Mars Attacks!

Brewer- Brewery Ommegang

Beer- Bière de Mars

Style- Bière de Garde

ABV- 6.50%

Side-note- This is a beer that can and will be different from the variety of batches that exist in the market.  I purchased my bottle from Wegman’s in Dickson City, PA and the bottle is from batch #3 that was bottled in November of 2008.  Also, this style of beer, Bière De Garde, is not traditionaly sour but Brewery Ommegang added a wonderful strain of brettanomyces to give this beer an added bit of funkiness.

Description- Bière de Mars pours a hazy amber color with a large head that quickly dissipates.  I poured this brew into the Brewery Ommegang gold rimmed tulip styled glass as pictured.  The aroma is very interesting and inviting, emanating notes of biscuits, grassy and earthy hops, spices, phenols, slight brett character, apples, and a strong tartness.  The taste does not match the aroma exact, but there are qualities that overlap.  The initial funk from the brettanomyces is present on the palate, but not as overpowering as in some other brett centric beers; however this can be a positive to some who are unfamiliar with sour beers and could be a perfect gateway sour beer!  There are hints of apple, earthy hops, and subtle spice notes that round out the taste of this incredible beer.  The mouthfeel is equally incredible and leaves the mouth feeling refreshed instead of dried and puckering as in most sours and is also incredibly smooth, my guess due to the aging on this beer (nearly 5 years), but also has perfectly balanced carbonation. All I can say is that this beer is truly incredible

Food pairing – This is really a beer for rich and hearty meals, especially meat based, maybe it’s the French origin of this style?  A nice hearty roast pork dinner with a side of roasted red potatoes covered in butter, thyme, and rosemary combined with this beer is just an amazing dinner to have with a loved one.  Also, while not traditionally a nice summer meal, a robust beef stew is another dream combination with this beer.  Although, it’s a few months away, Bière de Mars is an absolutely perfect match for your Thanksgiving dinner.  So not only does Bière de Mars make relatives more tolerable, but it also pairs flawlessly with your turkey dinner, I call that a win win!

Is it worth trying?- Without any hesitation, yes!  Sour beers are still growing in popularity and are also still struggling to please the palates of many newbie craft beer drinks.  I will not dispute that it is an acquired taste, but once it is acquired there is no going back!  That being said,  Bière De Mars is a fantastic gateway sour in that it is not overly sour by any means and have just enough tart and funk to acclimate the drinker to the tastes without overpowering.  So get out there and find yourself a bottle!

Rating- 

Where can I get it? -  There are not a lot of these bottles on the market, but in Northeastern Pennsylvania it is available at: Wegman’s- Dickson City, Goldstein’s Deli- Kingston, Exit 190 Beer Deli- Dickson City, and Krugel’s Georgetown Deli- Wilkes- Barre

(I cannot guarantee that all business listed currently have the beer in stock, but the most recent information I have about inventory have these businesses listed as having the beer in stock.)

Remember, enjoy responsibly!

Cheers- Derek Warren