The Biere de Garde is a style from the Franco-Belgian border, closely related to the Saison. The recipe was written by Jim Azotea of the Saratoga Thoroughbrews for use on a homebrew system, and scaled up by him to a 7-barrel batch. The alcohol warmth also comes through, which is very unusual for a Davidson Brothers Ale. There is also a moderate caramel sweetness from the sugar added during the boil. The low hop aroma is characteristic of noble hops, with very low bitterness and moderate aroma. The overall impression is of a sweet, caramel, amber ale, with low hop aroma and a noticeable alcohol burn. Expect to see it in late May or early June.