Saison Dupont - Brasserie Dupont sprl

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Tapered 375ml green bottle, caged and cork. Cork comes out with a satisfying "thunk", leaving a little wisp of released carbon dioxide.

Cloudy pale straw body, with a deliciously foaming head of rocky white bubbles. Small amounts of tiny bead swelling up the sides of the glass. Looks very tasty.

Wonderful organic skunkiness on the nose - earthy mulch, straw, and a floral note of fresh crushed lemon myrtle. Underlying this is the classic Belgian yeast character, giving a sweet sweaty, tomato kind of smell. Just a wonderful nose, and so different to many other styles of beer. Very pleasant indeed.

Nice entry, slightly sour, with a gritty yeast backbone. Mellows later to a bittersweet floral note, with even a hint of pepper or spice. Finishes very dry, and what with the sour character lingering around the back of your mouth leaves it amazingly refreshing. Mouthfeel is great, a wonderful sparkling effervescence which just plays perfectly with the sour characters on the palate.

What a wonderful drop of beer, surely one of the most drinkable and refreshing brews I've ever tasted. A truly delectable and extremely tasty beer. Wonderful.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2008 21:54:40 | More by lacqueredmouse

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Probably should have reviewed this excellent beer long before now. Had on tap today at the Victoria Gastro pub in Columbia.

The beer pours a hazy orange tan color with very good head retention and lacing. I don't get a lot on the nose, but what I get is pretty good. There is some light honey, white pepper and citrus. The beer does not smell as if it will be super sweet. The flavors on the palate replicate the nose and this beer really is delicious. It is decidedly on the dry side, but with an excellent palate profile of pepper, citrus and honey. The flavors are quite pronounced; there's nothing reticent about the flavor of this beer. The beer has a fairly light mouthfeel with the alcohol well disguised. It's easy to drink and pretty refreshing.

One of my favorite saisons. This beer is just excellent.

Edit from 1/23/11. No change in score, but the beer is on tap at Max's today, and the bartender (Jason) served me a 32 ounce glass of this beer. That'll surely never happen again, and I thought that by itself was deserving of a short note.

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2008 18:59:24 | More by johnmichaelsen

DoubleJ

California

3.75/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

What's so great about farmhouse ale? Well I'm about to find out. On to the beer:

A- Cloudy blonde, topped by a big rocky head.

S- Drying tartness. Touch of phenolic and bubblegum.

T- Lightly flavored and very dry. Maybe too dry. It gets better as it warms because it becomes more flavorful. Mixed fruits and medicinal flavors stand out the most. Dash of spice in the aftertaste.

M- Firm, the carbonation is melded very well with the beer.

D- I can sip and enjoy this one.

Not bad, but I expected a better experience. My question of what's so great about farmhouse ale remains unanswered at this point.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2008 04:29:07 | More by DoubleJ

glid02

Georgia

4.2/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the Family Dog in Atlanta. I was shocked to see I hadn’t reviewed this beer.

Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a one-finger white head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of light malts with hints of grass. Also present are mild amounts of green apples and leafy hops.

Tastes similar to how it smells, though not as robust. Light malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by slight green apple and pear flavors. Midway through the sip the fruit flavors fade a bit and grassy and leafy hops flavors work their way into things. The light malts and hops carry through to a crisp and mildly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It’s got a nice thickness with moderate carbonation.

Drinkability is very good. I finished my glass quickly and could easily have a few more.

Overall I consider this beer quintessential for the style. Nothing overdone and with everything in its place. Worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2011 20:21:47 | More by glid02

Gusler

Arizona

3.93/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On the pour, a nubilous golden orange color, the head creamy in texture, off white in color, and gigantic in size, as it dissipates it leaves a sticky thick sheet of lace to conceal the glass. The aroma is that of over ripe apples, musty, hints of yeast, somewhat sour or astringent might be a better term. Lots of dross, and the start malt laden, tart as expected, the top skinny in feel, the finish piercing in its acidic bite, the hops bitter on the palate, dry and long lasting aftertaste. Quite a change of pace from the normal ales I’ve been drinking, and a pleasure to be sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2003 14:57:11 | More by Gusler

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had a corked & caged bottle a few nights ago at a bar, but I felt compelled to revisit this beer for a formal review.

From the bottle: "Brewed at one of Europe's last farmhouse breweries, in Hainaut province, Saison Dupont is a 4 star, world classic example of of the Belgian Saison style. This increasingly rare specialty originated before the age of refrigeration as a beer to be brewed in winter for summer drinking. The style required a beer sturdy enough to age in the bottle but refreshing enough to be enjoyed in warm weather. Saison Dupont fits this description perfectly, it has a big, fruity bouquet, and dense head. The taste starts fruity but ends dry and very clean with a light, refreshing finish."

I used a gentle pour as per the brewery who I e-mailed for directions. They like the lees to remain in the bottle as long as possible, if not infinitely. My motto since childhood has been "Waste not, want not" and so I usually reserve that last pout for yours truly. I poured into a champagne flute from the Seabee Ball in 1998 and damned if it did not look like champagne. It was a golden-yellow color under a puffy head of bone-white head that slowly fell, leaving a touch of lacing in its wake. The effervescence was unending and I just gazed at its beauty, enthralled. The nose was fruity in a berry field sort of way with an underlying mustiness of newspapers stored in the attic. Mouthfeel was thin-to medium and the flavor was initially vinous, giving way to a dusty, musty tartness. Holy spit in the ocean, Batman! This was deelish and I could totally see it as the champagne toast at my never-to-be wedding since no one will ever have me as more than an amusing lover. Finish was bone-dry and I think that this might act as a nice panty peeler. I must try it out on some femmes in the near future ...

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 00:07:42 | More by woodychandler

beerthulhu

New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured a cloudy straw-gold with a soft pillowy white head that was pesistant leaving a nice light film lacing.

S: very fruity, with spicy citrus, sour oranges, lemons and a nice tart musky scent. The initial flavor was much the same with some spiciness, sour oranges, lemons. There was some sour fruitiness and a tangy spicing as well. The beer finished with dry and tart with some lemon grinds and a light floral hopping.

M: fizzy, champagne like, and dry. Fairly crisp, tart, lemony and refreshing.

D: a great drink for the summer time. Easy to consume and like.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2008 13:34:38 | More by beerthulhu

DrJay

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cloudy golden honey colour with a gigantic, fluffy white head. Lots of lacing. Lemony citrus aroma, a bit earthy, light spice, floral, mild yeastiness. Fruity (apple/pear) and earthy, slightly tart, hint of malt flavour and a bit spicy. Long, dry, bitter finish with some fruit carrying through. Light body, light astringency, generous, crisp carbonation, slightly creamy and slick mouthfeel. There's a lot going on here, but it stays quite refreshing and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2005 21:29:31 | More by DrJay

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

275ml bottle, Best Before 2008 and enjoyed July 2007 on a beautiful, saison filled afternoon at Volo.

Clear bodied but with many tiny yeast particles that stay perfectly suspended, in the same way stars dot a galaxy. No head minus a thin outline that would thicken every time I swirl and reach towards the center but never quite make it, then quickly recede back. Not far from the colour of apple juice, but really more of an apricot tone.

A yeasty aroma with cider-like notes of dried apple, fresh pear, and a hint of marmalade. A very musty character with faint notes of wheat. I believe both the must and fruit component is found in the yeast.

With a little age under it the mouthfeel has flattened out significantly, leading it to drink closer to the 6.5% it is. A little grainy on the finish. Very soft on the palate with the flavours lightly gracing the tongue.

It packs a fair bit of flavour for a style that is expected to be light. It taste a little like a cider, but I would not say in any way "fruity". The taste is dominated by a pungent blend of - not so much 'fruit' - but fruit rinds. Specifically: Apple -- skins. Orange -- rinds. Grapefruit -- peel. The wheat and yeast get easily confused as both are quite noticeable in the flavour. Spices? Yea, I think so, maybe...

I have trouble agreeing with those who hail this as one of the best examples of the Saison style. It is a fair (and somewhat excellent) representation but after trying it a few times now I would not boast it as a leading example. The style, to me, is one that encourages a little departure from the norm. Whether it's fair or not, I do in a small way hold against it, that the Saison Dupont really does little to transgress from (albeit a good one) a simple Belgian ale.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2007 18:04:25 | More by biegaman

stakem

Pennsylvania

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

Review from notes taken 3/24/10

On tap at Al's served in a classy little saison dupont glass. Pours a hazy golden color with a finger of white head. A solid curtain of lace clings all over the glass. Nose is citrus and spices akin to clove. Taste is on par with the aroma: citrus, clove and yeast primarily. Finishes slightly dry with a bit of hop bitterness. Light feel and modestly carbonated, it is quite drinkable. As it warms, a bit of pear or light fruit blended with grain comes through and is left in the mouth.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2010 19:18:00 | More by stakem

Brad007

Vermont

3/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

No chalice so have to use a trusty pint glass.

Beer pours a pale, grainy color with a decent amount of head that leaves thick lacing. I decided to let the beer warm up before trying it. Aroma is rich and spicy with faint hints of raisin. Taste is very light at first with only the spice and raisin showing through. Goes down smooth. A second sip confirms the smoothness and maltiness. I feel that the beer isn't as strong as I hoped and it just seems unimpressive to me. Not bad but I'll definitely revisit down the road.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2007 00:01:26 | More by Brad007

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

3.05/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Openned Oct. 4, 2005. Best before 01/2008.

A: Copper-gold, nice white head, but very little retention. Still makes some nice lace though!

S: Grassy, herbal.

T: Spicy yeast flavour, very dry, sharp bitterness. Tartness is only barely detectable. Very rustic & unrefined. I realize this is part of the style, but it just wasn't harmonious... it's like all the instruments were there, but they were playing off-key.

M: Light body, moderately high carbonation.

D: While it hides the alcohol well, there's a bit of a bite, and I don't find it all that pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2005 21:48:02 | More by Derek

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy golden wih a clean white head and goood lacing. Lots of sediment. The smells are of lemon, brie cheese, and light barnyard. The taste is complex, with more of the same that are in the aroma, but a lingering bitterness that doesn't seem to come from hops, maybe a slght minerality as well. More farmhouse and brie flavors here, and while there is a touch of tartness, its pretty slight and is not at all the predominant flavor. A crisp, subtle beer with complex flavors that are restrained enough for it to be a real quencher. Very nice as always.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2007 16:45:56 | More by Georgiabeer

mactrail

California

4.13/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A pleasant sweetness is the first taste, followed by the Belgian rasp. Rather bitter aftertaste. Light body but nice carbonation on the tongue. Thirst-quenching and intriguing flavor, but nothing too wild. A thinner, sharper style of Saison. Hoppy bitterness gives a nice edge. Textbook Saison of the Belgian style.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2011 04:59:20 | More by mactrail

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Sampled at From The Vine beer tasting Jul 9th, 2004: The beer is a cloudy gold color with a medium thick and fluffy white head. The green bottle may be to blame for the skunkyness that enveloped the sweet fruit and yeast in the aroma. Light-bodied and very carbonated, with an earthy mix of tart fruit and sweet spice flavors. However, the flavor falls off very quickly for some reason. The finish is lightly sweet and has a touch of pepper. Overall this beer is decent with only a couple shortcomings, but I think the green bottle and travel did it some harm. At any rate I thought the now-defunct Quarryman version was a lot better.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2004 04:36:08 | More by Dogbrick

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Conglomerate of murky gel-like haze of light golden yellow with a tall suspended dense white head of firmly settling froth, slowly dwindles down to a thick puffy haze that remains present, lacing in inkblot sheets. Smell is subdued and mellow with light fruity citrus peels and quite floral in its sweetness with an overall dry wood character adding a nice earthyness with dried grassy and musty yeast notes. Taste is a nice meld of complexing little bits of sharp wheat tones that playfully dart around the palate leaving trails of spices, grasses, dulled citrus peels, musty yeast, wood and earthy tones that leaves a real interesting dryness thats milding smooth and long with its own complexities lending nice frothy wheat malts and some mild hop bittering tones. Nice finish, very calm, smooth, lengthy, and subtle with drying tones. Nice airy carbonation upfront that builds quickly to a nice little grab and fullness midway, and finishes dry remaining smooth and kinda tingly/spritzy the whole way through. The drinkability is nice, just a nudge of to much carbonation for me but still a winner in my book.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2003 00:49:55 | More by tavernjef

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

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

The beer appears mostly clear and orange hued. Rapid effervescence is teeming from the base of the goblet, reminiscent of an ocean storm. The head is gargantuan, appearing pure white and resembling a cumulus cloud perched atop the nectar. 

The aroma offers hops, grass, lemons, lemon zest, yeast.

Nice flavor. Well balanced, with yeast and grass flavors leading the way. Citrus and mild hops add depth. A touch of coriander in there as well. The beer finishes with a moderate bitterness. Just a bit funky, but not that much.

Light to medium bodied and pretty easy to drink. Smooth on the palate with a balance of yeast and hop components.

A good saison, and one I would have again.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 22:46:00 | More by Huhzubendah

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Crisp aroma is rich and fruity, more like a cider than a beer. It pours out a cloudy golden with a thick, off-white head. Flavor is fruity and crisp with hints of malt and just a trace of hops. Texture is lively, jazzy and jagged - it fairly dances on the tongue and on its way down the pipes.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2008 01:45:51 | More by Cyberkedi

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Saison Dupont "Vielle Provision" says the bottle, and the cork proclaims "2009" edition.

Appearance: Light yellow in color with a large soapy head that stays around the whole time. The head on this beer is remarkable and deserves recognition. A slew of little bubbles rising through the beer. At first the beer was fairly clear but later I swirled some yeast in and the beer became cloudy.

Smell: Yeasty aroma with some hay/barnyard elements.

Taste: Once again, quite yeasty and minerally. A flash of sweetness, followed by a noble hop bitterness, imparted by saaz/tettnang hops though I am not sure which is used. The finish is very clean and the balance of this beer is well done. Funky fresh...

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a smooth finish, clean with some dusty yeast lingering.

Drinkability: A pleasant saison that is definately foreign to my taste buds. Pretty much spot on for the style. If I had more of this beer, I'd be happier.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2010 18:13:58 | More by Stinkypuss

ccrida

Oregon

4.53/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml (cork dated 20007) poured into my big Gulden Draak tulip, Saison Dupont is a slightly hazy bronzed gold, with massive, dense off-white head that is painfully slow to recede, leaving rocky chunks of foam.

Smell is dry earth, sharp minerals and sour citrus, wheat providing a pithy zest. Classic.

Taste is also world class, this is the definitive Saison. Sharp and tart and full, yet finishing bone dry.

Mouthfeel is very creamy yet dry, with a lighter body, very nice. The mouthfeel is a million times better (as is this beer in general) from bottles rather then on draught.

Drinkability is very good, this is one of my favorites, a world classic. Paired tonight with grilled spring chinook, oysters and asparagus - perfect! Still, I generally prefer the fruitier saisons then the pepper of Dupont.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2008 04:49:46 | More by ccrida

RoyalT

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance – This Saison is a thing of beauty. The head rose up nicely on an easy pour, showed great retention, and even left some lacing as I drank it down. It was white as the driven snow. The body itself was that thick, slightly orange yellow that I’ve come to know and love.

Smell – This has some of the farm funk to it, but it’s really quite balanced. There’s a nice, easy yeast that soothes the nostrils. The spicing is actually more like a Tripel.

Taste – Ah, yes, quite the delicacy. The farmhouse character comes out a bit more at the taste, but it’s still balanced with yeast. The spices are powdery and very strong, again much like a Tripel or BSPA. The white pepper is prominent here.

Mouthfeel – This Saison is medium-bodied and very fluffy in the cheeks due to the wonderful carbonation. There’s a slight bit of drying at the end but it is super smooth.

Drinkability – Some Saisons can be tough to session, but this one is very smooth and went down quite well. It was one of the more drinkable examples of the style that I’ve had.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2005 02:13:04 | More by RoyalT

largadeer

Kentucky

4.47/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Straw-colored, hazy and full of sediment. Pours with several inches of thick foam that show no signs of fading.

Smell - The mild nose reveals grass and hay-like aromas mixed with notes of lemon and grapefruit.

Taste - Estery with flavors of banana and pineapple. Light acidity with a subtle spiciness. Notes of citrus come out more as the beer sits in the mouth. Extremely dry in the finish, with a lemon peel-like bitterness that remains on the palate for several minutes.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2008 01:29:42 | More by largadeer

avalon07

South Carolina

4.08/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: When poured from a bottle to a tulip glass, had a amber-yellow color and a cloudy consistency. Also some sediment floating around. Had a decent-sized head as well.

S: Typically (among saisons) funky barnyard smell, along with fruit, spices, malt. May have been slightly skunked (why would a high end brewery stoop to using green bottles?!).

T: Had the flavor of apples, coriander, malt, a bit of citrus. Well done and balanced.

M: Very vibrant level of carbonation, along with a smooth finish. Full-bodied, but not overwhelming.

D: Overall, this is a drinkable beer. Saisons are a quirky style and Dupont has done well with this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2008 13:09:25 | More by avalon07

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a light hazy pale yellow color with a big white head. In the aroma, lemon zest and yeasty. In the taste, dry yeastiness and lemon zest, with a sweeter barnyard like earthiness. A smooth and light bodied mouthfeel, with a semi dry lemon yeastiness to a clean aftertaste. Clean and refreshing, nice blend of citrus and earth.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2010 15:01:08 | More by OWSLEY069

ZAP

Minnesota

4.47/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Apricot clored....hazy....fizzy, frothy 1/2 inch egg white head...nose is musty but sweet....tight carbonation...fizzy almost, but creamy at the same time...body is medium light...taste is earthy...sweet fruity notes at first but very dry on the finish...Should have saved this for Thanksgiving...it would have paired nicely with the meal...

Very enjoyable...justt kind of hard to describe the flavor and aroma...tfour words...musty...earthy...fruity..enjoyable..

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2004 05:46:57 | More by ZAP