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While there are certainly more subcategories that fit into Belgian & French ales, farmhouse ales are the most prevalent. They also happen to be the only Belgian & French ales we've featured in Alcoholmanac Magazine thus far. Therefore, they are all we've written about. More will come, but for now, here's a bit on farmhouse ales:
Farmhouse ales are generally categorized into two recognized styles — saison and bière de garde.
Saison, with an ABV ranging from 6-8.5%, boasts a refreshing, acidic tartness with a moderate to heavy hop bitterness balancing the scale. A low to moderate alcohol warmth and a bubbly mouth allows delicate fruits, spices and a touch of earth to play over your tongue in a complex dance that even wine aficionados can enjoy. Back in the day, the saison style served as the field hands brew and was around 3% ABV. That meant they could chug away at their daily ration of a whopping 5 liters, keep hydrated and not get drunk. Though I’m sure more than a couple enjoyed a good buzz.
Bière de garde, also with an ABV ranging from 6-8.5%, is separated into three categories: blond (blonde), amber (ambrée) and brown (brune). The blond has a taste profile similar to the saison style due to their common heritage, but the darker you go, the more malt dominates the hop and the more pronounced the sweet caramel and toffee becomes. Bières de garde also tend to have a slightly more earthy profile and silky mouthfeel due to the generally increased malt.
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Featured Beers -
Belgian & French Ales
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Dog Brewing Company
Westminster, MD
They Say: “Deep & dark though deceptively dry, braced by a firm yet smooth bitterness and accented with an earthy hop and mild roast aroma. This is an ale for you to define ... “
We say: Labeled simply as a Farmhouse ale, we think this could easily fit into the bière de garde style. The unmistakable smell of malt and caramel was strong as we put our noses over this dark mahogany brew. Its sweet, thick flavor reminded us of prunes and roasted coffee but also had some subtle tart citrus notes. Ending slowly with a slightly dry finish, this might be a beer to enjoy on a cool summer eve rather than a hot summer day.
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Featured Beers -
Belgian & French Ales
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Brasserie Dupont
Tourpes, Belgium
They Say: Nothing
We Say: This organic bottled-conditioned farmhouse ale poured smoothly into our glasses and produced a tight white head over a light golden body. Strong citrus and apple aromas with subtle accents of malt and bread hung over the top of the glass. Sweet and effervescent, the beer contained a tasty medley of banana, tart apple and allspice and finished with a slightly dry bitter-sweet mouth. Definitely a good choice for a refreshing summer brew.
One thing we need to mention is that in our experience, the flavor of a beer in a green bottle can be varied. The amount of light let in by the semi-opaque glass can sometimes lead to unexpected or adverse flavors, especially in bottle-conditioned beers.
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Featured Beers -
Belgian & French Ales
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New Holland Brewing
Holland, MI
They Say: “Golden Cap Saison is a modern interpretation of a traditional farmhouse ale. A soft, pale beer, Golden Cap embodies the flavors and aromas of summer fields. Brewed with an ancestor of wheat called spelt, its straw-colored body, lively carbonation and a unique fermentation profile evoke fresh cut hay and cracked peppercorn.”
We Say:
From a bottle sporting a flying monkey in a field of grain on its label poured a frothy golden beer with tight caramel and dried fruit aromas. Surprisingly creamy for such a light colored brew, we were quite pleased by a sweet yet slightly tart mix of flavors. Caramel, sweet spices and hints of banana were brought together in a way that reminded all of us of bananas foster. Rounded off with a dry slightly bitter finish, we felt this beer could take us places.
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Featured Beers -
Belgian & French Ales
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 Brasserie De Silly Brouwerij
Silly, Belgium
They Say: “Surprisingly sweet with earthy notes of raisin and tobacco, a syrupy maltiness finishes with a slight tartness.”
We say: When going around the table, each of us had the same reaction to this beer. “Wow!” The off-white head covering a dark orangish-red body had thick, memory-inspiring aromas of rye bread, malt and cocoa. Sweetness was our first and strongest impression. That quickly mellowed out into a creamy swirl of dates, molasses, brown sugar and a bit of tobacco. Reminding of us of a Belgian dubbel with its sweet dried fruit flavors, the flavor lingered on and on. This Silly Saison struck us as unique, with a flavor profile sure to be a hit with those who have a sweet tooth.
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