A lightly smoked Biere De Garde drawing from both of ends of this esoteric style spectrum. We built a hearty base of French pilsner and Munich malts along with a reasonable portion of German smoked malt, then employed an extended boil for classic caramelization. Hopped with estate grown cascade from @seconddistrictbrewfarm, and finished with a literal sprinkle of black pepper in the whirlpool for good measure. Fermented low and cool with a blend of French farmhouse ale yeast and our favorite lager strain, followed by a lengthy period stored at frigid temps. The result is a splendid melding of fruity countryside farmhouse ale notes coupled with a lean crisp lager-like finish. Faint bubble yum quickly fading to gently smoked toffee and hearth baked bread. The finish is dry with our classic cutting minerality. And at 7.5%, this one is a sipper worthy of contemplation.