American ‘bière de garde’ brewed with chanterelle (or girolle) mushrooms – a delicacy from the forests, but how such an ingredient can ever work in beer… Shared by Craftmember at Sambre’s saison fest 2022. Snow white, moussy, stable, shred-lacing head, clear orange blonde robe. Aroma of indeed fried forest mushrooms with brown sugar sprinkled on them (the way my father use to stir fry them), plum peel, green gooseberry, pizza or oregano (!), dried prosciutto, green peppercorns from a jar, some background sulfuric aspect probably related to the chanterelles. Crisp, fruity onset, green gooseberry and some unripe prune, medium carb, supple dry-bready and cereally core under drying, yoghurty lactic sourness, lingering acidic green fruitiness and then this retronasal mushroom effect, again adding something ‘meaty’, but in a far less outspoken way than orthonasally; the added peppercorns, however, do add a pleasantly lingering ‘warm’ spiciness. Ends elegantly tart, vinous, juicy and a tad tannic like any good sour ale, but the mushrooms are mostly here for the show, as they do add unusual aromas, but very little actual flavour. Fascinating one nonetheless – and only my third or fourth mushroom beer to date, I think.