75cl bottle at 7%. This is a difficult review. I was very intrigued by what the label was asking us to do. They refer to it as a beer that one must drink very warm, and it is recommended as an after ski beer under the windy conditions of the bise wind in Switzerland. We drank this bottle after a day spent in alpage in the Fribourg Canton at 1500m under rain and small wind, which really got us chilled and ready for something warm. As soon as we opened the bottle, we noticed the light smell of Kraut (herbs used in many German style liquor or Swiss mountain liquors of the alpage) that emanated out of the bottle. We warmed the bottle to the required t° of 55-60 celsius. The kitchen started to fill with a nice herbal scent. Then came the pour, everyone loved the beer. It pours a blackish warm liquid that is very reminescent of what we call "vin chaud" or "warm wine" typical of winter season. No head, and a very original taste of mountain herbs and spices as wel as cinnamon. It quickly warms the body up. The beer gained in flavor after we put it in the water to a higher temperature. It was sugary, sweet and honey. I realy do not udnerstand some of the poor ratings, but again, some might never have had the chance of living in the Swiss mountain regions and udnerstand the concept of their warm herbal/spicy drinks that is so rightly explained on the bottle. Everyone who tried this beer loved it. It deserves its high rating for the style, and how BFM managed to capture the spirit of Swiss alpage-mountain and pack it in a bottle. This is a beer that we drank at the hot temperature, and that in no case would have gained such rating had it been cold or not served according to the label.

[1470-20080531] 750mL bottle. Gingersnappy pumpkin roast aroma has a light flower note. Murky, dark brown body with a quick off-white head. Warm ginger roast malt flavour. Smooth full body. Interesting but weird.
(Post-Mondial Tasting)

Wow....experimental beer of the evening courtesy of Butters. Cold the beer has a wonderful aroma of cinamon, molases and raisins with the flavor closely following. Thick chewy mouthfeel with a sweet honey finish and some lingering spice. Warmed the beer thins a bit and picks up some citrusy sourness along with more ginger and a bit more roast. Very interesting. Would make a great winter warmer.

Champaign bottle, capped. Pours near black with large-bubble brown thin head. Initial aroma is PUMPKIN PIE. Huge anise aroma with molasis, raisins, and very sweet. Lots of cinnamin and nutmeg flavors. Sweet honey finish. That was for the chilled version. After heating the beer, the aroma and flavor mellowed out. Dissapointing. Overall, if the the flavor and body and aroma of the cold beer, could have been transfered to the hot version without being thinned out, i would have scored this in the high three’s.

From fridge: Dark black body with a very thin frothy light brown head. Big spice aroma, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie, light raisin and molassas. Big pumpkin pie, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, flavors, light molassas in the background and a honey finish. Full body with low carbonation. Warmed: More cinnamon aroma, ginger, the rest of the previous aroma is fairly muted. More light cinnamon and ginger flavors, the pumpkin flavors have dissipated. Body is thinner with the added heat. Overall, the cold version seems more complex and favorable.