Saison Dupont - Brasserie Dupont sprl

gkunkle

Oregon

4.8/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750 into a tulip glass. Body of the beer is a slightly hazy orange color with a few solids suspended in the beer, some carbonation is visible. After the pour the fluffy head reached to an impressive 1.75 inches. The smell is slightly difficult to describe, I will attribute that to the funk, I do detect notes of lemon and grass. This also smells kind of boozy, but it is something i do not detedt in yhe taste. This is just wonderful to drink on a warm day in the sub, the flavors match the warm weather so well. The beer touches my tongue with a bit of light malty sweetness. As the beer crests my tongue the carbonation lifts it up, letting it crash once more against my palate with a strong taste of lemon that lingers for a bit as well as a bit of spice. The mouthfeel is just as it should be a nice medium body with aggressive carbonation. Overall this is absolutely spectacular, as I have been trying saisons this has been The benchmark against which everything else is compared, and it has fared quite well.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2011 23:48:58 | More by gkunkle

Cold

Pennsylvania

4.8/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: Pours a pale straw/gold, with a lively, generous pearl-white head. Haze is apparent and uniform, though solid suspended particles are not visible. Numerous bubble trails rise through the drink.

S: Citric, funky, yeasty, slightly acrid, woody, peaty...

T: Tart apples and dry light wood on the front end, with yeasty dry light bread eventually replacing those flavors. Peat and other similar earthy, musty notes crisply finish each taste.

M: Very intense, robust carbonation really dominates the mouthfeel here. As this rush of bubbles dissipates, however, it's a (very pleasant) surprise to note that it lies over a velvety smooth, yet light body that really wouldn't need such an intense carbonation, though it masks the 6.5% ABV brilliantly. Finish is ever-so-slightly dry, though not astringent. Very drinkable/sessionable,

A: Aftertaste is very clean, though its cleanliness is more a product of the flavors on the palate, not an absence thereof. Those flavors include a slightly fruity tartness, crisp, woody earthiness, and a slight belgian funk. The finish is dry, but not terribly astringent, and the dryness increases over time.

Overall: Anyone who knows the saison style knows this beer. In my opinion it is the saison against which all others are measured, and while that does not necessarily mean it is better than the rest, in the vast majority of cases, this is true. Complex, but not busy; balanced but not boring...it's a nearly perfect example of a well-crafted beer, and a world-class example of a quintessential saison. This is the beer to introduce to a friend who doesn't like saisons because they're too sweet/fruity/etc.

It doesn't happen often...but...

5/5

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 03:13:51 | More by Cold

doktorhops

Australia

4.8/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Beer review #200: Let's just say this calls for a celebration and I thought why not try a saison? And what's a better saison than Dupont? None according to what others have said. I can't believe it's been 200 beers already, remember the early reviews? No, well here's some excerpts randomly thrown together: "designed to streamline... radical tortoise... hierarchy under subjective rule... these images are manifest to mankind... please step away from the doors... like ice in a glacier...". *note some/all excerpts may have nothing whatsoever to do with beer.

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a St Feuillien chalice.

A: Cloudy pale gold body with an ample (and excitable) 2cm white head that stands resolute in the glass.

S: Sweet scented cider apples, barnyard straw, musky yeast and an earthy hop note round out the aroma. It's a very rustic fragrance and one that invites you like an eastern European person would into their home for a nice hearty bowl of Goulash.

T: Wow is all I can say. Such a well balanced flavour profile - begins with those sweet cider apples, mid-palate adds a touch of sour yeast and some distilled grain alcohol, then finishes with citric hop bitterness and a Champagne dryness together in harmony. Reminiscent of Duvel in all the right ways.

M: Body is medium, carbonation is creamy with a bit of Champagne fizz.

D: Highly drinkable and highly balanced, I cannot think of a single negative about this brew. I'm impressed by the simplicity (there aren't many flavours at play here) and the fact that it doesn't bore me at the same time. A real contender to Duvel, and cheaper as well.

Food match: The vinous character of this beer would most suit anything that goes well with white wine; light pasta, fish, and Asian cuisine. In fact this brew has flavours that would compliment anything bar game meats and char-grilled steaks.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 08:59:20 | More by doktorhops

tomakeanend

California

4.79/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

THIS is what beer should always taste like. Smooth, flavorful, but always crisp and refreshing at the finish. Very strong, fruity and citrus flavors up front, mixed with a heavy wheat body. The finish is pure summer hefeweizen. The Belgium people know beer like no other. I am in awe of this simple, yet powerful, brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 01:58:32 | More by tomakeanend

Jmamay22

New York

4.78/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Careful with this one as the cork started coming out on its own after removing its cage!

This beer pours a golden hazy yellow with a huge off white head. As pouring I can already smell the sour lemon and mustiness found in a typical saison. It is a very fruity musty scent that tells you you're in for a treat.

You have to wait a bit for the head to settle, but it remains huge as I take my first sip. First sip blows me away as it has greater depth than I've ever experienced in another saison. There are many layers of flavors that dramatically change with such quickness it is difficult to discern each and pick apart everything judiciously. It begins like a typical saison with a lemon zest taste and then moves to a peppery hop bitterness. The finish is dry, but the aftertaste develops a life of its own with full flavored bitterness unlike any other. Ample carbonation in this one does not detract from its flavor, but seems to warm the palate. Highly complex and drinkable brew. Everything you want in a saison taken to a new level.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2007 22:04:00 | More by Jmamay22

bloberglawp

Quebec (Canada)

4.78/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Available here via the SAQ, the provicial liquor commission. Poured in a "maredsous" chalise at 5-8 celcius.

A hazy orangish yellow ale huge white head, lacing and quite effervensent. Aroma of spice, yeast, and notes of citrus (lemon). Flavor of fresh dough, spice and esters from yeast. Dry finish and light body makes this a refreshing and incredibly quafable ale. Its a wonderful summer ale. At 6.5% abv, being bone dry and relatively light bodied, it hits my sweet spot!

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2008 23:38:38 | More by bloberglawp

chrisafari

California

4.78/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours deep golden opaque/cloudy orange with a fluffy/billowing white head. Aroma is yeasty and citrus sweet with a surprising kick of hops! Flavor is sweet citrus, yeast and herbs. Finishes with a nice kick of yeast in the sinus and a dry hoppy throat. Medium body with great lacing. Definitely my favorite Saison! Great for the warm spring and summer months. This is what a Saison should taste like. The benchmark, in my opinion, of any American or Belgian/French attempts at this style. Very well executed.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2008 21:00:46 | More by chrisafari

gotweid

Michigan

4.78/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

From the bottle into a weizen glass (the 2nd into a pint glass). Very hazy, cloudy and golden wheatish in color. Thick, rocky head 2 fingers thick and she stayed around quite a long time. Beautiful lacing all the way down the glass. Aroma of grass, grains and very fruity with a slight whif of hops. Better tasting than I imagined from the aroma. The Dupont has a slightly grainy, fruity taste to it with the slightest amount of light bitterness to it. As I drank it the fruitiness became more noticeable without killing or overcoming the hops. Mouthfeel is so very smooth, almost creamy with a decent amount of carbonation that offsets the dryness that is evident later on. Really alot going on with this beer. Extremely enjoyable and drinkable. Great session beer. You have to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2009 21:48:12 | More by gotweid

scninmer08

New York

4.78/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle poured into tulip.

Straw yellow with beautiful off-white three-finger head.

When I pulled the cork out, immediately I was hit with major skunkiness. Once I poured it into my tulip, the smell rounded out into an interesting blend of skunk and the normal funky yeast smell.

Taste begins with fruity, citrus notes accompanied by the funky backdrop throughout. The malt kicks in near the end, which was beautiful.

Creamy mouthfeel, great blend of carbonation and smoothness.

Overall, a wonderful saison, and the one that most likely comes closest to the ideal in terms of style. Definitely one I would enjoy again throughout the summer.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 12:20:20 | More by scninmer08

inebrius

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A flaxen streaming liquid under layers of stiff foam radiates scents of the earth. A gift basket of aroma: lavender salts, forest honey, radish greens and apple butter packed in handfuls of fresh mown hay. My nose is all wet with puffy froth. Exceptionally balanced flavors reminiscent of that perfect after dinner salad of bitter greens, toasted sunflower seeds, farmer's cheese and dried cranberries in a light citrus vinaigrette.

When you've finished, use what's left of the head as a replacement for whipped cream on your fresh blackberries. I love it.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2005 03:23:08 | More by inebrius

GregoryVII

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

The appearance was an intense straw color verging on gold coupled with a fluffy lacing head. The aroma had a subdued spiciness to it with light notes of fruity ester and a tocuh of sour and olive. There is a solid background of pilsner malt in this beer to balance the fresh spicy, zesty character of the hops. Very light hints of citrus lemon are present, balanced by a peppery sharpness. The beer is deep and balanced. There is a dry, long finish. The mouthfeel was medium and appropriate. Great totality of a beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2006 23:53:51 | More by GregoryVII

BeachBrewerDude

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This is one of the best beers to pair with cheeses, especially the stinky, blue-veined cheeses. Creamy soft cheeses, like camembert or brie work very well also. Don't limit yourself to cheese though. This beer is awesome with a huge variety of foods! From vinegar-based BBQs to... well... just about anything you love to eat! This is a very versatile beer when eating.

This beer has a very rustic characteristic to the overall taste and mouthfeel, and even displays a pronounced funk that is typical of an authentic farmhouse ale. It's a dry beer and carries a mouthfeel which reminds me of Champagne. Citrus with peel, floral, grass, a little vanilla, wheat, and a slight hint of stone gravel which keeps it dry. It's a very drinkable and refreshing ale during the summer months.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2010 16:11:52 | More by BeachBrewerDude

nniicckkww

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a champagne type bottle into a chalice glass. Gotta pour this one very slowly as the head becomes massive quickly and can get out of hand. Champagne like carbonation with a rocky head that lasts and lasts. Spicy aroma with some fruit in the nose. Hazy golden color. Clean and crisp. Refreshing. Spicy taste and light lively mouthfeel. This beer is complex. Slight banana flavor also. One of my favorite beers.

So drinkable and refreshing. I want to have this after a long hot day working on the farm.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2010 20:03:11 | More by nniicckkww

dcook11

California

4.75/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A- Pale pale yellow with a thick two finger soapy white head. Sea foam like, whispy. Moderate carbonation. Some lacing.

S- Skunk, apple, belgian yeast, funk. Another smell is present but I cant place it.

T- Skunk, apple...very balanced.

M- Light bodied.

O- one of the best beers I have ever had. After trying this, I feel bad I waited so long to pick this offering up. Fantastic beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 23:37:08 | More by dcook11

doughanson78

Washington

4.75/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

375ml bottle poured into a tulip.

A: Light orange/yellow straw color. Pretty hazy. Big three finger cloud like white head with amazing retention and sticky lacing.

S: Very yeasty. Awesome funk that is light enough to let other aromas shine through. Getting some citrus, slight tart apples, lemon, and touches of grapefruit. Smells a little grainy. Pretty complex. Awesome smelling Saison.

T: Grain and yeast upfront. A funky citrus comes through next with a nice sour/tart/funky apple flavor. A touch of spice. Light floral hop notes.

M: Light bodied. High carbonation. Super crisp. Super dry.

O: Awesome Saison. The best I've had. Very drinkable. Everything just works in this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 05:44:20 | More by doughanson78

Tilley4

Tennessee

4.75/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I can't believe I've waited this long to try this beer...

Beautiful pour with a frothy persistent white head that never leaves the glass... Lots of evident carbonation present... One beautiful beer...

Very vibrant earthy smell present... slightly citrusy in nature with an earthy funkiness in the background... Amazing aromas... Lots of yeastiness present as well... Just smells like a great hot weather ale...

Uber refreshing flavors of barnyard funk, lemon zest, a little hay, some yeast, a touch of booze... It hits the spot on a 100 degree day here in West TN... I only have one bottle which is probably a good thing... This is so delicious and refreshing I could get carried away with this... It's the perfect saison... Probably the best example I've ever had...

I loved this beer all the way around... A classic and one I won't pass up again...

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 22:25:09 | More by Tilley4

jordanmiller

Pennsylvania

4.74/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Before this, I've only had experience with Ommegang's Hennepin, and a local Saison.

A - Appearance seems very light with an almost unfiltered or either highly carbonated look to it

S - I never understood the term "farmhouse ale" until I gave this a whiff. WOW, You can really get a whiff of funky leather and what one in a rural area like mine would consider a farmhouse-y like scent!

T - Very, very light on the tongue, I wouldn't say overly carbonated, but it's very very bubbly on the tongue. Lots of funk lingers on the tongue after tasting, I can't quite put where the other tastes are coming from, but it's very light and very refreshing.

M - Incredibly light and bubbly, very refreshing

O - The best Saison I've tasted so far, I'm just upset that a style that's so gorgeous is so difficult to find varieties of in Pennsylvania!

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 07:37:36 | More by jordanmiller

Wreckoncile

California

4.73/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 750ml bottle into tulip

A - Pours a hazy gold color with a fluffy 2 finger foam the takes some time to dissipate and leaves a little lacing around the glass. A touch of sediment found near the bottom of the glass upon pouring. Bright and beautiful appearance.

S - A strong lemongrass note right up front with a tart note of belgian funk to round out the nose. The pale malt smell lingers underneath that earthy funk throughout.

T - The lemon and grassy flavors dominate, but also a note of banana and even some white grape. The first sip was almost champagne like in its grape note, but the lemon and earthy/grassy flavor covers it quickly. A slightly tart finish with some trademark funkiness.

M - Dry, and yet crisp and refreshing. That champagne quality detected in the taste was even more apparent in the mouthfeel given the bubbly and dry aspect of this beer.

O - This is generally considered among the signature widely available saisons and for good reason. My only gripe with it is that its dryness prevents it from being that ideal thirst-quenching choice, which is what a "farmhouse" ale always strikes me as needing. But it's a trivial ding as overall this is a finely made saison.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 03:52:09 | More by Wreckoncile

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.72/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2003 Bottling, Sampled June 2004
The aroma is lemony, sharp, and musty all at the same time. It is very well carbonated and just dances around as it effervesces on my tongue. The taste is lightly sweet, yet is quite dry in the finish. This is definitely well hopped as it has a nice balancing bitterness in the finish. The taste has some light lemon notes as well hints of ginger, and herbs. The beer is really quite dry, despite the sweetness that I detected early on. This beer is light and refreshing, yet complex and interesting. This is just a great beer, and one of my favorite styles right now.


2003 bottle, Sampled January, 2004
It is very well carbonated as the cork just explodes from the bottle with only a little prompting. This beer is a hazy orange yellow colored brew, which, is topped by a prodigious white head. The head is long lasting and turns to a cratered rocky surface over time. As I pour I get a strong light struck character in the aroma. The main aroma in the glass is of grain. The light struck character is, thankfully, quite muted in the taste. The beer has a sharp grassy-grain character to it, which is quite good and make me think of a nice hay field in Belgium. There is a slight sweetness and a balancing bitter hop finish. It is a fairly dry beer overall, and has very little fruitiness to it. The middle of this beer has a certain sharp spiciness to it. Overall, though this beer is fairly mellow, the flavors are well integrated and flow one into the other. I like this beer; a quality, good farm-house beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2004 02:02:58 | More by Gueuzedude

mynie

Indiana

4.72/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Classy bottle. Classier pour. Honey gold like the skin of a naive island girl. I very big man in American, baby. You come with me I make you very rich.

Smells like skunk, but it works. German pilsner green bottle smell--light and fruity--mixed with good spicy saison spice, white pepper especially.

Taste is a suprisingly wonderful mixture of the flavors mentioned in the nose, fruity skunk up front giving way to saison spice, white pepper and citrus. Great. Seriously, this is all that's great in the world of green bottle summer poundin' beers mixed with all that's great in the world of Saisons.

This is an excellent, flavorful beer that's actually refreshing. I could down a twelve pack of this in the summer. Take a couple of bottles with me while I hiking, that sort of thing. Excellent.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2006 05:43:15 | More by mynie

edchef1850

New York

4.72/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a .375 ml champagne split bottle, cloudy, hazy yellow color in my glass with a thick foamy head, smells of citrus, slight astringance, a sour odor,mmm i cant wait to taste. Wow, this is some good stuff, a lightly sweet and wonderfully sour flavor, this beer is not afraid to be what it is. I love the farmhouse ale style and Saison Dupont is at the top of my list. A wonderfully refreshing beer, the .375 ml is not quite enough of this stuff for me, but i wouldnt drink it all night. A crusty baguette, and some ripe cheeses, sitting under an awning at a nice cafe sipping on some Saison Dupont, now thats a heavanly scenario!!

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2006 20:46:58 | More by edchef1850

geexploitation

Indiana

4.72/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I've had this before, but it's my first time reviewing it. Highly carbonated, with a huge "pop" from the cork finish bottle upon opening. Pours a very hazy, bright gold, with obvious yeast present, and a huge, fluffy white head that leaves sticky laces on the sides of my Duvel glass. The nose is startingly complex: I get green fruit (apples or pears, can't decide which), lemon zest, raw alcohol, yeast, white pepper and pale malts. Wow. The palate is quite evolving; I feel like it's changed constantly over the course of consuming a 750 ml bottle. The palate is equally deep, with an initial burst of metal giving way to lemony citrus giving way to slightly bready malts... all with an underpinning of intense carbonation. That highly carbonated mouthfeel leaves the mouth refreshed and ready for more.

This is an incredible beer. I can imagine that this beer would be great with many, many different foods, and it's absolutely interesting enough on its own. I consider this a must-have. *drool*

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2006 23:36:51 | More by geexploitation

EPseja

New Jersey

4.72/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Vintage 2005... shared with BA yelterdow.

Served from a 750ml bottle in a Duvel tulip at just below cellar temperature.

A - Huge creamy three inch head atop a straight up gold, slightly hazy body. Top of the head is marshmallowy while the view from the side reveals large, buoyant bubbles. Lacing is already evident as the head begins to subside, and continues for the entire duration. Even if some sediment gets into the glass, it is so well refined that it does not detract from the appearance one iota. Beautiful.

S - Lemony, yeasty nose along with a mild (lemonpepper?) spiciness. Big, natural, fresh sweetness like dew covered grass on a cool summer morning. Enticing, alluring... wonderful.

T - All flavors are so well blended. In the front comes an unroasted malt sweetness which is balanced by a yeasty tartness in the middle and finish. The end brings forth a green, living, crisp hoppiness. Some very subtle corander, perhaps?

M - Mild and creamy, but refreshing. Slight tingle on the tongue, and an easy swallow. Mmmmm.

D - This beer is supremely drinkable. Everything is so well blended; so well crafted. A sublime saison that is pretty much the standard for most others to model.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2006 01:05:29 | More by EPseja

jwc215

New Jersey

4.72/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tulip glass.
Poured a cloudy yellow with a very, large white head that did settle down a bit, but remained solid.
The smell was lemony with noticeable - but not overwhelming - hop presence.
The taste was citrusy - especially lemon and a bit of orange, yeasty and had moderate hoppiness. The flavors were very well-balanced.
The mouthfeel was light, dry and slightly creamy. The flavors didn't stick around long - but was very refreshing.
This is an excellent choice for a barbeque on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2006 20:33:06 | More by jwc215

faernt

Illinois

4.72/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Ahh belches. My wife just walked through one and winced and called it "mossy" That's from a Saison DuPont. I have this beer around always. It's house beer. It rocks!!!

It pours big and rocky. It gets cloudy because of the rusty sludge in the bottom of the bottle. I've been told that there is iron oxide in the water at the brewery. It makes much food taste better. It smells a little old because I've been told they use aged hops. Try it sometime...put some hops in a bowl and leave them in your beer closet (or wherever you put beer) and smell them in a year. They smell different. So rusty water and old ingredients. And they still make a fantastic beer. It tastes great with food. Try it. It is on my top 10. Pass on rawish fish. It takes the smell up into taste. However, it is the best grilled salmon beer around.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2007 01:26:13 | More by faernt