3 Monts Amber Ale On Lees - Brasserie De Saint-Sylvestre

Dantes

New Jersey

4.83/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Package: 750ml (1 pint, 9.4 oz) “stapled” & corked, heavy brown bottle. No date or ABV information. Classy, wine-bottle-like front and back labels. Key label information: bottle-conditioned, sur lie, and artisanal. Cork stamped, “11/11.” This particular bottle was bought about 18 months ago and properly cellared.

Cost: $5.99

Presentation: tulip glass at ~50º. The heavy staple is easily removed with the blade of a waiter’s corkscrew (or a screwdriver), but the small edge of cork above the bottle’s mouth makes using a corkscrew (or pliers) recommended.

Appearance: Lovely lees dust the bottom of the bottle. The cork pops firmly out of the neck of the bottle, along with substantial tendrils of gunsmoke. The color is extraordinary. The nubilous yellow-apricot body has an inner glow I only seem to see in the best beers. Generates a very fluffy, dry, sticky, barely off-white head that laces down the entire glass. Numerous streams of small bubbles race to the replenish the head.

Smell: Stunningly complex. Meadow-fresh cut grass, floral, and earthy at the same time. This beer expresses it all: sweet malty alcohol, piquant hoppiness, and gentle herbal notes. Smells almost as substantial as most beers taste.

Taste: Like the aroma, the taste continually evolves; maturing from a crisp, herbal hoppiness to a fuller, heavier, sweeter, maltier beer. The more one looks, the more there is in this beer. The initially dry, herbal, and floral notes deepen into a malty, biscuity stage and then a more honeyed fruitiness that includes crisp apple and a tropical mango, pineapple, and durian flavors. The second glass can be entirely different from the first. The balance is on the “soft” side (fruitiness dominating over astringency) but still structured. The alcohol is detectable but unobtrusive, helping this to a deep, long warm finish.

Mouthfeel: A tiny bit of alcohol warmth on the palate, buoyed by the extremely fine, “petillant” carbonation. Manages to be soft and crisp at the same time. Good body, especially as it warms.

Drinkability: Top marks here. Although relatively high in ABV, this is very smooth and easily drinkable. You’ll go through a bottle in no time.

Backwash: One of the finest beers in the world (definitely top 20 for me), and vastly underrated (or under-known). I drank this particular example back-to-back with a “regular” 3 Monts. Frankly, I don’t find the differences that substantial. I’d compare the relationship between the Grand Réserve and the standard offering as the difference between an “extra brut” and a “brut” Champagne (although both are less dry than typical Champagnes). Stock up, this is one of the best cellaring candidates and one of the greatest bargains out there. Sublime.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2004 19:17:23 | More by Dantes

HiroProtagonist

Maryland

4.7/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

3 Monts Grande Reserve Speciale Ale was served from a difficult 750ml corked and clamped bottle. In a Duvel tulip, the beer was a hazy orange-caramel hue, and was topped by a rich, thick, stiff, and resiliant light tan head that left sheets and smatterings of sticky lacing. Decadent currents of musty dried apricots, cloves, piney resinous hops, and luxurious scotch wafted from the glass, serving to invigorate my senses. On the palate, I experienced a world of intruiging and wonderful flavors that were related to the nose ... dried turkish apricots soaked in oakey red wine, grass, rosiness, and licorice. These flavors swirled and bounced with joy on the taste buds while the fantastic sweeping tannic dry lime bitter finish rolled through, leaving lingering vinous apricot notes. I was very impressed by the balance and composition of all of this. The full smooth body and the semi-fluffy carbonation were matched well with the flavors and personality of this beer. The deliciousness, balance, and dryness of this brew made it very easy to drink...for the style. Full-flavored, charismatic, and captivating... a highly recommend acquistion.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2004 04:20:15 | More by HiroProtagonist

marburg

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Putnam just got this in, and being that the other 3 Monts is so good, we had high hopes for this Grande Reserve Special Ale. Personally, I was a touch disappointed. This is good. But it's hardly superb.

The show was, however. Popping the cork allowed the bottle to spew its contents in just about every direction. Forceful carbonation. Rusty orange color with a huge, epic head. Fruity aroma catches your attention from anywhere nearby. Tall grass fields and flowering shrubs. Very earthy and dank feeling. Lots of yeast flavors in this, I think. Burnt sugars seem to squash the interesting fruit flavors around mid-palate -- the flavor of carmelized scrapings from the bottom of a baking pan. Still quite drinkable and pretty good -- but this isn't nearly as great as the original in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2004 03:26:23 | More by marburg

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.88/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I've been holding onto this bottle for months, perhaps for a special occasion? And why not review #800 on BA? For this, I genuflect to the generosity of jcalbi...

The first thing you know about this ale, once freeing the cork and letting the beer flow free, is the enormous, volcanic, titanic, utterly brobdignagian head of foam that gushes forth and overwhelms the glass, spills unto the floor, and before you know it, you're licking the linoleum!
Aroma: Sweetness supreme! I'm sorry, if you're not an angel in human form, you probably have no right to know this sublimity...oh, wait, it's YOU! Okay, go ahead...sparkly, yeasty, fruity, heady, ..oooh, I'm on cloud 10! It's one more, you understand...
Appearance: a murky, cloudy, amber hue, closer to a pale orange, actually...
Taste: lightness, sweetness, fruit, divinity, transendence, uplifting goodness, unparalleled happiness resulting from, goodness, this is that rare kind of beer that makes me swoon, do you hear, swooon!
Each further sip cause me to reel back again, and further settle into this luscious enveloping of beauty...yes, every once in a while, you find beauty in a beer, and this is then...oh, Lordy..
Body, if we MUST get technical, is rather light, but don't tell that to FLAVOR, oh, no, for the finish don't know the meaning of that word, brother! Rings and chimes in the caverns of the senses for what seems like forever! And long may it, indeed! I can see no further pleasure to be found of a beer of this caliber, if there is any other...I'm going to have a fine time emptying this bottle, oh, yes, sir!
I take back my previous comments about France and beer ...if there's more like this, France, I'll forgive you for Fischer, but, PLEASE, more of THIS!!!!

Again, thanks to jcalbi, long may he reign...

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2003 10:59:46 | More by feloniousmonk

yen157

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

After getting past the interesting cork arrangement the beer poured a very pretty honey color with a rocky, eggshell head. The aroma consisted of sweet malt, and peppery, perfumey hops. Before it warmed up a bit alcohol was too big of a flavor. Once it warmed everything fell into place. Bread and honey on the palate and some wood (American oak) as well. While not very sweet at all, it finishes even drier. Very complex beer and beautifully crafted. My review surely does not do it justice. I’m glad the store was out of the “regular” 3 Monts, and I had the extra dollar to spend on this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2003 06:20:15 | More by yen157

Jon

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Here's an interesting French offering. My first biere de garde, 3 Monts proved to be a choice accompaniment to a turkey dinner. Pours a golden color with a thick, creamy white head that makes its presence known. Nice residue of lace all the way down the glass. Smell is big on earthy tones -- fresh cut grass, hops, etc. Exhibits a somewhat sour, yet balanced taste and a clean, prickly mouthfeel. Fairly easy to drink, this goes great with food. A truly unique brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2002 21:48:53 | More by Jon

inebrius

Michigan

5/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

It is compulsory that you appreciate a beer whose cork is held in place by a staple. Aroma of earth: clods of sod, hay, apple trees, vines of jessamine and burlap. Malt start is sweet, but not at all saccharine. Bitterness is mellow and perfect. It finishes savory and warming and right. Layers of lace coat the glass. Monolithic head reduces into a campfire marshmallow that you have to gather with a spoon when the crystalline amber liquid is gone. Frothy, but in no way harsh. The perfect beer? I sit besides myself and wonder how I lived for thirty years without ever tasting this awe-inspiring brew. Words can do no justice, find it and buy it.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2002 08:08:22 | More by inebrius

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Corked 750 ml bottle. Pours a hazy orange body topped by a cream colored rocky/creamy head that's formed of average sized bubbles but holds extremely well as it's buoyed by a strong effervescence. Leaves excellent lace throughout the glass. The aroma is gently earthy, but not musty, with a honey-ish bready malt and perfumy & earthy hops. There are some subtle straw and light wood characteristics. The body is light/medium with an effervescent carbonation that's prickly on the tongue and gives the impression of a fuller mouthfeel. The flavor is a softly fruity and lightly sweet (orange & honey), but still dryish, combination of malt & earthy hop. The alcohol is somewhat apparent, but not distracting. A solid bitterness, emphasised by the brisk carbonation, eventually receeds as the beer warms to reveal more sweetness. Finishes dry with a lingering herbal & mineral character. A very enjoyable, refreshing, and drinkable beer with lots of character. I was surprised at the amount of hop bitterness and flavor. Well worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2002 18:14:46 | More by NeroFiddled

frank4sail

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is brewed once in the spring and once in the fall.

Just getting the cork out of this bottle is a problem. There is no "champagne" twisted cork stopper it is a "wine cork" held in with a bent wire. You will need a wine opener for this one. Slightly musty/malt/earthy nose. Golden in color with a touch of orange. It has a thick slightly off white head. Nice lively carbonation in the goblet and the head and lace are framed well. The malty base to the taste is a tapestry for subtle flavors of dry tart fruit, smoke, and white pepper. The mouth is complex with original silk smoothtongue, followed by lots of bubbles and a dry finish. The beer is very good and improves as it warms. A very creamy lasting milkshake of a beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2002 20:39:24 | More by frank4sail