Bush De Nuits - Brasserie Dubuisson Frères sprl

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2010 vintage 750 ml poured into Duchesse glassware. Scaldis Noel refermented in French burgundy oak barrels for six months.

Pours a yeasty, sediment-riddled, tawny light brown with orange highlights. Very bubbly head receded quickly leaving swampy swirls on the meniscus. A surprising amount of head-ring retention considering 13.00% alcohol. Looks menacing, in a good way.

Smells incredible. Rich tannins, sour, vinous, yeasty, a nice dose of cider vinegar. Very acetic in aroma, similar to a Flanders Red. A little of the Scaldis Noel bleeding through in the form of malt syrups and the alcohol. As it warms up, the alcohol really penetrates into the mucous membrane. Intense.

Been looking forward to cracking this baby open and having a first taste. Christmas Eve celebration beer #1.

First sip starts with the tart fruit notes (quince, cranberry), malt sweetness in the middle, and spicy yeast and booze all the way on a long-lasting finish. Little bit of the bubbly (as in champagne) on the swallow. Very dry on the back end. Such a beautiful transformation from tongue to mouth to throat--sour to sweet to dry. Touches all of the taste buds in patterns. This beer has tremendous complexity and strength. Closer to room temperature it gets, the spiciness of the Noel takes up more and more of the palate. I like how this beer is sour in a unique sort of way that I've not had before.

This beer is a little sticky on the lips. The carbonation is still a bit high even after a year and change. A little chewy, not as full as most Belgian Strong Darks tend to be. Heady as it goes down, but still remarkably drinkable for such a big, big beer.

Great find. Hell of a winter seasonal. A must try. I will seek out another bottle in the future.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 03:23:09 | More by thecheapies

Ctruskey

New York

3.75/5  rDev -9%

04-30-2013 23:48:27 | More by Ctruskey

BradMacMullin

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a friend's 750ml bottle he got for $40. Price makes me very hopeful. Pours a creamy color. Doesn't take long for the smell to hit you - like a big port smell. Smell overwhelms as you taste. Taste is very fruity and aromatic. Mouthfeel is good, nicely carbonated and the alcohol doesn't overwhelm despite the 13% abv. I am on the fence with this one - heavy barrell focused ale which is all the rage these days - not really my thing, but I understand if someone wants to sip slowly with some friends.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 22:25:33 | More by BradMacMullin

BMMillsy

Florida

4/5  rDev -2.9%

02-21-2013 04:08:30 | More by BMMillsy

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

2009 vintage.

Pours a very cloudy, dark chestnut brown color that's completely opaque with only the faintest of copper colored edges. Half finger off-white head that immediately disappears into a very thin ring that doesn't last. Not much in the way of lacing.

The aroma is dominated by the vinous red wine barrel character giving off lots of toasted oak and tart dark fruit notes. The oak really stands out and is somewhat charred and ashy with a toothpick-like quality but this is countered by vinous grape, sour cherry, currant, fig and other dark berries. Along with the barrel notes there are some floral hops, peppery spice and sweeter malt notes, notably caramel and toffee. Slightly syrupy/medicinal but thankfully this is overpowered by the oak and red wine notes.

Medium bodied with a surprising amount of carbonation for the style and strength along with a really nice, dry red wine barrel flavor that's nicely integrated into the flavors of the base beer. The oak presence is dry and toasted but isn't as strong as the nose suggests. I was worried that there would be too much dry oak/toothpick flavor but this beer has the perfect amount, adding another layer of flavor without killing everything else off. The oak presence is complimented perfectly by the burgundy wine flavor which is dry but still packs a lot of sweet, vinous fruit. Hints of dark grape, sour cherry, currant and juicy blackberry along with other dark fruit notes lingering over the sweet malt backbone and subtle floral hops into a slightly dry finish. The barrel is countered by sweet caramel malt, dark chocolate and toffee as well as a touch of earthy hop bitterness in the finish. The high ABV is expertly masked, making this delicious, complex beer dangerously drinkable. Although there is plenty of alcohol sweetness, there isn't any harsh heat, just some warmth in the finish. This is a truly remarkable beer that exceeded all of my expectations, and that's saying a lot because I really enjoyed Busch Prestige. This beer is really expensive but it's worth every cent. One of the best wine barrel aged beers I've ever had and I would definitely purchase it again. Highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 07:28:52 | More by corby112

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

one of the most expensive bottles of beer ive ever consumed, coming it at over 40 bucks (from a bottle shop mind you). yikes. cant say it was worth it honestly, although this is a nice beer. pours hazy orange in color with plenty of yeast floaters and a short but lasting off white head. the nose is quite tart, definitely acidic a little from the wine barrels, oaky, sweet, with some dried fruits. the flavor is a journey, starting yeasty and spunky, black pepper and molasses then cascade in somewhere towards the middle, and finally alcohol and oak round it out. the booze was almost overpowering in the when it got to warmer temperatutes. fine feel, bubbly and alive with a nice round full body. a bottle to share for certain (mostly to help defray costs), and not a beer i will go out of my way to try again. i understand its fancy, but for this price it should wow me, and this simply didnt do that.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 19:34:32 | More by StonedTrippin

markbxl

Belgium

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

01-11-2013 20:36:03 | More by markbxl

spakman

California

4/5  rDev -2.9%

12-18-2012 06:26:00 | More by spakman

emilylee

California

4/5  rDev -2.9%

11-25-2012 04:40:31 | More by emilylee

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in a (512) anniversary glass.

Cuvee 2011. The finale of a back-to-back with the barrel-less Scaldis Noel. It pours a clear sunset rose-amber topped by a finger of glowing dusty cream foam. The nose comprises red wine vinegar, tart raspberry, light oak, a touch of clove, light black grapes, and a few drops of honey. The taste holds notes of clove, brown sugar, candied fruits, light fig, light vinegar, light oak, and a blast of alcohol. Things don't come together quite as well as the smell led me to believe it would. Thankfully, unlike the Scaldis Noel, the booze doesn't completely overwhelm things, but it certainly tries. The body is a straight medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, this version is better than the naked one, but the harsh booziness and slightly muddled flavors don't do it any favors at all. Gotta say, this pairing was a pretty big disappointment...

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 04:01:05 | More by TMoney2591

yarvu

Russian Federation

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

11-17-2012 00:39:38 | More by yarvu

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev -2.9%

09-01-2012 00:28:19 | More by t0rin0

daveshawley

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%

08-16-2012 13:16:45 | More by daveshawley

pixieskid

France

3.25/5  rDev -21.1%

08-15-2012 21:55:35 | More by pixieskid

rekel

Netherlands

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%

07-23-2012 23:14:09 | More by rekel

Joshgonzales79

Texas

5/5  rDev +21.4%

06-13-2012 05:05:02 | More by Joshgonzales79

KAP1356

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2010 vintage I decided to open for Christmas dinner for Christmas 2011. 750 ml bottle poured into a Delirium Noel snifter...

A - Pours a murky, cloudy, light brown that has some reddish-orange hues when held to the light. A tight tannish head forms about 1 finger thick and recedes quickly to reveal a collar with some swirling on the top ofthe beer. Pretty unremarkable.

S - Here we go. WAY better than it looks. The aroma is a fine mix of red wine, oak, and Belgian goodness. Red wine tannins come first along with some oak presence. Caramel, toffee, and lots of fruits come through. Dates, figs, some red grapes and slight cherry notes. Some slight spices come through the more it warms.

T - Wow. Vinous, wine characteristics stand out first. There is a subtle oak presence next to favors of dates, figs, cherries, toffee, caramel and some mild chocolate powder. Raisins and tannins come out as well along with a bit of vanilla. As it warms, you get some nice spices like nutmeg and cinnamon which just add to the great and complex profile this beer has.

M - Medium bodied beer that every so slightly borders on being full bodied (due in part to the tannic characteristics I think). Carbonation is on the softer side.

O - I really enjoyed this beer. I felt that the wine barrel treatment really gave this one a certain something extra that was worth opening for Christmas. Considering I was lucky to get this half off the normal price, it might be a bit before I get to try it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 21:44:50 | More by KAP1356

EROCK75

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%

04-02-2012 15:36:08 | More by EROCK75

csustar001

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

03-11-2012 21:13:10 | More by csustar001

tyler_mn

4/5  rDev -2.9%

02-29-2012 01:14:15 | More by tyler_mn

Julien

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%

02-25-2012 14:25:46 | More by Julien

Stoutsman

Kansas

3.5/5  rDev -15%

01-14-2012 22:11:30 | More by Stoutsman

rarbring

Sweden

3.78/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A brown foggy beer, a tan small head with little lacing but good curtains.

Lots of action for the noose, sweet dark fruits, sherry, Marzipan.

Starting somewhat sweet, old rancid fruits, vinous, a bit dusty, green mold.

Medium carbonation, small bubbles, sticky and oily, slightly dry.

This bottle was for me beyond the peek.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 22:29:23 | More by rarbring

ygtbsm94

Virginia

4/5  rDev -2.9%

12-30-2011 07:22:34 | More by ygtbsm94

FreshHawk

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2.9%

12-21-2011 01:15:31 | More by FreshHawk