.6/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Single 12 oz bottle purchased from Price Chopper last night (2/29) for $1.49.

A: Poured from the bottle into a Duvel tulip. Body is golden-orange with a small white head.

S: Some funkiness along with florally hops and lemon zest. Nice nose.

T: Grainy malt foundation, with a touch of funk and spice. Fruity - overripe apples come to mind. Finishes with lingering fruity sweetness that coats the palate.

M: Interesting - there's a good amount of fine-prickled fizziness, but also a bit of slickness to the feel. Not sure it works well together, to be honest, as the fizzy carbonation wants to work as a palate cleanser, while the slickness wants to coat the palate with a lingering sweetness - which ultimately prevails.

O: This isn't bad.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 02:23:20 | More by Kendo

jtierney89

New Jersey

2/5  rDev -41.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

On tap. Pours a bright straw color with a 3 finger bright white head. Smells mostly of sweet biscuit malt and some floral hops with a touch of coriander and lemon zest. Taste

is mostly the same. Highly carbonated with subdued flavors. Finishes slightly sweet but extremely clean. Slight soap like taste, very minor. Some fresh melon. Fruit flavors

don't play off the hops that great giving a real weird mouth experience. Works like a pallete cleanser.

Serving type: on-tap

02-29-2012 05:08:11 | More by jtierney89

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

body is bright gold. fizzy head tops it. very carbonated.

Smell is grassy. Ful of yeast. Fruity esters from the yeast. I think it smells great.

Taste is very bready. Crust of the bread to be exact. Chewy belgian yeast lingers for a while. Crisp at first, but fades into chewy bready malt and a nice Belgian yeast. Lemon and lemongrass add to a nice flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 18:05:49 | More by VncentLIFE

mactrail

California

3.9/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Hazy pale amber in the tulip glass. Lots of foam that carries through into a soft, creamy mouthfeel. Slight yeasty nose with pear and biscuits. A touch of butter in the aftertaste. Fairly bitter as it melts on the palate. Reminds me of a Saison crossed with a Wit, minus the spices. In other words, tangy, a funky bitter twang, slight malty sweetness on the lips, and hops on the back end. The yeasty, bitter flavor takes over the aftertaste.

Whatever deficiencies this has for the style, it's a highly drinkable beer with a pleasant Belgian tang. From the 12 oz bottle available in sixes.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 03:33:18 | More by mactrail

womencantsail

California

3/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The pour is a hazy golden color with a rather large white head. Just an overdone spiciness. Smells overwhelmingly of coriander and grass. A bit of paper/cardboard and maybe some pale, cracker malts. Hints of spicy hops in the background. The flavor is lemony and mildly spicy, sort of like a bad witbier or hefeweizen. Spicy hop notes and quite a lot of water. Very grassy on the palate as well. Meh.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 05:59:05 | More by womencantsail

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a Walter Payton shaker pint glass.

It's been a while since last I tasted this pup, so it's almost new to me now... It pours a clear golden straw topped by a finger of white foam. The nose comprises light clove, black pepper, strong wheat, lemon zest, cardamom, and a touch of sourdough. The taste brings in more of the same, with the spiciness really coming through pretty strongly. The citrus isn't exactly a shrinking violet itself, and it comes complete with a nice bit of sweetness, mostly Belgian candi sugar-style. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a lightly grainy feel. Overall, a surprisingly very nice BdG, one I could stand to have on a fairly regular basis.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 05:33:35 | More by TMoney2591

BottleOfPills

West Virginia

3.83/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Well I'm sitting here deciding how to bore myself for the eve and thought I'd try this beer out for size again and reveiw it here at beerAdvocate and my blog (www.bottleofpills.com)

Forget when I purchased this six pack, a few weeks ago I'm sure, there's a few still left, and well there is now one less.

Appearance - I poured this from a bottle into a glass, and like the style - Biere de Garde - says it did leave a nice head with a golden color. The color is more of a burnt gold color, but easy to see through.

I think I should have probably spelled this out of the bottle as once in my glass it's hard to smell with openness of the glass. However my bluetick senses detect fruit, maybe cherry with a hint of lime or lemon and almost peppery. Lemon Pepper!

The taste is tight, it's crisp, not hoppy in my opinion but I guess its the malt that I'm tasting that is standing out. It's good, but I don't know if I'd want many back to back, I'm going with slightly better than average.

Mouthfeel - well I like crisp this has that. It's almost like putting pop rocks on my tongue as the beer splashes over it. I'm going with 4.5 only because the beerAdvocate guys say 5's should be rare.

Overall a pretty damned decent beer. 4

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 00:21:13 | More by BottleOfPills

smakawhat

Maryland

3.85/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass.

Off white nice and very foamy head, forms very much like a soapy bath, not much retention, sits on a slightly hazy mostly opaque body that is golden yellow.

A nice faint juicy lemon rind, zesty on the nose, just a faint hint of diacetyl. Slightly floral, not bad, fairly good actually.

Taste is relatively light in flavor, but with a full feel in the palate. Mild malt with an almost butter tasting and buttery feel. Mild citrus lemon on the finish, but a nice dry malt crispness at the end with a yeast punch blast.

Overall, it's not an aggressive one for the style, but it's real super easy drinking and a good starter Biere de Garde I think. For that I score it well.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 23:47:55 | More by smakawhat

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at Prohibition Taproom, Philly, PA

Poured a clear, golden yellow with a small cap of white head; minimal retention and lacing. Aroma contained hints of grass, grains, light fruit. Taste has some yeasty breadiness, apple skin, light citrus, with floral and herbal notes, slightly acrid. Light-medium body, and pretty easily drinkable, though not amazingly flavorful.

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2012 12:55:23 | More by Rifugium

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12 oz bottle, no clear bottling code.

appears cloudy dark golden color with bright white head that fades. very spicy and yeasty aroma.

taste is similar. pale malt, bitter citrus rind, belgian yeast. thinner body, fizzy carbonation.

overall - I don't see much difference between this style and a Belgian Pale Ale. not the flavors I like.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 04:20:25 | More by jmdrpi

Zorro

California

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bière de Garde more or less French Saison.

Clear gold colored beer with a medium sized white head.

Smells sweet with a strong toasted grain aroma. Hops are grassy and herbal to the nose. Fruity in a general way, the scent matches overripe plums the closest.

Starts out sweet with a strong taste of fruity wood. Toasted grains and a slightly sour flavor like lemon. Honeysuckle malt flavor. Sort of a funky beer, something Bière de Garde is known for.

Mouthfeel is OK.

Overall this is weird but sort of OK. Not a first choice but I will finish the six-pack.

Addendum: I second what brentk56 said " Drinkability: This must be the Blue Moon of Biere de Gardes; easy to drink but a pretender to the style"

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 03:06:50 | More by Zorro