Avec Les Bons Voeux - Brasserie Dupont sprl

pjwilson

California

4.9/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

appearance: poured this right after I brought it back from the store, so the yeast was mixed in bassically. bright orange color that is completly imperrivius to any light. giant head that takes up over half of the wine glass, looking like lemon merrange. lacing is slowly left beyond. looking very dupont. bottle is very class looking as well, would do well at a fancy dinner.

smell: smelling lots of pepper, that dry smell that I get in the other dupont saison's. the yeast is providing tons here. good, but not too much complexity. yet i love that pepper smell, so good.

taste: the first taste is almost underwelming. then you realize how good this is and how much restrait is in the taste.the grains get a chance to shine, of course backed by the yeast and "a kiss of the hops." I,m tasting melon, rum, and sugar. the end of the finish brings a dry bitterness typical of saisons, only this one is less dry than either foret or regular dupont. no trace of the 9.5 alcohol, which is great, i don't really enjoy booze taste so much.

moutfeel: very light, as light as any beer i've had. it doesn't feel watery at all. it feels almost lighter than water somehow.

drinkability: damn hard to use restrait on this one. this is not a sipper, it just goes down so smooth. everytime i time i take a drink i'm tempted to drink the entire glass, which i end up doing a few times. nothing wrong with that but 9.5 is a strong one.

i love saisons and this may be the best i've had yet, if not one of the best beer's i've ever had. I can see this becoming a staple. The second half of the bottle went extremly well with Mexican food. (i'm sure it would kick ass with Thai or Vietnamese as well.)

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2006 00:13:03 | More by pjwilson

Patrick999

Florida

4.93/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Seemed a good day to finally pull this one out of the fridge and give it a go. Loud pop of the cork, 2006 vintage.

Appearance is exactly what I expected - cloudy gold body under a big old head.

Nose really opens up as it warms - lots to pick out....the lovely musty back-corner-of-the-barn smell recognizable from Saison Dupont and others, lemon, spices...a pungent field of weeds. Can detect a little alcohol. Interesting, now I get a pretty distinct cooked oatmeal smell coming through, with the final yeast pour.

Taste to me seems a lot like a regular Saison Dupont but with added kick ("Imperial" Saison?") Lots of spiciness to be had, alcoholic and otherwise, Lemony hops amid funky yeast and alcohol in the finish leaves a trail of unripe fruit residue in the back of the mouth.

Mouthfeel is perfect. Aggressively carbonated with quite a dry finish, it never feels all that heavy, a nice feat given the size of this beer. Almost a bit thin, but this seems to suit the beer very well.

Drinkability - Exceptional for such a big saison. Share it with a friend....but you're probably gonna want the whole bottle, trust me. Great beer. Basically a perfect beer. Very little more I can ask of this one. Drinkable enough for the average Friday evening, but more than classy and refined enough for a special occasion. Would pair well with just about anything. I'm sad to see this nearly all done. I love saisons, and this one just kicks ass. With this beer, the world comes into focus. I think my liquor store has a few more bottles of it...a tip of the hat to the brewer. In the words of the PGA Tour, "These guys are good."

***UPDATE - I feel compelled to review a 2009 bottle....drinking on 12/20/2009, this is easily the freshest bottle of Avec Les Bons Voeux I've ever had. I'm going to take a fresh look at the beer that really got me into the saison/farmhouse style, my favorite style.

Knowing a little bit more about beer than I did when I first reviewed this, I wondered if this was really a saison at 9.5%. I poured. Yeah, OK, it looks like a typical "Liquid Sunshine" saison. Smell? Definitely all saison. So perfumey, and so HOPPY too...oh man, I think I love this even more so fresh. A few sips confirm it....this is all saison, and a hoppy one at that. It's beautiful. I'm bumping the taste up to 5. Lot of Saaz or Goldings....this is one of the hoppiest saisons I've ever had.

***Further note, I do not suggest aging this. I had a 2004 not too long ago, and it was something of a sweet mess. Gone was the amazing perfumey dryness. In its place was a sweet, gooey Cointreau flavor. If you have 'em, I say drink them. There's not much to be gained by aging this, as good as it is fresh.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2007 22:03:12 | More by Patrick999

ccrida

Oregon

4.97/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

"Les Bon Vouex" - Best Wishes indeed! Dupont really nailed it with this one, wow - this is one fine beer! Poured from a 750ml bottle into my St. Feullien chalice, the saison is a hazy orange with a pillowy, 2 finger white head, which sticks around long enough, fading to surface skim and a bit of scattered lace. The label was different then that pictured, it has an older parchment look, and has a big "III" before the title, wonder what that represents? Had this not been a bit more straw colored, it would be a perfect 5.
The aroma is very minerally with a bit of sugar, booze and spice, classic saison. As it warms, it goes from moderate to strong, in a very enjoyable way. Sweet and sour, this is what I want,saison or not.
The taste was smooth and very complex, fantastic! I should say this is one of my all time favorite beers from my favorite style. That said, I've had it before, so there is not a first impression bias here. The flavor had notes of brett funk, tart fruit, phenols, a firm dry bitterness and lots of bicarbonate. It is peppery, yeasty and musty, with notes of straw and honey. I love the dry, mineral finish of saisons...the fact that they were able to maintain all of that and still amp up the richness is a perfect example of why Belgium brews are so highly regarded.
The mouthfeel is spritzy and medium bodied. Smooth as velvet yet still tangy and lively, I could swish this all night.
The drinkability for this is about as high as it gets. Fabulous at the first sip, and an infinite amount of layers to peel back, as approachable as it is, the Avec Les Bons Voeux is made for the enjoyment of the true connoisseur . From what I understand, it as originally made as DuPont's special New Years brew for the staff...lucky dogs!
Bottom line, this beer is the bomb...there are very few I'd choose before this, Fantome Ete of course, and regular Fatome, particularly on FRESH draft. If you see it, grab them and save for a memorable night of enjoyment! I chose this last bottle for watching Pitt lose the Sweet 16 to UCLA, *sigh*, at least it was Jamie Dixon's mentor, Pitt's last coach, Ben Howland. Still sucks!

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2007 04:41:30 | More by ccrida

AtrumAnimus

Texas

5/5  rDev +19%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beautiful dirty blonde from Belgium pours a perfect tanned gold color that is cloudy and very effervescent. The head is pillowy like a cloud on a hot summer day, long Lived and thick. And the Nose is excellent - Spice and yeast floating on sweet malt and citrus highlights. The Mouthfeel is crisp and carbonated - Bubbles form in your mouth and cling to your tongue as you drink this one. The flavor is aggressive hopping for real Belgian ale that is a great surprise. The malt is not as sweet as the nose in the taste but is there in great undertones that really help set this beer apart from others. Overall this one is incredibly satisfying and enjoyable - Exceptional is the Word.

On a note - There is an element to the hops in the nose that vaguely reminds me of a new can of tennis balls????????

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2003 14:46:55 | More by AtrumAnimus

jamie2dope

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +19%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Lately I have been going a little crazy on this style, trying every one that I can get my mitts on. This one pours a murky golden color similar to the look of an orange creamsickle. Heading is small, white, and leaves a white ring around the glass. Aroma is surprisingly like a creamsickle as well, with lots of cream, milk, orange, lemon, and even a bit of pie crust. Taste starts off incredibly creamy, with tons of vanilla and milk. It then becomes more citrusy, with light tropical fruits such as orange, mango and pineapple especially. Body of this one is in the middle, and the alcohol is virtually nonexistent in the flavor. You can definitely feel it after a glass or two, but everywhere else it is downright ghostly. After drinking a full champaign bottle to myself, I am kicking myself for not purchasing another bottle aka this stuff is damn drinkable. I drove to Julios today to pick up a few bottles of Alesmith IPA, expecting to be blown away by that beer. Instead, I came home with one of these and have found one of the best beers I have ever tasted. My first perfect score for a beer, and a well deserved one. I have to imagine that Hennepin is somewhat modeled after this beer, as the two seem very similar in their sweet/sour profiles. Fucking exquisite beer that I cannot wait to taste again. Cheers

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2008 02:02:16 | More by jamie2dope

bathinginbelgian

California

5/5  rDev +19%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I finally procured a couple of 750ml bottles at my neighborhood Whole Foods, in early December. Carbonation and lacing were superb, with some of the yeast sediment settling on top of the head. This ale is very drinkable, the fruity spice overtones explode in your mouth before swallowing. My only gripe with this fantastic beer is the green bottle; I believe it would have a much longer shelf life and be less prone to turning if bottled in brown glass.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2009 00:00:08 | More by bathinginbelgian

shuntstout

New Mexico

5/5  rDev +19%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Dark gold with a yeasty haze and and frothy head.

Smell: A very skunky pilsner malt fragrance, balanced with a fruity hop nuance.

Taste: Forward but smooth pilsner like character countered by a bitter, earthy hop profile. Ends with a spicy yet satisfying yeast background. Amazing for its strength!

Mouthfeel: Extremely effervescent, with a light, smooth after glow.

Drinkability: Really inviting and super refreshing, easy with an ongoing enjoyment of original Dupont fashion. Tastes of strong grain, hops and different spices bring new respects to this wonderful holiday saison.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2010 07:08:35 | More by shuntstout

mjryan

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +19%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Yikes. Drinking this from draught has I type. Never had this beer before. The standard saison from Dupont is one of my all time favorite beers and this "super" version is not disappointing. Hazy blonde with much head. Aromas of lemons, honey and faint bananas. Tastes amazing! Super saison indeed. Big citrus zest and sourdough flavours. Hoppier than I was expecting which is fine by me. Finishes slightly sweet for a saison, but is rather dry considering it's 9.5% abv. Yeah, good stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

12-12-2011 01:28:12 | More by mjryan