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Michael Heniff's picture

Judge's Review: 92 Rating - KEREL Bière de Garde by Verbeek-Back-De Cock Brewery

December, 2022

KEREL Bière de Garde

KEREL Bière de Garde

KEREL Bière de Garde, Verbeeck-Back-De Cock Brewery
Description 

The brewing process of a “Bière de Garde” (“Beer for keeping”) is an artisanal high-wire act because you’re looking for a brew that’s simultaneously rich and sinewy; clean and earthy; muscular and refreshing. It’s a good thing Kerel has lots of experience combining muscles, beauty and a complex character.

Taste: Very malty, very high-maintenance but irresistible to the true beer connoisseur. Try it for the touch of caramel, stay for the complex character full of delicious paradoxes.

Beverage Profile
ABV: 
7.0%

 

 


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Judges Rating: 
92
Aroma: 
22 / 24
Appearance: 
6 / 6
Flavor: 
36 / 40
Mouthfeel: 
10 / 10
Overall Impression: 
18 / 20

KEREL Bière de Garde by Verbeek-Back-De Cock Brewery is a Bière de Garde and is being evaluated as a Bière de Garde (category 24C in the 2021 BJCP Beer Style Guidelines). Bière de Gardes are a family of malty French lagers that can vary from blonde to brown in color with a variety of malt flavors.

KEREL Bière de Garde pours light amber in color with excellent clarity and a small, finely beaded, off-white head. The aroma is of moderate peppery phenolics with a lighter bready maltiness. The flavor is evenly balanced between bready and toffee maltiness with peppery phenolics; a light caramel malt note expresses more as the beer warms. The finish is moderately bitter with lingering bready and caramel malt and light peppery phenolics.

KEREL Bière de Garde is an excellent beer that drinks more like a Belgian pale ale than a bière de garde. Regardless, seek this one out as the balance between the malt and phenolics is fantastic.