Dupont Avec les Bons Voeux

Bottle (from BItter Virtue, Aug 2010). Deep golden. Peppery and zesty orange hops with firm dry malts and yeast character which at times is fruity and others has a chalky earthy character. The real highlight of this beer however is the subtle combination of flavours in the mouth and the overall feel. The firm malts provide a backbone throughout whilst the solid hop bitterness doesnt overpower the subtleties. There is an almost tart flavour which never quite develops fully but acts as an interesting counterpoint between the malt and hop flavours. With a 750 of strong belgian beer it can sometimes be a bit of a struggle to finish it but this went down the hatch quite easily.

First impression after seeing and smelling the beer, I was disappointed. Very cloudy body and strong smell of skunk. Very tall head. But no skunk flavour at all, the beer taste was good. Some notes of orange and citrus. Dry finished but can taste the alcohol pretty well.

This corked and caged bottled brew bottled in 2005 came from a bottle shop and poured a extremely large sized head of foamy finely sized off-white colored bubbles that was mostly lasting and left behind a hazy softly carbonated dark . The aroma was fruity farmhouse malty and doughy. The crisp mildly vinous mouth feel was tingly at the start with a mellow finish. The crisp saison flavor contained notes of mild hops fruits and was mildly vinous. Delicious and one I would certainly buy again.

750 mL bottle, not sure of the vintage. This pour was just beautiful... slightly hazy medium golden with a tall cap of creamy white head... some rising carbonation. Left a dense, intricate lacing behind... some sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Loved the nose, too... soft whipped lighter fruits, lemony alcohol, dusty spices, and citrus zest rounding it off. Flavor was even better... lemon was prevalent throughout, providing moderate tartness.. dusty and musty yeast gave it an old feel... lots of peppery spices... and grassy hops. Tartness and alcohol warmth increase as this approaches room temp. Exceptionally soft on the palate and refreshing. Higher carbonation worked well, and the alcohol was highly complimentary. This was an exceptional beer!

Perfect gold with a orange tinted center. Slighly paled and definately hazed from the tons of activity that swirls and dances around within. Carbonation is fevered and running for a long time after every pour. Tiny specks of yeast and spices thread themselves inbetween the bubbly action. The head is towering and creamy with a lightly stained whiteness that resembles home made whipping cream. Not to mention the staying power this cap has. It takes for ever to subside from all the carbonated action. Only from sipping does it get taken away. The lacing isn’t really lacing at all, its left over creamy clumps and shelves that sit around the top of glass in areas that I’m not sipping from. Incredible appearance! I could go on, but... Aroma is adequately forward with a lemony spice, dried grasses, airy yeasty dried spice, and pale breads. As it begins to finally settle in after a length the warming temp tends to get an over riped, fruity funk of pineapple and banana skins. The malts really turn it around into something quite different. Still takes alot of wiffing to get the subtlities down as well as its overall nose. But quite capativating, non-the-less. Taste is firm and standing tall. Takes you right in and begins the ride of complexity thats nearly overwhelming. Lots of weird but interesting spices fly up and down and around the center of a pale bready, semi soured tangy center of sweetness. Yeasty things are always there as is a fruity sense of dulled and over ripe citrusy stuff. Kinda stuffy, fairly bold, easliy rich, inticing, slimming dryness, moderate malts, and faint notes to citrus peels and their bitterness and parching effects. One super complex flavor thats ever changing from sip to sip. Something new captured in every sip. A nice aspect to what seems to be its dulling character. I think its the spices, which are peppery, yeasty, floral, dry, grassy, and not withstanding any real overplay as it helps balance the funky fruity paled sweetness. Feel is solid and active, at first, once it settles and is at the bottom, trailing end of its offering, it gets completely awesome. Warm, spicing, airy, creamy, rich, malty, spicy again, some dryness, more spices, wow, it never stops making an impression. Some lasting sips bring the warmth right into the nose with spices and warmth. To me that’s an impression. The drinkability is quite good and can be put back easliy enough, yet that 9.5 % sneaks right in and lets you know and reminds you to slow it down for full enjoyment at the proper stage of the beers’ life. An incredible Saison thats sure to blow the mind of any worthy connoisseur of the style. Seemed at its peak of interest to me at around 60 degrees. So serve warmer then the norm for most and enjoy.

Bottle at - Bruxellensis Festival. Gold colour with thin off white head. Nice saisony type strong beer. Wears the alcohol well.

Aroma: hoppy and sharp. Appearance: orange to brown and cloudy with a great white fluffy head and sheet lacing. Flavour: massive hop bitterness and flavour hop. Malty. Palate: lingering bitterness.

Corked and caged bottle. Corked marked 2005. Poured a large white frothy head that was mostly lasting, cloudy and a pale yellow with a little orange peeking through for the hue. Sweet citrus, tart and spicy note for the aroma. Flavor was sweet, dry, citrus, and spicy. Nicely done. Tingly, dry mouthfeel. Light-medium body. Nicely done and worthy of a try.