Bière De Miel Biologique - Brasserie Dupont sprl

allergictomacros

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a cloudy amber with a somewhat loose foam. Looks like a couple of yeasty chunks got in this pour.

S - Nose is medicinal lemon-citrus/orange. A bit earthy/musty, fruity and floral.

T - Dry,-ish, very lightly bitter and a bit herbal. Yeasty, spicy cloves, and light fruitiness. Takes a while but the alcohol finally comes through, giving a bit more depth.

M - Medium-light. Appropriate carbonation.

D - Feels like a sipper to me. Goes down quickly for an 8%

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2013 00:20:12 | More by allergictomacros

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

750ml bottle poured into a Biere de Miel snifter.

A: Pours a hazy orange color. A pleasant creamy white head settles shortly, but can be revived with a few strong swirls of the glass. Minimal wisps and patches of lacing slide back down into the glass.

S: Honeyed sweetness rides alongside biscuity malts. Slight acidic lemony tartness and hints of must. Clove-like phenol and estery aromas of nectarine. Tame herbal hop component.

T: Honey sweetness greets the palate, but is quickly countered by a subtle acidic tartness. Clovey phenols precede a delicate touch of alcohol that is barely perceptible. Biscuity malt is blanketed by the honey. Yeasty spice and a dried banana fruitiness add to the complexity. Playful tropical esters of pineapple, nectarine, and marmalade really start to pop as the beer warms. Grassy and herbal hops complete the deft balancing act. Finishes semi-sweet with some lingering honey, doughy yeast, and fading herbs.

M: Hefty medium body. Somewhat weighted feel. Slightly syrupy and chewy, presumably from the honey. A moderate amount of scrubbing carbonation lifts this syrupy texture just enough. Filling and creamy in the mouth.

O: The main attraction of this delightful nectar are its many contrasting flavor profiles. In that light, Biere de Miel is a tightrope walk. Tip the scale too far in any one direction and the beer would lose its balance and suffer. Thankfully that doesn't happen. All of these opposing flavors are able to come together and achieve a perfect harmony that rewards the drinker with a deep complexity. The sweetness, syrupy texture, and comparatively weighty body make it a great bottle to share with a friend, as either a digestif or perhaps even a primer to the meal.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 01:54:40 | More by ryan1788a5

RickS95

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

750 ml bottle with a date code I don't understand

There's plenty going on, just in the pour. It's got a beautiful golden copper color, but it's full of floaties and other goodness. The bottom of the bottle is about as thick as any beer I can recall and requires a pretty good swirl to mix it up. The head is standard thickness, but never fully dissipates. It's a nice looking beer.

You can smell it across the room. Very champagne like with pepper and green grape. A bit of lemon and as the bottle suggests, honey. Faint pineapple as well.

There's a strangeness to it, like most saisons, but it's just the honey. I generally don't like honey in beer, but this is superior honey. Lots of fruit, apple and green grape. Pepper spice.

Has most of the bases covered with sweetness and spice, slight bitterness, acidity, carbonation. Medium bodied. While the ABV is up there, it's masked well. The finish is dry and crisp with only the spice lingering a bit.

This is a really good beer to sit back in a recliner and sip out of a snifter so you can pick up the scents as well as the flavors. It's easy to drink because the flavors and mouthfeel are pleasant. It's got good ABV and a solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2013 02:58:37 | More by RickS95

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.66/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

250ml Bottle from the Ottawa LCBO for $3

Appearance - Slightly hazy amber colour with a small size fizzy white coloured head. There is a low amount of carbonation showing and there is some faint lacing. The head lasted for around 2-3 minutes.

Smell - Breads/grains, clove/yeast, honey, wet hay

Taste & Mouth - There is a low amount of carbonation and I can taste breads/grains mixed with some honey and hay. There is also some tart lemon and some yeast. It ends with tart yet sweet honey aftertaste.

Overall - Not something I'd drink a whole lot of.. but definitely an interesting brew. Not sure I've ever had anything quite like it. It has a little something for everyone taste wise.. sweet/tart/funk. Worth trying to keep things interesting.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 00:44:14 | More by spinrsx

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Surprisingly, the layer of sludge visible at the bottom of the bottle actually stayed there. The beer is therefore left translucent, albeit significantly blurred. Its golden smog imparts a rather viscous, sticky appearance; this thing definitely looks the part for a honey beer.

Bière De Miel is one interesting smelling beer. Both grainy and grassy, it showcases a selection of flavours that include corn, cantaloupe, lemon, plain white crackers, chamomile, sage and, of course, a divine wildflower honey which veils the beer in an air of sweetness and mustiness.

It's clear from the first sip that Billy Bee had no part in this recipe. The honey used is evidently of the utmost quality and was surely blended with pollen, beeswax and all (unadulterated and unfiltered). It carries with it (like a good honey should) strong floral and earthy elements that compliment the savory and spicy notes of the yeast and graininess of the malt.

I've no idea what kind of honey was used but the strong citrus accenting suggests orange blossom, the spicy grassiness reminds me of alfalfa, the leafy mintiness I imagine as eucalyptus, the flowery aspect one logically assumes maybe clover or general wildflower. These are just uneducated guesses, but they indicate the complexity and variety of flavours.

Brasserie Dupont's Bière De Miel strikes me as the ideal beer pairing for salty, tangy cheeses. Just the thought of a big bottle of this alongside some melon, berries, rustic bread, prosciutto, roasted almonds, honey-drizzled farmhouse cheeses and, of course, a bright sun and blue sky... Sheeeiit. Sounds to me like heaven on earth.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 16:24:10 | More by biegaman

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Foggy sediment clouding my glass, but not much settling. Sits a burnt orange color. Looks like pond water mixed with lemonade. The head looked solid before I re-topped my glass. Still holds pretty dear.

Has a distinct honey and cherry blossom aroma. A little syrupy. Decent heft from that farmhouse yeast. Very Belgique. Notes of stone fruits and pear with an almost sage-y element of spice. A burgeoning alcohol wants to make itself known, rather against my wishes. I need it to 'keep it down'.

Still a big Belgian yeast presence, but the saison notes have been blanketed by generous honey and other fruity and flowery yeast esters. Lots of pear, cherry, and apricot. Hiding beneath it all is a prominent sweetness that provides some tackiness in the feel. It creates a more syrupy body than would be expected from a beer of this style. Floral notes include cherry blossom and very light chamomile. A little peppery (with notes of wild sage) when rested on the tongue during the carbonation burst. Feels wet, still, as I wish some weight could be lifted. It would seriously promote drinkability. Anything to rush the fumes of a writhing booze note down the hatch. Instead, has a slight warming effect, especially on this warm spring night.

Glad I got to try one of these. Always saw it at my local supply store, until about a year-and-a-half ago. Spotted one on a shelf in the outskirts of town. Had to give it a whirl. Happy I did.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 01:47:52 | More by thecheapies

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A nice part of the LCBO release. Lasting head on light colored body. A mild honey aroma. The taste features the honey and a significant bitterness. A spot of funkiness. That's all we got. Decent drinkability.Middling mouthfeel.A little lemon. Something unique, and akin to a Belgian pale, why we can't rate strictly by style.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 22:57:32 | More by northyorksammy

chinchill

South Carolina

4.23/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

750 ml bottle served in a St. Bernardus snifter.

Pours a hazy honey-orange color with a moderate size head that settles too quickly and leaves no lasting lacing.

Aroma: Very appealing mix of light fruits, honey and hops. Some alcohol after warming.

Taste: as expected after the nose, the flavor is also quite fruity, with hints of apple juice, pears, grapes and raisins. Sweet, with a clear presence of natural honey. Somehow not too sweet, with a significant hop component that partly counters the sweetness and add some spiciness. Somehow not too sweet, with a very natural honey flavor. Nicely spicey and peppery too. Fine lingering aftertaste of spiced biscuit with honey.

Feel: Medium-high carbonation; crisp; medium body.

O: Marvelously well-crafted with excellent balance (level) and mix (aromas and flavors) of honey, yeast, malt and hops. The most honey flavor I have had in a beer, and certainly one of the best honey beers (thinking of Hopslam too). Although sweet and in rather large quantity (750 ml), I enjoyed this more and more as time passed. Extraordinary.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 23:40:44 | More by chinchill

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.94/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

BB 11/2014

Beer is golden-hued with a smallish white head. Fades fairly quickly, but not totally.

The smell is intensely floral, quite perfume-like. The honey is noticeable. Yeast is also prominent, with some dry spice and light fruits. A bit bready. Unusual. In some ways I quite like it, but it gets a bit tiresome.

Taste is similar to the smell. Honey, bready malt, yeast, white pepper, light fruits. A bit of bubblegum. There is a sweetness, but overall the flavour is quite dry.

Medium bodied, moderately carbonated, smooth.

Overall, interesting and pretty good, but would not want to have it often.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 00:20:26 | More by jrenihan

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Bottle from the LCBO, 330ml into a tulip. Best before November 2014.

Hazy pale orange, white head with light lacing and mild retention. Nose has strong wheat notes, saison yeast, some honey/malt sweetness and and herbal and spice character off to the side. A bit of mint and bubblegum as well. Palate has more wheat, and herbal and minty character (Winterfresh comes to mind?). Some spice, alcohol and leaves the palate slightly drier than before it arrived. Medium feel, higher medium carbonation. Interesting, but not something I'd buy again immediately.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 01:14:27 | More by liamt07

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

3.76/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Best before stamped: 11/2014
(4.0) A: Hazy peachy-copper colour with a thin blanket that recedes to a ring fast. Minimal lacing.

(3.75) S: Cloves, yeast, honey, tropical fruits, cane sugar, and grains. Nice lush tropical fruits including some banana and mango. Honey isn’t as intense as I would expect but it’s noticeable.

(3.75) T: Apricots, banana, grains, honey, spices, and lemon juice. Not a discernible amount of honey in this but it's there, and it doesn't taste artificial either. A very dry and grainy taste with a helping of belgian spices.

(3.75) M: Medium bodied with higher carbonation. Slick and chalky textured with a fair amount of fizz.

(3.75) D: Tasty. I enjoyed the apricot taste coupled with real honey and the general dryness throughout.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 02:19:14 | More by Digimaika2

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

3.79/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured into an Affligem goblet, just to mix things up, see if it yields a better result. Light honey-grapefruit in colour, hazy, and with a big half inch of head that receded into a thin ring and some swirls of foam.

Nose is raw honey, honey bread, musk, herbal and floral hops, farmyard grain.

This brew is one of the few that utilizes and specifically features honey that actually tastes of honey, and not just a mild sugary sweetness. The nice thing about this honey is that it tastes more like a wild, unprocessed honey than something out of a little bear-shaped jar. This is helped along by a mild musky and herbal hop backing that gives this brew a pastoral flavor. Despite the honey sweetness, it finishes somewhat dry.

Moderate bodied, mild carbonation, dry to the finish.

I liked this one, although the hops were a little off - the medicinal, herbal hops just didn't quite balance. Maybe cellaring this brew for a few months will smooth things out. Still, a beer worth giving a go!

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 00:12:52 | More by JohnnyBarman

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy orange with a ring of white head, no lace to speak of here. Smell is an odd mix of raw honey, what and yeast, like the monk's stout there is a bit of a plastic like quality to the nose perhaps the result of yeast, something that is a bit like vomit here as well as some spice. Taste is much better than the nose, honey and yeast with some spicy points as well, sweet initially but dryer toward the finish, fruit and some orange, honeyish aftertaste. Medium carbonation, medium body, nice dry feel. Aside from the odd smelling nose of this, its actually quite pleasant and very drinkable, nice to try but probably not something I would gravitate towards.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 16:52:48 | More by peensteen

larryi86

Delaware

4.33/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle, 2012, poured into a tulip

A- A hazy golden copper with a huge fluffy white head.

S- Wheat, honey, floral notes, some funky yeast, touch of tart apples.

T- Honey, wheat, floral notes, some funk, some tart light fruits, great balance.

M- Smooth, light to medium body.

O- A solid Saison and a great example of why I like the style so much. Really enjoy the balance of flavors.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 02:26:11 | More by larryi86

merc7186

New York

3.9/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at DeCiccos in Brewster NY, poured into a snifter glass.

A: Hazy Orangish Hue, Passes Most Light, Thin White Head, Mild Lacing

S: Honey, Wheat, Mildly Yeasty

T: Honey, Oranges, Wheat

M: Mediocre Carbonation, Light to Medium Bodied, Mildly Sweet

Overall, a pretty mellow but nice honey wheat ale, didn't really get much of the hop character as advertised but good overall.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2012 00:44:54 | More by merc7186

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a tulip glass
cork says 2011

A- This beer pours a crystal clear golden yellow body that gets hazier with each pour. There is a thick rocky snow white head that hold above the glass and turns sticky with each sip. There are strands of microbubbles that trail to the surface.

S- The aroma of cereal is faint and blends into a sweet masa aroma that turns just a bit floral and finishes with a dry wild honey note.

T- The dry mead character has a hint of wasp spray, but in a good way, with a wildflower dry honey taste in the finish. A faint bubble gum ester comes through when it really opens. A nice crisp pils malt flavor turns into sweet masa flavor that grows but is never overpowering.

M- The light mouthfeel has a crisp fizz in the finish and no alcohol heat.

O- This beer is light and delicate with a nice subtle complexity that balances mead and beer very nicely.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 13:59:44 | More by rhoadsrage

draheim

Washington

4.28/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750mL (2011) into a Hennepin glass. Pours a slightly hazy honey color w/ a thick creamy dirty white head that lasts forever. Turbulent carbonation rises vigorously from the bottom of the glass, leaving behind sticky, gravity-defying clumps of lace. Gorgeous.

Aroma is typical Dupont barnyard funk along w/ a wonderful flowery honey fragrance. Smells like a field of clovers. Nice clean peppery Belgian yeast too. Really impressed w/ the delicate fragrance here; it captures the essence not only of honey, but also that of the flowers the honey came from. Smells like no other beer I've had.

Taste follows nose. Honey is abundantly apparent. There's also a waxy quality, almost as if from the honeycombs themselves. Floral, delicate, refreshing.

Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, again w/ that floral waxiness. Smooth, creamy, great carbonation. Finishes dry of course.

Overall, yet another reason Brasserie Dupont is among my favorite breweries. Outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 04:29:51 | More by draheim

StJamesGate

New York

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brassy blonde with loose champagne-like froth that clings. Herbs, Wheetina, honey and spiced candle on the nose - lots of layers.
Cut grain, more honey, candy sugar, appley esters, and a hint of pear, then a waxy hit and basil and lemon balm herbs.
Slight white pepper finish and spicy numbing linger. Medium, some cling, fizzy.

Complex saison - underplays the yeast while the honey deepens the sweetness. A very herbal take on the style. Rounded and well integrated.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 18:04:18 | More by StJamesGate

Gmann

New York

4.2/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy golden color with an orange hue. The head is pure white and is dense but not huge, settles into a solid cap.

The aroma is sweet and floral. Some bubble gum and clove from the yeast, which I expect from Dupont. Some apple fruitiness. There is a soapy lavendar aroma which must come from the honey. The honey itself is noticable as well. Unique aroma.

The taste starts off with the traditional belgian yeast characteristics. Clove and other medicinal notes provide a spicy character. There is some tart apple to go with a dry malt flavor. The honey makes its way towards the finish and provides a smooth sweetness. Not nearly has floral in the flavor as the aroma. A good amount of grassy hops in the end.

The feel is moderate with fizzy carbonation. Sweet, floral, peppery and lightly bitter on the palate but well balanced. The malt is quite dry.

Another winner from this brewery. A slightly beefer saison with the addition of the honey.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 02:26:05 | More by Gmann

Immortale25

Florida

2.98/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a Dogfish signature glass. No readable freshness date.

A- Pours a hazy dark gold color with a 1/2 inch head that's very loud and fizzy but retains decently enough before arriving at an 1/8 inch head. Not much lacing.

S- Uh-oh. I was hesitant to purchase this since it's in green glass plus I got it at a Whole Foods and, sure enough, there's definitely a powerful wet cardboard smell that's, almost without a doubt, due to skunking. A little bit of sweetness from the honey, but the wet cardboard prevails in the aroma.

T- Improves a little in the flavor but not much. Mainly wet cardboard and a touch of sweetness from the honey. This beer, after making the far trip across the Atlantic only to sit on the shelf for who knows how long, is just a shell of its former self.

M- High carbonation is the one thing making it drinkable. Very spritzy, almost like seltzer water since the body is so light.

O- What a disappointment. Saison DuPont is one of my favorite beers, but I wanted to try something different by these guys. Lesson learned: always be wary of buying beer at a grocery store, especially if it's in a green bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 00:23:28 | More by Immortale25

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at the Les Caves. Pour is deep amber orange with a fluffy tan head. The nose has tons of candied sugar and pine syrup. The honey is over powering with sticky caramel sitting lightly in there as well. The flavor is very sweet, light notes of yeasty spice as the honey takes over and dominates. There is a light citrus hop presence and bitterness to round it out. Full bodied and syrupy, very thick with a rough carbonation in the finish.
***
Bottle 10/8/10
A-glowing golden yellow with a big pure white head with lacing left behind.

S-nose is big, just a hint of honey up front with hints of barnyard musk, a fair bit of leather and touch of cheese, the yeast and peppery spice comes in behind but play a small role.

T-the flavor is exactly the same, a little more sweet honey up front with a slightly more leathery funk as the cheese and musk are present but lighter. the yeast is behind with just a hint of peppery spice. hay like hops and light bitterness round this off.

M-lively carbonation that tingles throughout with a medium to light body and crisp strong bite that finishes semi dry.

D-loads of funk for a saison, almost too much. not enough peppery spice to it and yeast as I would have liked to see, but the complexity and funk make this something unique and still quite tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2012 15:20:41 | More by cpetrone84

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Rattle n Hum, NYC. Poured into tulip glass.
Nice yellow copper hazy color, with little head. Floral, belgian yeasts, and honey aroma. It looks dense...
As the name suggests, honey dominates the flavour. Lots of floral notes, mixed with grassy and hay notes.
Nice job with the abv...not over strong, but it does balance out the strong flavor; otherwise it may have been overwhelming...
Very enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

12-13-2011 16:45:07 | More by DrinkSlurm

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out as a hazy golden yellow color with a fluffy white head on top. The lacing has a light stickiness to it. The smell of the beer has some grainy farmhouse aromas mixed nicely with the sweet honey aromas as well. The taste of the beer is pretty good. It's sweet and flavorful wth some light herbal notes too, The mouthfeel of this beer is smooth, nicely carbonated and light bodied. Overall it's a pretty nice brew, Worth checking out I think.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 01:38:40 | More by Knapp85

mrfrancis

Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy, shimmering gold with a thin white mousse that doesn't make a point of sticking around for any length of time.

S: Floral aromas reminiscent of chamomile and lavender join honey, citrus, and herbal, grassy hops on the nose. Interesting.

T: Opens fruity, floral, and tart with notes of honey, lemon, bitter orange, lavender, chamomile, grass, and lactic, pungent yeast. The finish is dry and puckering with tart citrus, honey, and grass notes.

M: Light-bodied, thin, and extremely dry. The high alcohol content takes quite some time to become noticeable.

O: This is an interesting twist on the classic Belgian saison, and is worth a shot if you're a fan of the style. That being said, it's probably one of Brasserie Dupont's lesser brews, but it's still very solid.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 20:58:35 | More by mrfrancis

impending

California

3.18/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

SF Toronado. Served in a tulip. Hazy bright honey yellow, dense froth, nice lacing.

Smell of honey rolled yeast, spices, flowers atop a lager. No earth.

Honey upfront and a floral phenolic note in the final taste defines this brew. Sweet with some fruit. The aftertaste that remains after all else has faded is an herbal note - not camomile or lavender but of that style - this aspect will decide if you like this brew. Nothing about this says saison but it remains ok.
cheers
jd

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2011 00:22:48 | More by impending