Spike & Jérôme’s Cuvée Délirante (Collaboration Ale) - BFM Brasserie Des Franches-Montagnes

maximum12

Minnesota

1/5  rDev -72.1%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Awww shit. Bought this off the shelf here in Georgia on a whim & scanning the reviews, it sounds like this might be sour...well, nothing to do but hope. 11.4 oz. swing-top.

Cool bottle. I release the metal & it exhales before the rubber stopper is even cracked. Yikes. Heading to sink now. But no, not even a whimper of head. Looks like red wine vinegar; kinda smells like it too. No. Almost exactly like it.

Spike & Jerome's Cuvee Delirante should have been strangled in the cradle. Heavy sour tang, red vinegar up the nose, with a tiny wisp of rum & some kind of beer right at the end.

Brewers: if you're going to brew sour shit, put the word SOUR on the label somewhere; you're going to end up in hell for calling things like this a "barleywine". Dammit. This just pisses me off. Unfuckingdrinkable. It makes me sorry I just dropped money on another Terrapin beer, & I won't touch anything from these other characters.

Possibly the Worst Beer Ever.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 01:51:20 | More by maximum12

match1112

Illinois

1/5  rDev -72.1%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

the 11.4oz swing top made a noticable hiss as it swung open so i know it wasn't completely flat. despite that, there are no signs of life to this beer as it pours out into the cup. body is a dark murky brown with some reddish hues around the top edges.

the nose is very sweet and jelly like, reminds me of jello shots when they're in liquid stage. the taste is horrid, this could be the worst beer i've ever had. overly sweet with a flat stale juice flavor to it. there is a noticable alcohol presence to it, but it doesnt have any hints of rum or oak to it, jkust over the top sweetness.

mouthfeel is completely flat and sticky. like i mentioned earlier, there is some alcohol burn to it. overall this is just nasty. i'm at a loss of words for how truly horrid this beer is.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 23:37:20 | More by match1112

champ103

Texas

1.7/5  rDev -52.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

A: Pours a murky, dirty looking reddish/brown color. A tiny bubbly beige head forms, but recedes in a second. Not lace, and looks lifeless.
S: Buttery diacetyl and acidic fruits intermingle which makes the nose unattractive.
T: Follows the nose, but much more revved up. Full on buttery malt/popcorn/diacetyl. Mix that with a cringing sourness/acidic quality. Plenty of alcohol as well. Blah.
M/D: Syrupy, flat, and lifeless. To much alcohol, and just plan hard to drink.

Wow, this is plain bad. Most everything else I have had from BFM is amazing. This is a drain pour though. Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 03:17:16 | More by champ103

beerthulhu

New Jersey

2/5  rDev -44.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

- 2/3 ale, 1/3 ale matured in rum oak barrel. Collabration ale of Terrapin & Brasserie BFM of Switzerland. Brewed 2011. Consumed 8/12. Ages well with a 10.0276% abv.

A: A dark ice tea coloring upon bottle exit sits a steadfast black with absolutely no head formation, just a polished surface. No lacing or visible effervesce. No audible pop of carbonation upon opening of swingtop.

S: Rum is evident on the nose of moderate level. Caramel apple booziness best describes the aroma of limited complexity and interest. Really didn't lend to much excitement or anticipation.

T: Flavor was strongly soured, vinegar, puckering of lemon caramel. A real eye squinter, something i wasn't prepared for at first unsure of style (sour english barleywine). Boozy caramel apple, every bit its 10.0%abv. Leathery whiskey fade. The flavor puckering sour.

M: The mouthful was light, very sour, acidic, slippery texture with a flat carbonation factor. Lifeless on the hold, leaving with a sour vinegar like fade.

O: Overall i get the style, but comes nearly undrinkable by one's self. Flat lifeless mouthful is equaled by a flat lifeless flavor. Something i was not expecting. Best to share as this is a sipper and for fans of hardcore sours only. Yes i had Cantillon, and this is not.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 00:48:41 | More by beerthulhu

Dope

Massachusetts

2.2/5  rDev -38.5%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Interesting beer. A "Barley Ryne" according to the bottle. 1/3 aged in rum barrels too. This is definitely a first.

A: A rusty dark brown/red color. Literally no head, just a smattering of bubbles around the edges. No lacing or retention of course.

S: Pretty boozy rum up front. Some heavy molasses in there. I don't really know how to describe what I'm smelling, this is totally unique. It's similar to dark vermouth in a way, a sort of herbal aroma but almost wine-ish. Maybe some sherry? Very strong, sharp and boozy but not altogether unpleasant. I'm honestly scared to taste this one.

T: Tastes like red wine with a little bit of rum added. And there's just a touch of rye. Then some old apple cider. Very sour at the same time. What the?

M: Almost totally flat, otherwise thick, borderline syrupy. Drying.

O: I'm not really sure what to say here. The complete lack of carbonation really hurts it for sure. Tastes more like a wine or a mead than a beer. A bad one at that. I had a stomach ache after just drinking a few ounces and poured it out. Hard to say if it's infected or intentional, the other reviews all point to it not being an accident though. Definitely wins the award for the craziest beer I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 06:31:26 | More by Dope

Bung

North Carolina

2.2/5  rDev -38.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Little flip top. Nearly becalmed, thick apple cider brown pour.

Aroma, there is some faint sour here. Check that, pretty potent vinegar. Faint caramel behind it.

Taste, Cider and red wine vinegar. There is more oaky malt here, but not much more. Some sherry. Faint cocoa finish, but the vinegar lingers.

It's pretty heavy, nice for a barleywine, but there is not enough carbonation for the sour ale it is. Alcohol is pretty well hidden. I struggled with this little bottle, but if you like and are ready for a sour, this might be nice.

Not undrinkabe, though nearly. More like something you could get from Russian River, like some sort of wild ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 03:25:44 | More by Bung

ediaz

Florida

2.3/5  rDev -35.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Bottle into CCB hunahpu snifter. Circa 2011.

A: cloudy, murky brown with no head. Some bubbles around the edge, no lacing.

S: sweet inviting smell. Rye comes through. Malty.

T: tastes like it smells but not in a good way.

M: heavier with no carbonation. Unenjoyable

O: feels like crap pouring a 10$ beer down the drain but I can't get past a few sips. I would NOT recommend.

Happy 4th of July!

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 04:29:36 | More by ediaz

impending

California

2.48/5  rDev -30.7%
look: 1.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

D+

33cl into a tulip. Pours a dull dead cola dirty dishwater, zero head zero lacing zero carbonation.

Aroma is strong with vinous notes, treacly, minor oxidation, lots of dark rum. very nice, it reaches from a distance

Taste is wholly surprising with it's level of sour, unexpected but I can now sense it in the scent. Light bodied lifeless mouthfeel. The rye is obvious and the barrel is obvious but why they call this a barleywine is not.
unworthy of a lengthy description, disappointing
no cheers
jd

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 00:40:08 | More by impending

b3shine

Ohio

2.73/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bottle to snifter. Looks decent; dark in color and little to no head/lacing. Smells good; molasses. Then it gets disappointing quickly. Taste is disappointing; vinegar - like an oxidized wine. Tastes like a bad sour that's been uncapped for a week (or two). Mouthfeel is average - for a bad tasting beer. Overall, average at best (and that's because categories other than taste pulled it up). Never buying again.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 19:52:30 | More by b3shine

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

2.8/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 1.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

33cl swing-top bottle poured into a snifter glass.

Pours a glazey, syrupy, translucent dark reddish-brown. Absolutely no head. None. Two or three bubbles along the edge hint that this might have once been carbonated. Looks stagnant and thick. Absolutely coats the inside of the glass when agitating, but no legs form. Pretty ridiculous.

Big sour nose with smacks of vinegar, oakiness from the barrel aging, sour apple/pucker, sweetness of alcohol (perhaps the rum?), a little funky; aromas not dissimilar to an American Wild--aromas unbecoming of any kind of a barleywine (I'm sure that big malt backbone will come through in the taste). No need to fret, I saw this coming; the descriptions said so, and I can read. And, to be honest, it smells pretty delicious.

Okay, either I have an infected bottle, or this is one of the top three strangest beers I have ever had in my life. Alright, check this out... very thin taste with an emphasis on the rye malts used. The barrel aging is there, sort of, but strangely enough the alcohol is not. Like, at all. It's almost gone. I know that seems impossible. It's extremely smooth, but thin. Okay, I'm going back and smelling it again and I'm getting a lot of bitter liqueur, like Campari or Bitter Kas (for those who know what I mean by that). Back to the taste, again. It's warming up. The malt is getting bigger, and there is glimpses of the alcohol. Very vinous, like a full-bodied uber-dry red wine. I want to give it at least a 3.0, but... I just can't. I'm seriously speechless. I kind of like the way this tastes. I wonder if my other bottle is different.

Way thick, not sticky, but glossy and thick. It doesn't feel bad for being full-bodied, but very strange for having no carbonation. This is off in some sort of way.

Overall, I'm enjoying drinking something so off-balance and wacky. I don't like calling this a barleywine or a 'barleyryne' or whatever. For a different style, I'd rate it higher. It's not that I dislike this beer, it's just way off-style and... just off (still not counting out the possibility of infection here). Not a drain-pour by any means, actually I like working on this one. I just can't put this one at average.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 02:40:53 | More by thecheapies

woosterbill

Connecticut

2.85/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

33cl swingtop into a medium-sized Duvel tulip. Thanks to Chris for sharing this oddity.

A: Cloudy mahogany body; only a few bubbles. Meh.

S: Intense. Heavy acetic acid, as well as some vanilla, rum, and rye. Sourness dominated, but it's still pretty complex. Weird, but not unappealing.

T: Sourness absolutely destroys everything else, with some weir, bitter, almost bile-like grossness along with it. Not good at all.

M: Medium body, light carbonation. Average at best.

O: This one sounded like it had great potential, but the vinegar funk just obliterated everything else in the end. Not recommended.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 01:16:21 | More by woosterbill

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

2.95/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Had some really high hopes for this brew. The pour was a little disappointing, the color was brown and there was basically no head on it at all. The smell of the beer was funky, there was a spicy note to it also but nothing overly appealing to me. The taste of the beer was tart with some really strange flavors of wood and other herbs. The flavors to me just weren't working together at all. The mouthfeel was hardly carbonated with did nothing for me really. The feel was semi-thick and it really doesn't have the best drinkablity to me. Overall I wouldn't buy it again. I would maybe try a vintage bottle a few years from now if I came across one... But I would hope it's would be much more enjoyable after some cellaring time.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 04:30:07 | More by Knapp85

Chaney

District of Columbia

3/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Whew, I had trouble finding the record for this one on BA.

Served in a Cigar City snifter.

A: Poured a caramel brown color, with only a slight whispy head that even poured that way. Usually BA Barleywines aren't about the head they produce.

S: Very, very faint smell of melted Jolly Rancher, oak, and maybe a hint of candi sugar. Nothing overpowering or groundbreaking here.

T: Kinda wet carboard-like actually. One-dimensional would be an understatement. I got processed caramel, grains, and only a hint of oak... which didn't do a very good job covering up the booze.

M: The booziest English BW I've tried in a while BY FAR. They really need to go back to the drawing board on this one. Sure, it was thick enough, but I didn't care after a while. The lacing was minimal as was the carbonation.

O: Not quite bad enough to be a drain pour, but damn near bland enough to be one.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 23:19:39 | More by Chaney

oberon

North Carolina

3.15/5  rDev -12%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a tulip glass a murky russett brown with no head to speak of at all,not the most glamerous pour by any means here.A mix of sour and dark fruits dipped in rum in the nose,a little underlying cake to it as well.In some ways its like an English barleywine with its deep dark frutiness and cakey notes,but the rye gives a lactic somewhat spicey finish that doesnt seem to match well with other elements of the beer.Not my cup of tea here but its not really bad,I just dont care for the finished product much.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2011 21:45:52 | More by oberon

BeerDawgs

Georgia

3.18/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - A dark brown, not much head or any sticy lace

S - Sour, with prevalent alcohol.

T - Sweet and sour! Mostly sour. Not very well balanced

M - Medium bodied, low carbonation.

O - A non-carbonated sour. Not very good. Hopefully their next collaboration is better.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 07:11:37 | More by BeerDawgs

oline73

Maryland

3.45/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this on-tap at Max's. Poured into a sample glass.

Appearance: Pours a reddish cloudy dark amber. Looks rather murky with no head to speak of.

Smell: Very vinegary, reminds me a bit of malt vinegar. Mildly sweet from the grain with some fruity notes as well.

Taste: Super vinegary with fruit notes and malt. The finish is extremely bitter.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with hardly any carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: The fruit notes were good in this beer, but I thought the vinegar notes were a bit strong. A good sour, and very interesting, but I don't think I'd go back again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-20-2011 02:14:01 | More by oline73

UCLABrewN84

California

3.48/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to wethorseblanket for sharing this one at jmgrub’s tasting.

2011 vintage.

Pours a murky honey brown with no head and no lacing. Smell is sour, tart, and funky with some slight vinegar notes. Taste is very much the same with an acidic quality on the finish. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with only a slight crispness. Overall, this is a pretty good beer as it is but I get zero rum barrel or typical barleywine aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 00:34:46 | More by UCLABrewN84

DoubleJ

California

3.48/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Not a collaboration that I would have anticipated. Terrapin, which I can't get in California, decides to share their skills with the folks of BFM, a Swiss brewer. Part of the beer was aged in rum oak, so this could end up as a fun one. Coming out of a swing-top 33cl stubby bottle, on to the beer:

It looks dead. Flat, muddy brown color which strays into a yellow hue at places. Not even a fizzle of carbonation or head were founnd on the pour. It has legs though, adding much needed texture to the appearance. An interesting nose rebounds some confidence. Sweet like raisins, soaked in rum. There's a white grape element as well.

Is this my first sour barleywine? Me thinks so. The flavor is a lot like soured grapes. There's a subtle lick of oak, otherwise this beer is a strong, one trick pony. Some of the alcohol is felt in the mouth, with a stronger sensation of heat in the throat. The beer is full bodied, without carbonation, making it easy going down.

I have mixed feelings. While this was much different than I anticpated (annd quite good at that), my sweet tooth was really craving that rum and maltiness so typical of the style. Don't expect to run into a barleywine, come in expecting something sour.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 04:53:13 | More by DoubleJ

cocojoe

Oregon

3.48/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Murky brown with reddish hues to it

S: Caramel, toffee, Funky, tart, alcohol, cheesy quality, Oud Bruin like

T: Smoothe, sweet, caramel, very tart, dry, those same oud bruin like qualities are there. Can tell that the big barley wine body is there, with a different yeast quality. Tannic notes as well.

M: Dry, Tart, Full Body

O: Really Interesting. A lot of things going on. Barley wine, very tart, sweet, and dry. Would definitely drink again though.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 10:34:44 | More by cocojoe

kylehay2004

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: very murky. Brown with red hues. No head really.

S: vinegar and some apricot and raisin.

T: starts with apricot, salty, bitter and chardonnay like and finishes woody

M: moderate to high carbonation and medium body.

Overall: this one is hard to drink. Strange beer as expected from bfm, not really terrapin like.

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2011 11:33:00 | More by kylehay2004

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 1.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

330 mL swing top bottle poured into a Kate the Great snifter.

Appearance - Murky brown pond water with no carbonation. A small collection of bubbles from a very vigorous pour, but that's most likely not being released from this beer... I don't know how this could look any less appetizing. 1.5 may be a generous rating.

Smell - Fascinating and complex. Rum, vinous red wine characteristics. Certainly smells acidic. Oak and some malt comes through, but it's definitely secondary.

Taste - This took a while to grow on me. I initially wanted to dump it. Acidic red wine, tannins, and oak really permeate every other flavor. But deep inside is a decent beer. The rum is lost in the taste, unfortunately. Light caramel and toffee persist. Some earthiness in the finish. Very interesting, but slightly difficult to drink.

Mouthfeel - Flat. Not an easy beer to drink. This will take me a long time. Not really thick, but acidic and a little bit astringent.

Overall - This is tough to review. Insanely complex and fascinating flavors, not all of which are easy to consume. The sourness adds and detracts at the same time. Reminds me a lot of Billy the Mountain, another beer that is incredible and difficult at the same time. Very BFM.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 03:03:13 | More by Alieniloquium

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.55/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 3.5

33cl swing-top.

It pours a dark brown with just the slightest bubbly head.

The smell is nice. Good barrel notes with some vanilla. There are dark vinous fruits with some sourness. It isn't too funky, just acidic in the smell.

The mouthfeel is thick and ever so lightly carbonated. The flavor is dark fruits, some toastiness, balsamic vinegar, leather, rum. This one is pretty complex and easily would scare off the average person.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2012 02:42:42 | More by crossovert

cvm4

Mississippi

3.55/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours dead flat, seems to be no carbonation. Looks like a muddled amber/brown in color.

S - Is really complex... Sweet brown sugar, rum, red wine and dry oak.

T - Sour red grapes, acidic tannins with the oak intertwined in the flavors. The rum is pretty much nonexistent and can't compete with the sharp flavors.

M - No carbonation, thin body.

O - It takes a bit to get used to. It's one you taste and not sure whether you should drainpour it or stick with it. The taste was just sour purple grapes and flat.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 23:25:43 | More by cvm4

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a murky brown/red with no head at all. No lace.

Some bruised fruit, some dark maltiness. But this is very limited in the nose. Some wood? Some light vanilla?

Shocker how tart this is, with good depth behind it. Sour throughout, but the rightness is nice. Malt, some bruised fruit, alcohol, and stone fruit pit bitterness as the palate clears. Cool complexity here.

Medium bodied. A little loose. Dead still. A bit of fizz would have been nice. Acidic.

Overall, a cool one to try. Much more of a sour than an English Barleywine -- but hard to classify. Not for the faint of heart or those who really are focused upon a single style of beer. This one threw me for a loop, but I enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 23:22:08 | More by OtherShoe2

gford217

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

375ml flip top bottle.

Pours a murky reddish amber with very little head, just some bubbles around the edges which recede quickly.

Aroma is tart cherries and rum with some spicy rye and more than a dose of lactic acid in the nose. I don't get much barleywine notes, more like a sour.

I'm a little unsure how to review this with reference to barleywines. It's got lots of vinegar sourness and some tart cherries up front with lots of rum and oak.

The mouthfeel is flat with no carbonation and typical of other BFM beers I've had. Lots of wood and more port-like than beer-like in terms of feel.

Well, this is one of the more unique examples of a barleywine I've ever tasted and it tastes much more like a sour brown than any barleywine I've had. In that respect I think it's a solid beer just not comparable to a barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 04:12:16 | More by gford217