BFM Cuvée du 7ème

Tasting at Sombeast’s house

I have been sitting on this since around Thanksgiving when I picked it up on a run to US Cellars in Minnetonka. For whatever reason it caught my eye without being too expensive. At $14.99 I am not sure I would buy it again but it was nice to have sample it once. Perhaps if I see any of the other releases for under $15 I may pick one up.

Aroma / Appearance - A two finger pillowy head dances to the top of the glass. Underneath the caramel bronze body sits impatiently with lively carbonation pushing air to the top at a fast rate. The nose is very open and reminds me of a floral shop. Pine, oak, rose petals, strawberries and a base nuttiness create the sensation of being in a field of wildflowers amidst towering trees.

Flavor / Palate - The first taste is that of a trail mix bar. Pine nuts, banana chips and peanut butter flutter across the tongue along with the carbonation. Next comes some more earthy tastes in the form of moss and barnyard. The clean dry aftertaste makes this a pleasant beer to try either as a sipper or before moving onto more complex styles. Either way I recommend splitting a bottle with a few people to see if you like it too.

Consumed at the Pewaukee tasting. Brown, cloudy from the lees. Lightly funky, sweet, promising of goodness. Sour, tart, medium bodied, hop bitterness evident. A little dry astringency at the end.

Easy pour led into an obscene head that went beyond the level of a root beer float...although not totally discouraging, this appeared to be a bit over the top. Once the head subsided a bit, the brew was pretty good...nice hoppy aftertaste with some caramel flavors up front. Aroma had hints of light fruits and bread, but was not very strong. I would concur with a recent review that noted cinnamon in the nose...very unique! Palate was nice and smooth... Might snag one more of these to cellar for a while, but otherwise, this beer was very expensive for the taste...a good drink, but nothing special

Bottle shared by bgburdman: Copper in color with a rocky off white head. Aroma, fruity, some yeast, and some caramel notes. Flavor, spicy notes, caramel, some heat, and some fruits as well. Some slight woody notes, interesting.

Poured a brown red/burgundy with a tremendous off-white head, sweet, cider-sour and funky (yeast) fragrances, found some cinnamon in the nose, citrus and malt fragrances, malt taste with some spices, faint sour on the tongue, hints of wood and wine in the mouth, lots of carbonation on the palate makes this a light drink, dry finish, nice brew.

The aroma was spicy and earthy with cinnamon and a grassy hop character which was herbal. Some light caramel and toasty/nutty notes were present. The appearance was hazy golden amber with a frothy tannish head which laced the chalice from top to bottom. The flavor was hoppy with an herbal and grassy character which had a menthol note. Caramel was present, as was a toasty flavor, Munich Malt? The flavor contained a sizable peppery spice flavor which lessened into the aftertaste. The body was medium with a hight carbonation which led to a creaminess in the mouthfeel. A good beer, perhaps a bit light in maltiness for a BdG, but still a solid brew. 750 ml bottle ($17.99).

Bottle: Clear and red with huge off-white head. Hops, grass, spices and brown sugar in the aroma. Flavour is hops, earthy, woods and bread with a bitter.

2006 bottle: hazy amber/orangeish body - very lively head. Aroma is somewhat earthy, with notes of plum, apple, brown sugar and a little hop. Flavor is sweet but not deep, somewhat yeasty. A little gritty on the tongue as well. Kind of a muddy indistinct brew that doesn’t stand out.