 Ernest (4227), Boulder, Colorado, USA
Sep 18, 2002 Updated: Oct 9, 2006
750ml 2006 bottle. Head is initially large, frothy, rocky, white, fully lasting. Body is hazy medium to dark yellow, bottle conditioned. Aroma is lightly to moderately malty (toasted grain), moderately hoppy (flowers, herbs), lightly to moderately yeasty (cobwebs), with notes of lemon peel, clove, eucalyptus, mint, black pepper, hay, Juicy Fruit gum, hint of band-aid. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, lightly to moderately bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, moderately to heavily bitter. Medium body, velvety texture, lively carbonation, lightly alcoholic. I tend to try to rate beer as fresh as possible (though not always drink it in that state), i.e., whenever a brewery deems it time to release a beer to the outside world, and that is assuredly the best time to sample most of Dupont’s beers. They are quite hoppy and don’t have a particularly funky/wild yeast character, thus they tend to become rather dull with age (drink within a year of release). The aroma is astoundingly complex, on so many levels. Wonderfully dry finish, as it should be. This is absolutely unbeatable when fresh, and amazingly consistent. It’s no surprise this is the most often cloned saison example in the world. This really should be in the Top 50, but I fear many people either do not sample it fresh, don’t appreciate saisons very much, or rate a skunked bottle (which admittedly can happen thanks to the high hop content and green bottles). Not to mention, this one can take some time and experience to appreciate fully...its perfection was lost to me for many years (even though I’ve usually rated it in the low/mid 4s), because its true beauty lies in its finesse and subtleties. This is pretty much the definition of a "perfect" beer.
yesyouam (351), Fairport, New York, USA
Sep 4, 2008 Saison Dupont Vieille Provision is a cloudy, very sparkling golden ale with a lot of particles in it. It has a huge, white, foamy head that has great retention and lacing. As soon as the cork was popped, the room was filled with a funky, farty aroma. A closer sniff reveals leather, earth, hay, spices of some sort, fruit salad. There’s a lot going on in that aroma. It is incredibly smooth and medium bodied. It japans the roof of the mouth and leaves the tongue dry. It dries up in a poof and leaves me thirsty for more. The flavor is pretty mellow, but still complex. It never gets sweet. It’s almost umami. There is leather, apples, grass, cirus peel corander... a bit of phenol. It’s hard to pick it apart, as it’s so well blended. There is a nice grassy bitterness at the finish. The whole flavor is tight and unique. It’s very satisfying.
gotohelunc (359), Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
Sep 4, 2008 Bottle. Cloudy dark straw color. Medium sized floats are visible, particularly as I got to the bottom of the bottle. Huge white head. Spicy, sour nose mixes yeast with hops. Flavors of sourdough, lemons, bananas, and grasses. Very well balanced and easy to drink. Lots of carbonation gives ia very clean palate. Great stuff.
jetzler (580), oklahoma city, Oklahoma, USA
Sep 4, 2008 Bottle, nice fruit aroma slight skunk from the green bottle, Nice cloudy color with a thick white head, that dissipates slowly. Nice malts and hops a great balance and yeast is enjoyable but not overbearing against the alcohol or the texture. Very nice and easily drinkable.
DrDavid (187), , Vermont, USA
Sep 3, 2008 (Bottle). Fruity aroma, inviting and pleasant. Orange golden color with a huge head that quickly dissipates. Flavor is fruity and somewhat sweet, mild but complex. Very enjoyable and refreshing.
Chrism86 (58), Melbourne, Australia
Sep 2, 2008 Pours hazy golden orange with fluffy white head. Aromas are dominated by earthy hops and spice with some citrus notes evident. Palate displays an abundance of earthy hop notes and yeaty dry spices. Carbonation is rather lively, adding to the dry profile. Finishes dry with a feint touch of sourness. A classic!
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