Hops

The hops in Bière de Garde come from the south. According to Brasserie Duyck, Jenlain is brewed with three hop varieties from Alsace. The brewers are after mild bitterness and delicate aroma, not a hop bomb. From the fields of the north to the hop gardens of Alsace is several hundred kilometers.

Strisselspalt, an old Alsatian aroma variety, is often behind this choice. It's known for being very mild, with aromas of blackcurrant, spice, flowers, herbs and a hint of lemon. Its alpha acid content, the compound responsible for bitterness, sits at just 1 to 4 percent. That's low, and it fits a beer meant to taste of malt.

The bitterness of Bière de Garde is correspondingly restrained. The BJCP lists 18 to 28 IBU. IBU is the measure of bitterness units; a German Pils, depending on the brewery, runs from 22 to 40. Still, a Bière de Garde with a strong malt body needs some hops as a counterweight, or it would turn cloyingly sweet and heavy.

Hops are added twice. Early in the boil, when the wort simmers for a long time, bitterness transfers into the liquid. Late, just before the boil ends, the volatile aroma compounds are preserved. In Bière de Garde, the late addition tends to be small, since the hop aroma should stay in the background behind the malt.

In the end, what matters for flavor is how much hop goes into the boil and when. For Bière de Garde, that amount is deliberately small.