Saison Dupont Vieille Provision

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

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.

Saison has clearly settled as far and away my favorite style last year, so I thought a re-rate of the "classic" example was necessary. Saison Dupont’s meringue white head never leaves, laces and laces atop the perfect cloudy straight gold. Perfect appearance. Its nose is very complex. The Dupont yeast is home here, leading the show with a master’s hand. Perfect balance between the refreshing tartness and the awesome moderate, yet quenching and lingering bitterness. You can chug it down by a few sips or you can concentrate and seize all kinds of nuances, peppery, piney, fruity (lemon, pineapple, banana, mango) complexities. The mouthfeel is velvet, the big bubbles become a soft pillow as you let the beer breathe for an hour in your glass. Excessively balanced. A big achievement. One of the most nuanced beer in the world and somehow, just 2 years ago, I didn’t dig this one as much as other Saisons.. Dupont owns simply put, this saison is world-class and they have 2 beers that might very well be even better. Just let it breathe and take your time.. and a whole 750 by yourself hopefully.. This one is not too hard to find and worth it.

Original rating summer 2003: The price is a pleasant surprise, a dollar and a half less expensive than Chouffe products of the same size. Hazy yellow coloured ale with a big white head. Inviting spicy aroma with fruits and cereals. I didn’t quite find the legendary complexity of flavors others have been talking about in mouth, in fact the alcohol was pretty noticeable for its strenght and it just tasted tart spicy cereals. I’ll have another try soon. 3.7
2nd try: Better than last time. Tartness is balanced by a massive bitterness that brings us into a looong, yet dry finish. 3.7

Score bumped up. Easily in my top ten beers in the world as of Dec-06 and pretty much a bench mark for Saison. (Original Rating 9-5-9-3-17=4.3): Citrus, banana, strong cheese aromas. Generous and long lasting merangue-like white head with plenty of lacing. Spicy and dry flavour with some bitterness. A sweet start leads to a slight sourness through the middle and a long dry finish. Would perhaps enjoy a slightly fuller body but as is I could drink plenty of this. Bottle.

what is beauty? this totally is. tart and refreshing. slightly bitter. aromatic like a country morning in the the spring. bubbly and soft and bready. rustic. a masterpiece like a Michelangelo. human perfection.

I heard so much about this beer, I just thought it could not be that good. Holy shit, this ione of the brews that is magnum opus! The aroma and frothy head of this brew is picture perfect. The first sip is perfect - fruity, yeasty, a little hoppy, a little earthy, a whole lotta godd!!! The best saison and one of the best beers in the world, period. It is without question, a fine fine product and I am SO craving another. Introudce this to your wife, co worker, friend and watch them drop that Chardonney glass.

Saison Dupont pours to a very bright, hazy, yellow color with a thick, dense pillowy white head, and a very vibrant carbonation. The nose on this beer is fantastic, with zesty, grassy hop aromas, paired with estery citric fruity aromas. The palate is firm with a nice base of biscuity pale malt flavor, paired with more estery fruity flavors, and a refreshing, acidic sour edge. The natural carbonation of this beer, gives it such finesse on the tongue, it is just so flavorful and refreshing. Saison Dupont finishes with more good pale malt and tart fruit flavors up front, then ends dry, zesty, and very refreshing as it lingers on the tongue. This is a phenomenal beer. At 6.5% abv it has enough heft to make a nice aperitif beer, and the perfect beer to rouse the appetite before dinner. It has tremedous cutting power as well, and would be the perfect beer to match with rich and buttery cheeses or strong and sharp cheeses, as well as rich, hearty meat dishes, such as brazed lamb shanks, or prime rib of beef. It is marketed in 750ml bottles, and is a steal for $6-$7 a bottle.

Beer Nirvana. The aroma was fragrant yet subduded, the color a nice buttery translucent golden yellow. The head poured big and frothy like whipped cream and the laceing was beautiful. The delicate bubbles working their way from the bottom of the glass to the head was a pretty display of beer balet. Then there was the first sip. Beergasm! I may be new to Ratebeer and this whole beer tasting thing, but i’ve drank alot of diffent beers in my 44 years of life and let me tell you this is the best brew i’ve ever tasted. And i’m drinking a bottled example. I only bought this because some metrosexual fop of MensJournal.com said this was the best beer ever. Score one for the Metros! He was right. My only reget here is that I bought just one bottle. Now im jonesing for another like a crack addict who smoked his last rock.

Taken me a while to get to this one (too busy enjoying them the last few months since I discovered it to actually think toom much about it). Looks just downright amazing in the Saison Dupont tumbler purchased @ the bar across the street from the brewery. Bright straw color with a perect head and fizzing carbonation everywhere. Smells like the countryside where it’s from: Spring flowers, barnyard funk and musty hay, a nice dose of spicy hops and hints of various (and always different) fruits. Tastes like nirvana. Wonderful spicy hops and funky goodness upfront, some sour cherry, a little banana and more of the funk as it warms, and the world’s best finish (for me), dry and crisp. I get different flavors every time. Just an outstanding blend of all the flavors. This beer would be my answer to "if you could only drink one beer the rest of your life..." Great in the cool months, better in the summer, even better with food of almost any variety. It’s quite possible it’s not "perfect" in an objective sense, but it’s definitely perfect for me and my tastebuds. It’s the only beer that I always have on-hand.