Trois Poules Francais - The Bruery

jvillefan

California

3.8/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: A deep golden red body with less the. A half a finger of ivory laced head.

S: A lot of grape in the aroma. There was dark fruit and roast with Belgian spice. Well balanced.

T: Too much grape. Grape juice the the dominate flavor. It is still a good be but could be great with less grape. There is a lot of Belgian character as well.

M: Medium body and carbonation.

O: Good beer. Worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 01:32:45 | More by jvillefan

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.28/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Bottle: Poured a deep cloudy red color ale with a small foamy head with limited retention and minimal lacing. Aroma of red wine notes with light vinegar with sour grapes notes. Taste is dominated by tart notes from the grapes with some oak and some vinous notes with light residual sugar at the end. Acidity level is well balanced. There are also some funky notes which work more or less well with the rest of the mix. Body is quite full with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Average sour available for a non-average price.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 19:32:58 | More by Phyl21ca

ngeunit1

California

4.16/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark brown-red with a thin finger of frothy khaki-tan head. Fades very quickly.

S - Sweet dark caramel malts, grapes, oak, vanilla, red wine, Belgian yeast, pepper, clove, and other spices, candi sugars, touch of funk, and a bit of booze.

T - Sweet dark caramel malts, grapes, raisins and other dark fruits, some sourness, red wine, oak, vanilla, Belgian yeast, pepper, clove, other spices, candi sugars, some funk, and a bit of booze.

M - Full bodied, moderate carbonation. Smooth with a sour, sweet, and warming finish.

D - Great complex BSDA. Good overall balance and the barrel comes through nicely.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 04:20:13 | More by ngeunit1

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.79/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a dark chestnut brown color with mahogany edges and a half finger off-white head that quickly fades into a lasting ring.   Spotty lacing left behind.

The aroma is dominated by a strong red wine barrel presence that gives off vinous fruits such as grape, plum and raisin which are complimented by earthy oak, sweet booze and peppery spice notes.  Subtle medicinal presence along with some sweet malts but the barrel notes overpower most of the unpleasantness of the base beer.

Medium bodies with a really sweet vinous red wine flavor that lingers over the zesty spice and dark malts into a slightly dry finish.  Slightly tart with a strong barrel presence that gives off oak,meed wine and lots of vikous dark fruit.  Hints of grape, plum, date, fig and currant countered slightly roasted malt sweetness and peppery spice.  Very subtle medicinal/syrupy presence with some caramel and toffee flavor.  I found the regular 3 French Hens an undrinkable mess but the addition of stray grapes and red wine barrel aging have really toned things down.  A bit heavy on the vinous fruit/red wine flavors but the overbearing alcohol and insane spiciness are kept in check.  Complex, flavorful and pretty easy to drink considering how strong it is.  A major improvement.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 01:54:53 | More by corby112

DocJitsu

California

3.13/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Pours a lifeless, nearly opaque, dark root beer brown color, with nearly no head at all. A very thin cap of nitrogen-infused-like head appears just before it goes away for good. It's quite unattractive. The aroma is comprised by a little date in the background and tart chardonnay in the foreground. The mouthfeel is wet up front, with medium body, but finishes a little dry. The flavor is very tart and causes the palate to long for something sweet for balance. There's no disguising the wine grapes used in making this beer. It finishes pretty cleanly.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 19:43:54 | More by DocJitsu

ptykozoon

California

3.4/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The ushe, dark brown with lacing on the rim.

Grape, a light funk, raisin, very subdued oak.

A sour pang at the forefront, opens with citrus, then the sour cherry flavors hit and the finish is wine and vinegar. One of the most winelike beers I've ever had. I wonder what a wine lover would think.

Mouthfeel is strong, feels good and heavy in the mouth (that's what she said). Light carbonation.

Nice beer. The years are definitely going to alter this thing. Its very pungent and flavorful now, I think it would be a bit more delicate with age.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 03:20:31 | More by ptykozoon

andrewinski1

Maine

3.23/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to Ineedabeerhere for hooking this one up! Poured into a tulip. The color is very dark brown. There is a nice light tan head.

The aroma is very grapey. This blends well with some notes of brown sugar and molasses. Raisins really shine through also. After smelling this for longer, I get a little more vanilla.

The taste is surprisingly tart (when compared to the aroma). There is a mild sugary sweetness on the tongue.

This is medium bodied. There s mellow carbonation. This tastes pretty good, but other than the aroma, everything else is just okay.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 14:12:30 | More by andrewinski1

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by drabmuh. Thanks Matt.

The beer is dark chestnut brown with a thin beige collar. The aroma offers oak, wild yeast, caramel malt, a touch of cherries, light spice. Tart and sweet cherry flavors with prevalent wild yeast. Oak and bacteria. Maybe some purple grapes. It tastes like an imperial Oude Tart, though not as tasty. Medium bodied and sufficiently tart. Overall, this was enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 02:22:08 | More by Huhzubendah

merc7186

New York

4.43/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had this beer poured from a bomber into a tasting glass.

A: Deep Amber Hue, Passes Mild Light, White Head Ring, Some Lacing

S: Sour Mash, Musty Grapes, Chardonnay

T: Grapes, Sour Mash, Chardonnay

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Sour

Overall, a nice wine barrel aged sour ale with great sour taste.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 05:05:22 | More by merc7186

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.28/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours into the glass a solid dark brown with faint ruby highlights when held to light and a smallish off white head that quickly dissipates to a cap. The aroma is fruity and tart with a hint of oak on the edges. The flavor is quite different. Up front is a tongue piercing fruity tartness followed by some oak and a bit of sweet and a whole lot of alcohol heat. Medium to light body with a light level of carbonation and a tart sour mouthfeel. Quite acidic and tart, more sour ale than Belgian Strong. It kind of works, but is not my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 23:40:36 | More by johnnnniee

claspada

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a fairly dark brown color with a bit of a crimson hue. Off-white soapy head that dissipates quickly leaving a bit of spotty lacing.

Aromas begin quite wine forward with red vinous grapes, plus some solid oak and a some vinegar acidity. As it warms you get some more complexity with underlying dark fruits and extremely light amounts of toffee maltiness. I am surprised and slightly disappointed that I so so little of the base beer. Not a bad aroma by any means, just smells more like a dark sour ale than a Belgian Dark Strong aged in a wine barrel.

The flavor directly follows the nose with huge vinous fruit flavors plus some solid oak barrel as well. Some vinegar and sour fruitiness also asserts itself; you can feel it make your pucker a little. Once again, after remembering how the base beer tasted, I am surprised by how it plays so second fiddle to the oak, sour and acidic flavors. Not bad, just not what I was expecting.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. Finish is dry and quite tannic.

Overall, I am torn on this beer. It is a good dark sour ale but I am not sure if this is what they originally intended. I think a whole year was a bit too long to age this beer in the wine barrel and question if they originally intended this to get as sour as it currently is or not. I am slightly disappointed that there was not more of the base Dark Strong Ale flavor; little to no breadiness or dark caramel maltiness. Reminds me a great deal of Surly Five for comparison's sake, which was a really solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 23:53:12 | More by claspada

Treebs

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750 ml bottle shared at the tasting. Served in a Portsmouth tulip.

A: Pours a semi muddled, but clear plum color with brown hues mixed in. A small head forms on the pour, but it quickly dissolves to nothing.

S: Some sour grape skins, mild musty funk, a heavier malt body and some acidic notes.

T: Sour red grapes with a subtle tartness. Grainy malt body with some slight funky aftertones.

M: Medium bodied with a medium to low carb and a smooth, slightly malty finish.

O: This was decent enough. It as your average dark sour that's a little better than average, but I wouldn't want to seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 12:26:09 | More by Treebs

brentk56

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Certainly not the most attractive beer I have ever poured, the liquid presents a muddy brown color with a russet edge; there was not much of a head to begin with and, after a few seconds, all that was left was a bubbly ringlet that leaves plenty of dots on the tulip glass

Smell: Tart and vinous, with the dark berry aspect of the Syrah grapse quite prominent; there is an interesting jammy character that joins the tart element, however; buttressing the fruit is a strong whiff of the oak barrel

Taste: The berry fruit of the Syrah grapes assert themselves, up front, with the tart aspect developing by mid-palate and even more prominently, after the swallow; loads of oak flavors intermingle with the sweet and tart grape tones, with tobacco showing up in the finish; long after the swallow, the tartness continues to pucker the mouth

Mouthfeel: Medium body with low carbonation; very tannic and dry, with a puckering sensation on the finish

Overall: Perhaps a bit too tart and vinegary, the beer is a good, but not great, sour; to my palate, the flavors never quite come together - maybe time will help

Thanks, nicks6217, for the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 20:19:24 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.95/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle pour sampled at mrbubbler's tasting courtesy of Retsinis.

Pours a murky brown with a tan head that fades to nothing. No lacing on this one. Smell is of sour and tart fruits, wood, and some wine aromas. Taste is the same with a nice tartness on the palate. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good sour version of 3 Calling Birds that is quite tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 03:38:38 | More by UCLABrewN84

HopHead84

California

3.45/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

4/7/2012

A: Very dark brown with a reddish hue. Fast fading beige head.

S: Grape blends with vinegar and sweet malts. There's a little raisin in there with a touch of earth and oak.

T: Pronounced grape notes with a moderate acetic acidity. Vinegar is pretty strong. Oak is present throughout.

M: Medium body with low carbonation (again, with the low carbonation on the sours).

Overall: A run of the mill dark sour. I've been disappointed in the Bruery's sour offerings as of late. They just aren't that interesting. I'm not sure if it's a lackluster house strain or what. This is a big step down from Barrel Aged Partridge and Barrel Aged Two Turtle Doves, which are great.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 19:18:39 | More by HopHead84

craytonic

District of Columbia

3.53/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: dark-brown pour, smallish head

Smell: a bit sweet with some oak and dark fruits, nothing special

Taste: A bit sweet and spicy with dark fruits and barrel. Slightly vineous

Mouthfeel: medium body, low carbonation, a bit tannic

Overall: nothing impressive, wouldn't try it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 02:28:18 | More by craytonic

MasterSki

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Don't remember who shared this one - was it Chris? Served in a Hill Farmstead glass.

A - White foam settles to wispy patches, a thick collar, and spotty lacework. Dark brown body that is somewhat murky.

S - Oak, red wine, musky and sweaty funk, hint of plastic, touch of vinegar. Perhaps a faint appearance of the base beer's flavors, but largely dominated by bugs and barrel.

T - It's your standard dark sour - red wine, oak, mild cocoa and dark fruit malts, and perhaps a bit of residual Christmas spice in the periphery. Finishes very tannic and vinous. Alcohol is well-hidden.

M - Medium body, dry, lower carbonation, plenty of barrel tannins and oaky textures. Somewhat like a big red wine but with a modest amount of bubbles. Alcohol doesn't really make itself known.

D - Solid effort from the brewery, but nothing outstanding. I much preferred the first two barrel-aged offerings in this series, while this comes off a bit understated and muddled. Why does every Bruery beer I've had in recent memory feel rushed and incomplete? Perhaps the sourness and acidity will strengthen over time, or perhaps this will just mellow and become bland and even less interesting - who knows?

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 05:05:39 | More by MasterSki

Sean9689

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle into tulip.

A - Pours a dark reddish/brown color, tan-colored head, wisps.

S - Dark fruits, oak, light tannins, medium level of sour/tart notes. Nothing really sticks out for me here, just kind of muted. I hate to say it's boring, but...it's boring. Kind of a watered down dark sour, if you ask me.

T - Wine barrels, sweet dark fruits, tobacco, some berries. Not overly tart or sour, but enough to keep you interested. Still a bit boring/muted for me, but better then the nose. Finish is dark fruity sour dryness.

M - Light to medium, good carbonation, dry finish.

O - I really wanted to like this beer more, but I just couldn't do it. It's an average dark sour, nothing more, nothing less. A bit watery and muted to me, but easily drinkable. I think this beer is a great beer for those who are interested into getting into sours (or dark sours, for that matter).

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 16:08:27 | More by Sean9689

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.1/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle. Thanks to Thorpe429 and Drabmuh for hooking me up with this.

Pours a murky, fairly dark crimson mahogany with an off white head and minimal lacing. Strong, fruity aroma of red grapes and wine, with minimal oak, vanilla and acidity. Sweet fruity flavor as expected but also a much strong sour, slightly acetic presence that wasn't in the nose. Mild, thin body with a tannic, dry finish. Very little alcohol presence surprisingly. Didn't enjoy the flavor as much as the nose, but was surprised how much I enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 20:01:14 | More by yourefragile

Thorpe429

Illinois

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle served in a Bruery tulip.

Pours a fairly-dark brown with a bit of a crimson hue. Off-white head and a bit of lacing. The nose carries some nice wine notes and a bit of grape, plus some dark fruits, oak, and a very faint acidity. The flavor does not disappoint after that, with nice vinous notes plus some oak-barrel character. Some fruit and good barrel character throughout. Body is medium with a nice dry, semi-tannic finish. Good vinous character throughout. I'm a fan indeed.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 03:25:51 | More by Thorpe429

phichifiji00

California

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Brown with a slightly reddish/purple hue. Subtle white head that fades very quickly. Almost no lacing.

Smell: Red wine, vinegar, bell pepper.

Taste: red wine, vinegar, oak, slightly tart.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied, moderate carbonation, silky, smooth, slightly tart.

Overall: A tasty beer. The syrah elements are very prevalent. Only a hint of the underlying beer comes through.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 05:56:43 | More by phichifiji00

scottfrie

California

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a murky dark raisin brown with a thin but fluffy head that faded into a soapy film. The nose is full of tart dark fruits, berries and grapes. Very vinous smelling. The tastes follows suit with tart but clean flavors of vinous grapes, raisin and hint of lemony citrus. I get a hint of cocoa and leather in the finish. Mouthfeel is very dry and tart and the carbonation is tight and tingly. Overall this is a mouthwatering sour, and definitely enjoyable and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 18:57:22 | More by scottfrie

drabmuh

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Beer served in a Bruery glass, you should try it, it heightens the pleasure.

Beer is brown and hazy with a lazy thin head of small bubbles but lots and lots of carbonation, some lacing, low retention though.

Aroma is sweet and sour, mildly acetic, mostly funk and oak though, like a flanders or a St. Lam from Cantillon, it has that character to it.

Beer is thin and funky with a dry finish, not as much fruit detected as I would hope but this beer comes off completely like a Flanders Bruin. A very nice beer overall, just not as complex as I was hoping. I'd definitely have it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 04:34:43 | More by drabmuh

seeswo

Ohio

3.28/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a brownish, orangey red. Yeah. The nose is cherry and grape tartness, but also regular flavored bubble gum and a bit of oak and spice. What a strange and interesting smelling beer. Unfortunately, it doesn't taste as intriguing as the nose. The tart fruit flavors (predominantly grape) sit alongside a substantial spice and bubble gum sweetness. It comes together as a confused hodgepodge of flavor - the grape experiment doesn't work for me because it is layered on a beer that is too big and has too much sweetness already, such that the grape tartness is more in competition with the BSDA base than in harmony with it. It has a medium-light mouthfeel with a medium-light carbonation. Overall, this doesn't come together for me. Interesting experiment for sure, but generally speaking, this was not a success. As a dark sour beer, the Wanderer more successfully embraced the concept.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 12:24:38 | More by seeswo

FosterJM

California

3.83/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

1103rd Review on BA
Bottle to Bruery Tulip
750 ml

2011 Bottle

App- Okay so this really is a mish mash of colors. Seems to be a mix of brown, red, purple. Kinda of a plum color with very little bubbles. On the second pour I get more of the cling but color is still a muddled brow/purple.

Smell- I'm not gonna go into a lot of detail but instead a list. Grape, Cherry, Spice, Sour, Sweet, Oak. Not overly balanced but still aromatic and blended

Taste- I really appreciate the BOOM of oak flavor I get on this one and then immediately I get the grape flavors coming in. The sour and sweet notes come in next and last is the remaining of the BSDA spice to it. A good beer and very large. Sneaky boozy with the sour and sweet, you never realize its 10.4%

Mouth- A thin medium with a certain low-medium carbonation. Very oaky/fruit residual flavor.

Drink- So I enjoyed it but something was just off for me. It was very good, please don't get me wrong. I think it spent too much time in the barrel and diluted some of the softness and complexity of a great base beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 04:49:17 | More by FosterJM