BFM Cuvée du 7ème

Brewed by BFM (Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes)
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Saignelégier, Switzerland

750. Pours deep cloudy rubied brown with a comically massive head--pouring this beer is an exercise in patient deliberation. Ratio of head to beer for the first five minutes is about 10:1. Skyscraper of sudsy, fluffy mouse and occasionally spotty lace above a shallow puddle of actual beer. "six aromatic hops" sounds like at least two marketing lies in one, if not three--the nose is fairly subdued, all things considered. Yeah, there’s spice and pepper and a bit of funk there, and it’s a great nose, but I wouldn’t exactly advance my hop bill as the preeminent differentiator with this beer (if there is one). Medium body, active carb, forward flavors; nice attack. Mid-palate is a bunch of funk and dark rummy tree fruit. Tingly coriander around the edges, and a slightly puckery, slightly spicy finish. Nice stuff but not the finest BdG on the market by any means.

750 from the Good Beer Store, Chapel Hill, purchased at a discount during their going out of biz sale. So, yeah, IPA? I don’t think so, even with the lively floral hops. It’s really a fairly emphatic Belgian blond to my taste, with some farmhouse ale qualities and less of a dry finish. Some citrus, some buttery qualities, and very pleasant overall. But glad I didn’t pay full price, all the same.

11.2oz bottle. hazy orange-brown pour with a fluffy off-white head that sticks around a while. spices and yeast in the aroma. the taste holds on to the yeast - but not quite as strong. mixes well with sweet malts, dark fruits, coriander and a slightl sour note. finishes up with an even grassy hop bitterness. not sure what to make of this one. an interesting sipper I guess.

Bottle from Holiday. Clear golden with a fizzy white head. Orange spice and hops aroma with a strong orange juice taste with a floral perfume taste to the finish. Decent.

33 cL swingtop from Once Upon a Vine South, Richmond, VA. Pours a fairly murky yellow-brown color with white floaties, some of them fairly large. Medium head with decent head retention and lacing. Aroma is citrus, light funk and light hop notes. Taste is quite funky with huge citrus notes, caramel and a slightly bitter, minty, leafy hop note in the finish. Some pineapple, berry and other fruits. Medium bodied. Just like most of their brews this one is odd, interesting and quite good.

Bottle, 2006 vintage. Fluffy white head tops a hazy amber body. Faint apples on nose, mild funk, grass, faded bitter hops. This was super dry, funk and strong bitter that developed very late in the taste. A touch of apples, mildly tart, some hay, yeasty, hints of spice (pepper, herbal), very slight toasted malts come through. Full mouthfeel, lush, with super drying, earthy finish. Would love to try this fresh.

750 ml bottle, 2006. Cloudy amber with thick tan head. Aroma of nuts and toffee. Taste is malty with a fair amount of bitterness. Decent beer.

Fleeting foam collapses into the hazy, dark orange...Herbal, piney, grassy hops are projected by the frothy carbonation...Spicier with time, pushing forth earthy, wooden hop notes, and a dash of alcohol, the smooth body somehow makes the intrinsic eccentricity personable...Fruity sweetness manages to balance out the hoppiness for a great interplay of flavors...Another intriguing and entertaining Franche-Montagnes...