Dupont Avec les Bons Voeux

Brewed by Brasserie Dupont
Style: Saison
Tourpes-Leuze, Belgium

Københavnske Øldage 07. Bottle. Hazy, golden with a nice creamy head. The aroma is spicy with notes of citrus and a bit of malt. The flavour is sweet and malty, but then comes refreshing citrus along together with a nice, crisp hop-bite. Complex and very nice. 15/29

Draught. Hazy orange color with a big white head. Spicy herbal lemon aroma and a sweet malty herbal taste. Medium to full body and a long sweet dry finish.

Vintage 2001: firm frothy head. Hoppy, citric aroma and flavor. Pinetree. You really can't notice the alcohol. Long hopbitter citric finish. Medium bodied and a good lacing. A delicious high quality beer.

Botella. Yeasty fruity bit tart aroma. The flavour is yeasty with fruits, flowers and something herbal. Pleasant bitterness. Refreshing brew.

A Mes rate: 37.5cl bottle from what used to be Thirst for Beer in that place in Wales. Wonderful crisp looking colour with a superbly behaved head that finally settles to a thin film and lasts all the way down. Wonderful spicy blonde aroma with hints of hay or straw but underlying perfumed character that is nothing short of enticing. Colour has just gone totally opaque with the final pour. The creamiest hops fall out of the glass and prickle the senses before it even touches your lips. Mouthfeel is surprisingly delicate but spritzy at the same time. Almost funky in the mouth with plenty of what you want from this type of beer but it’s the finish that really makes this a killer. Inititally unexpectedly sweet but then fiercely bitter followed by a rush of alcohol and it keeps coming in waves. Superb length and a glorious warmth from the good stuff. Seriously good.

Bottle. Hazy yellow with a little white head. A sweet and fruity aroma. Pineapple, apples and oranges. Round taste, fresh and slightly vinious. Really good.

On tap at Monk’s Café. Poured a lighter, hazy yellowish color with a smaller white head. I had this one after drinking 3 darker beers (Bell’s Exp., Aventinus Eisbock & Le Coq Imp. Stout) - it was a nice change of pace. Aromas and tastes of lemons, fruity, and light spices. Light yeast. The body seemed a little thin (but the previous beers could have something to do with that). I’ll have to revisit this one (I have a bottle sitting in the cellar).

Retried on 3/9/06. Increased some of the rating points as I really liked this the 2nd time around.

Matta is such a stellar individual Clear liquid gold wearing a foamy, frothy, rocky gigantic-sized white head. Very carbonated body. Gotta love such a complex aroma that never hinted at being not as great as expected by me (who still recently fell under the charm of their Dupont Forêt). Ultra farmy, dry and yeasty, very yeasty obviously like all other Dupont. Lovely barny and spicy hints. How can you not love a fine Saison. Bone-dry (made me think of chalk at times) with awesome white wine aspects. Deep spice profile includes coriander, basil, pepper, thyme, mint, sage and just various other herbs. The first sip proposes a malty attack with lots of dry hay, some apple and so much yeast. Finish is dry with a grassy hop bitterness, but remains restrained and balanced. Aftertaste comes back to haunt me with suggestions of dust and spices and that scores big points with me. So herbal, so intense and no alcohol to speak of although there's a charming warming effect. Body is medium, quite carbonated, mouth-cleaning for sure and lightly tart at times. Marvellous Marvel. I'm truly impressed and in great thirst of Saison for the rest of my days. Help me!