Avec Les Bons Voeux - Brasserie Dupont sprl

IPA35

Netherlands

4.45/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap at the Delirium Café.

I remember this was a really nice beer, light fruits, sweet but still pretty dry.
A nice and even slightly refreshing beer that goes down easily but at 10% this is not a weak beer. Hides the alcohol really well by the way.

I let a few girls try it, who were drinking cocktails and they all liked it.

No elaborate review this time as I already had some beers and I was with friends but I will certainly but it and replace this temporal review.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2013 18:49:56 | More by IPA35

Boto

Connecticut

4.44/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Draught @ Monks: This one pours a hazy orangish color. There was almost no head and no lacing. The nose is very nice. Many varied fruits coming through, but no real sweetness. Actually a hint of sourness to the fruits. The taste is very good. Some dryness and bitterness, and a hint of sourness also. Subtle fruits, hints of spices. Exceptionally smooth . Very nice!

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2013 18:16:29 | More by Boto

macrosmatic

Florida

4.24/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Reviewed from notes. Had on-tap at the Independent. Poured into an oversized wine glass.

A: Nice, hazy gold with a big white head and lots of visible carbonation.

S: Big Belgian yeast (apples, pears, a bit of banana), some bready malt, and some background spices that I can't quite name.

T: Follows the nose well. Fruity esters as on the nose, a bit of barnyard funk, and maybe the spices are clove or allspice? They are fairly restrained anyway.

M: Light body but average for style. Good, almost champagne-like carbonation, and alcohol is well-hidden.

O: A good saison, but honestly I think I would prefer their base saison to this one. I would have another if I found it somewhere.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2013 23:49:36 | More by macrosmatic

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4.08/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap in heaven...er...the Kulminator.

Comes to me with a thick white foam on top of a hazy golden body.

Smells of lemon, grass, and gets a little orangey and tropical fruity. Alcohol and spice..

Tastes of lemon, spice, grass and a slight souring and bitterness.

Smooth and easier carbonation than I've come across in other saisons. Still has a little bite.

Excellent!

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2013 09:56:53 | More by MattSweatshirt

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Hazy goldenrod color with a doily for a head. Looks great in its own glass.

White pepper, lemon zest, golden raisin, orange peel, quince, and coriander. Sweet and spicy.

Apple-y crisp with an earthy funk finish. Lots of soft pepper and coriander spice to par the fruitiness. Tangy yeast. Dressed up with some meaty booze upon the swallow.

A little hot, but rather appropriate for a winter seasonal. Almost thick, but not cloggy. Just a large mouth for a big farmhouse brew.

2012's is better than the last two years, in my opinion. A great early holiday season ale.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2012 18:06:33 | More by thecheapies

kylehay2004

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Single finger head with excellent lacing on a cloudy golden body. Very light aroma with mostly lemon, wheat and yeast. Flavor is more on the musty, herbal side with hints of clove, lemon tartness finishing with bitter hops and grains and wheat. This one is very oily coating the palate with a very dry finish. Light body and moderate carbonation. Not very fruity. Not as drinkable and many saisons. Worth trying but wouldn't have again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-26-2012 20:32:17 | More by kylehay2004

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-hazy golden yellow color with a nice white head and good lacing

S-lemon zest, yeast, herbal, slightly grassy, slight funk

T-lemon, grains, yeasty funk, spices, lightly peppery, slight tartness, all flavors pretty harmoniously blended

F-light to medium body with nice prickly carbonation, crisp with slight alcohol presence making itself known

O-a nice Saison in keeping with the quality of their standard Saison, would drink this again

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2012 03:14:25 | More by MDDMD

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.48/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Kickbacks in Jax. Poured into a snifter. White, fluffy head, excellent retention on a hazy, opalescent golden body. Suddsy lacing, sticky. Aroma is white peppery spicy, wispy, fruity/banana, candi sugary and yeasty. Taste is light and refreshing, mild tartness, slightly sweet, lots of banana and some spiciness. Nice feel as the beer rides on the tongue, cleansing. The alcohol is no where in the smell or taste, amazing. Delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

12-04-2012 05:59:35 | More by KickbacksSteve

ehammond1

California

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

On Tap

Pizza Port
Carlsbad, CA

Clear golden with a thin white head though it has good and persistent retention. Spotted lacing down the glass.

Sweet lemon, spicy yeast, a touch of funk, some hay and it all comes together very well.

A perfect and memorable combination of enjoyable flavors. A bit spicy, a bit funky, a bit sweet, even some bitterness, all incredibly drinkable, finishes perfectly clean; I could literally drink this all day!

Airy yet satisfying, it's bubbly, yet creamy; incredible!

Near perfect Belgian saison.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2012 21:55:12 | More by ehammond1

Mantooth

North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft pour @ Milltown in Carrboro, NC (highly recommended), into a Dupont Saison glass.

A: Hazy gold with a deep white head and lazy lacing.

S: Lemons, yeast, pepper and a little vanilla.

T: Lemon peel, citrus rind, lots of earthiness and some spice.

M: Slick, very carbonated, warmth from the alcohol.

O: A very nice beer I'm happy to have happened upon.

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2012 17:28:00 | More by Mantooth

david18

New York

3.5/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had a draft of this at the Amsterdam Ale House on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I'm not a huge fan of Farmhouse Style Ales, and I was surprised to find one so strong, but this was a pretty good sipper. A nice beer for a winter evening.

Color was a straw to light copper with a nice frothy head that left a good amount of lacing behind.

Aroma was yeasty/citrusy. A little bit of bread/cracker on the back end.

Flavor was similar to the aroma. Really not like a typical farmhouse because of the strength but pretty good.

Overall, worth trying.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2012 20:14:13 | More by david18

mdaschaf

Washington

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

Review from notes. Had at the Pickled Pig.

A: The beer is a hazy straw/golden color with a nice one finger white head on top. Decent retention and nice lacing.

S: Very grassy aroma, some wheat, citrus fruits, and a good bit of spice - pepper, coriander, and cloves.

T: Similar to the aroma, extremely grassy, with a combination of citrus and spices. Some lemon and orange zest with a slight hoppy bitterness. Not overly yeasty, but you know its there.

M: Medium bodied, crisp with a little bit of the alcohol coming through. Not really surprising considering it is 9.5%.

O: Liked it, but didn't love it. It impresses me that they could get the beer up to 9.5%, but it doesn't make me want to have it. Would much rather have a smoother saison that is down in the 5-6% range.

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2012 23:08:09 | More by mdaschaf

mjryan

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +19.3%
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

UCLABrewN84

California

3.73/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Blue Palms Brewhouse in Los Angeles, CA as part of their Jingle Bell Jubilee.

Pours a hazy light yellow with a 1/2 inch white head that settles to a film on the top of the beer. Small streaks of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is somewhat subtle with grains, spices, and some fruity aromas. Taste is of grains, spices, and fruity grape-like flavors. This beer has a crisp mouthfeel with a slightly acidic quality to it. Overall, this is a good saison with some nice spice and fruit aspects.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2011 19:21:57 | More by UCLABrewN84

lawlerj

Nebraska

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured on tap into a New Belgium Globe glass.

A - pours a slightly hazy light amber w/ a frothy off white head that dissipates relatively quickly.

S - fruity and funky; not much in the way of hop character. A bit of lemony aroma.

T - follows the nose, but with a stronger funk presence. Funky up front and then smoothes out into the Belgian yeast and fruit notes.

M - medium bodied, not overwhelming, nice carbonation.

O - overall, a very nice brew, and very glad that I got to try it. Had at a special tasting at Brix wine and beer store in Omaha. Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2011 01:27:59 | More by lawlerj

oline73

Maryland

3.93/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

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

Appearance: Pours a clear golden color with a half finger of fluffy white head. There is a good amount of lacing and retention.

Smell: Very sweet, quite herbal from the yeast. The malt and alcohol together remind me of grapes.

Taste: Not too sweet, which was surprising. The grape and herbal noes from the smell show up here too. The finish has a bitterness and a mild alcohol burn.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with very smooth carbonation and a somewhat slick finish.

Overall: This was a very smooth beer for the abv. I would have liked it more if there were a little less grape flavor. I'd be happy to drink this again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2011 20:29:22 | More by oline73

taigor

New York

4.28/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a small glass.

A - Poured slightly cloudy bright yellow color with huge white head that slowly dissipated leaving lots and lots of lacing around the glass.

S - Strong yeast, bananas, hay, spices and earthy scents. Excellent aroma for saison.

T - Starts off with sweet honey and transforms into bready yeast with pepper spiciness, cloves, bananas and a slightly bitter citrusy dry finish.

M - Medium bodied with very high carbonation.

O - Excellent saison which I highly recommend.

Serving type: on-tap

10-26-2011 17:20:40 | More by taigor

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.3/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured a clear honey color with good carbonation and a nice white cap and bubbles

S: Sharp booze, barnyard funk, some spice

T: Spice and a grassy hop flavor. Then it goes to pepper, hay, some fruits and a little funk n booze

M: Light to medium body with plenty of carbonation. Crisp, dry and clean

O: Very easy to drink but a strong ass farmhouse. I like the style for taste and drinkability so thie booze on this takes it down in enjoyability and drinkability for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

06-21-2011 03:21:09 | More by barleywinefiend

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

One last transcription from a snowy afternoon at Local 44 in PHL. Undated, but that's the way it is sometimes.

With Best Wishes, indeed. Spanky and the Gang were sending me off in style.

It had a finger of bone-white head with low retention, falling even as it was set in front of me. Color was a cloudy lemon-yellow, chiffon-like and reminding me of sunshine in a glass on that cold, snowy day. Nose was dry - papery, peppery and a solid reminder of why I love Saison yeast! It imparted a dry, dusty, mildly spicy taste on the tongue and although it may have been their version of a Winter/Christmas ale, I'd break this out in the summer months. Mouthfeel was thin-to-medium. Finish was slightly dry and very refreshing. Absolutely yummy!

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2011 16:24:49 | More by woodychandler

MowryJC

Illinois

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

On tap at Hopleaf in Chicago.

A - Burnt-Orange and hazy, capped with a one-and-a-half-finger head, leaving rings of lace down the glass.

S - Funky barnyard and hay, with a little bit of clove phenols and peppery spice.

T - The signature Dupont funk, more of that barnyard, hay, clove, and pepper. A little grassiness and really nice touch of honey. To finish up, some spicy hops. So complex and great.

M - Spritzy and lively on the tongue, scrubs the mouth and finishes clean as a whistle.

Man, talk about a beer I could have with almost any dinner. Once again proving to me why Saisons are the king of styles when it comes to food. Get ahold of this one if you can.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2011 16:58:56 | More by MowryJC

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Gollem Proeflokaal in Amsterdam. From notes.

A - Hazy orange pour. Lot's of carbonation coming up the sides. Two finger white, cloud-like, fluffy head. Good lacing and a film of retention.

S - Barnyard, hop, yeast, hay, deep hop aroma. Fresh market type smell. Floral. Nice.

T - Nice toasted malt and hay/hop combo. Mild funk and decent hop power. Hay, barn, must. Great saison taste. Perfect balance. For the style it seems spot on.

M - Mild carbonation and a light or medium body. Odd body for the alcohol. Sweet and hoppy lingering flavour.

O/D - I loved this one. Hoppy and sweet yet funky as well. Just alot of everything I look for in a saison and the ABV adds to the complexity. No hint of alcohol is noticable making this easy to drink and very enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

05-10-2011 10:29:45 | More by tbeckett

77ships

Belgium

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

tap@Kulminator:

A: cloudy bright yellow with a big fluffy head, nice lacing
S: sweet yeast, spices & banana
T: sweet yeast, sweet spices, fruit (dominant banana), very minor bitter ending, some trippel-like qualities, minor funk, no alcohol noticable
M: decent body, slightly creamy, bit dry in a nice way, very smooth
D: surprised when I saw how strong this is given how drinkable it is, outstanding beer that has lot of sweet, fruity & yeast qualities without any of them getting too much & distracting, wonderfully balanced

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2011 18:25:53 | More by 77ships

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Blue Monk, in Buffalo.

This saison resembles something from ancient Egypt, like one of those fossilized amber amulets (and indeed looks like something a king might be buried with!) It is perfectly clear, but I don't recommend looking directly at it considering how bright and strong its glow. Its head is... Wait, no head? What? But this is supposed to be one of the archetypal examples of its style - how can it have no head?

This thing is as stinky as the kid in gym class who has yet to discover deodorant. Fortunately, it stinks in a good way. To the uninitiated, the term 'barnyard funk' might not mean anything; for those familiar with the distinguishing Dupont yeast, you'll recognize the straw- and hay-like features, the honeycomb sweetness, peppery spice, marmalade-y citrus and light cider vinegar mustiness and should know exactly what I'm talking about.

Saison Dupont (Vieille Provision) is widely hailed has perhaps *the* classic saison; this offering of the same brewery deviates in more ways than one from traditional guidelines. First, its alcohol is a good two notches and counting above where we generally find it. As result, the carbonation has lot more booze to work its way through and it comes out worse for wear. Upping the gravity has definitely lowered the quaffability and refreshment.

Drinking this beer I feel like I'm dealing with a shifty insurance salesman - I don't really know what I'm being sold until it's too late. What started out a crisp beer with fruity and floral undertones and an aura of hay fields has turned into something of a brute. A sharp vinegar-y note and and unwanted splash of alcohol compromise the beer's effervescence while a thin but sweet maltiness ransacks the subtler nuances, including the spiciness.

I probably represent a minority of one in saying this, but Avec Les Bons Voeux is not my ideal saison. While an interesting offering, the impression I took away from it was that it was too strong and too sweet, and that these two factors threw the whole balance and merit of the style right out of whack. It may be extremely popular with others - and likely for good reason - but it won't be making my picnic basket on a hot summer's day.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2011 04:43:01 | More by biegaman

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From notes taken at the Armsby Abbey's yearly Belgian Christmas on 12/15.

A - Nice light golden appearance with a very, very thick two finger head that left MASSIVE side lacing.

S - Wow, huge huge huge brett funk aromas. Getting some light fruit and honey notes as well.

T - Huge brett notes. Funky, light citrus flavours. This is really an amazing saison! Nice and dry finish on the end.

M - Light and creamy with low carbonation thanks to the high ABV. Very smooth saison.

D - Great funk and a really, really enjoyable mouthfeel make this a sessionable strong saison.

Serving type: on-tap

01-18-2011 21:23:16 | More by rudzud

DIM

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

a: This was a hazy golden/peachy color. It was served to me with a solid, one inch frothy cap.

s: Much more phenolic than I expected with lots of musty bananas wafting out of the glass. I also found some honey, apples, spices, and earthy, leafy hops. The alcohol was fairly well masked.

t: Again with the high dose of phenols, this reminded me of a drier tripel more than a classic saison, which it clearly was not meant to be. Powdery banana flavors dominated, I also tasted peaches, apples, honey, and something almost cola like. The finish was drier with mineral bitterness.

m: This absolutely had the lighter body of a classic saison, pretty impressive given the abv.

d: Maybe bottle conditioning would have helped bring this all together a bit better. I did enjoy it, but not quite as much as I hoped to.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2011 16:50:16 | More by DIM