BFM Cuvée du 7ème

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

Huge foamy tan head. Hazy darkish copper. Brown, sugary, fruity hops. Very fresh and lively aroma. Sort of a juicy fruit too. Initial taste of minerally spring water. Now the slightly roasty Biere de Garde taste comes in. Nice flavor too! Sweet minerally water, light woody hopping. Some sweet perfumey yeast. This is really tasty! Nicely rounded and great!

Although BFM markets the 6 types of hops, the bitterness is well contained, and most substantiated in the finish. Superior tasty Belgian dark, with herbal aroma. Some caramel, grassiness, bold taste for merely 7.5%, citrus, coriander,

2006 bottle, #276. Pours an opaque, caramel color with an amber tinge; head is full, yellowish, creamy, and mostly lasting with excellent, tight lacing. Nose is excellent and complex with lots of fruity notes to match rich malt tones an nice hop undertones; lots of apricots, crab apple skis, light overripe cherries, estery yeast, rich caramels, nutty toffee, sweet biscuits, and floral hops. Flavor doesn’t quite live up the nose; fruit notes of apricot and crab apple, faint dusty yeast, light caramels, and notes of oak and peanuts. Palate is medium, soft to lively, and velvety, drying as it progresses. Finishes with hops making a small statement with some floral, lightly spicy notes bringing a moderately light bitterness to match lingering crab apple notes and oak. Nicely done biere de garde with great rich, malt notes, nice fruity accents, and a balancing hop presence. No IPA by any means, but a well crafted beer nonetheless. One of the better examples of the style but an unlikable peanut note (which seems to be a theme in many biere de gardes?) detracts from the many other good qualities this beer carries.

Poured a deep copper-orange color witha nice off-white tannish head that sustained itself very nicely. The lacing was the only weak part of the appearance. The aroma was light, some caramel and almost English fruity type notes. The flavor was comparable to a Saison-Biere de Garde blend, noble hops the strongest, nice resinous and citrus bitter factor in there. Caramel malts were present with yeast in the flavor. The very last warmer sip or two did display some alcohol warmth in the aftertaste. Overall, a moderately bodied beer, really nice (almost seemed like a French/Belgian approach to an altbier). (Don’t expect an IPA, but rather a strongly hopped and somewhat yeasty amber biere de garde.)

Bottle courtesy of Knightly Spirits. I had to pour this quickly: upon opening, instant foam erupted from the bottle and did not cease flowing. Once I frantically filled my glass, I noticed a gorgeous muddy orange color over a large tan-ish head. Aroma is decadent; noticeable traces of caramel, hops, dark fruits, and oak on the nose. This is an IPA? Tastes more like a Rousse de Garde, like it says on the bottle. Heavy caramel and flame-fired wood, definite noticeable hop presence, but not enough for me to consider this an IPA. Slight astringent alcohol bite in the finish. High carbonation, full body. Very nice. I will probably purchase another bottle in the future for aging.

(bottle thanks Joebrew!) Pours dark amber with a towering beige head that completely fills my excessively large novelty snifter. The smell is really just enjoyable, with some scents of dust, light funk, stale hops, lightly floral, rosehips, and a faint touch of barnyard as well. The taste is great too, with flavors of caramel, vanilla, lightly floral, with some spices I can’t identify. The finish possesses a bit of yeastiness and a faint bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium and carbonation is lively. Don’t know why this is listed as an IPA, as it says it’s a Biere de Garde on the label, and it certainly tastes as such. Either way, this is a really enjoyable beer, and one I hope to try again. Thanks again Joe!

[Bottle] shared by guerde. Pours a hazy gold with a massive khaki head. Aroma is old, faded hops, sweetish malt, lots of florals, and some banana. Flavor is mild floral hops, somewhat spicy, mild, light, crackery malt, light alcohol, and a bit of brett. I don’t see how this is an IPA, more of a BdG, but it is very tasty and unique.

2006 750 ml bottle. IPA it’s not at all, but it is good, being a unique amalgam of Belgian blonde and saison tastes, with just a tiny hint of lambic sourness. Enjoyable and a bit lemony. If you like this, you’d also like Flemish Primitive.