Foret - Brasserie Dupont sprl

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

very enjoyable, and had the desireable yeast and carbonation characteristics of the other Duponts I have had. Refreshing and lasting peppery aftertaste. Somewhat sweet fruity and acidic, with a spiciness. Pours actively carbonated and significant yeast before settling. Amber.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2005 03:36:33 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Strangely pristine summer squash gold. Shouldn't a saison have at least some visible yeast? And shouldn't a Belgian ale contain more than the occasional, fine bubble? Doesn't matter apparently because Foret has a wonderful looking lid that does the style proud. It's closer to ivory than to ecru, is impressively rocky and is so sticky that it deposits thick chunks of pocked lace on roughly half of the available glass.

The nose is bold and beautiful with loads of sweet and sour fruit and a whiz-bang yeast strain that is some kind of spicy. It's odd, but this is the second non-hefe weizen that I've had in the past week that had banana esters in the nose. A bananarific, clovey, white peppery, complex aroma. What's not to love?

Foret is one of the more in-your-face saisons in recent memory. Not one member of the flavor profile is relegated to the background. It's as if they all got together and said 'everybody's equal here, now let's go and kick a little taste bud ass'. Tart apples and pears combine with sweet banana, intensely floral hops, the aforementioned spicy yeast and alcohol. That last one is a bit too prominent, but when there's this much flavor exuberance, I don't mind a bit.

I love the fact that banana is so noticeable; it's almost like a secret ingredient that puts this beer over the top in terms of originality and multi-fruit complexity. It'd be pretty cool if Brasserie Dupont used a hefe weizen yeast, but I seriously doubt it. Whatever yeast strain they used is impressively peppery; my mouth continues to buzz long after each mouthful has gone to its reward. I'm sure the hops, the carbonation and the alcohol have something do with that effect as well.

I can't quite put my finger on why, but the mouthfeel isn't quite up to the lofty standard set by the aroma and the flavor. There's nothing really wrong with it (light-medium, generously carbonated), it just isn't special. It hardly matters though because I'm enjoying the beer thoroughly with a 'merely good' mouthfeel.

Foret is French for forest, which should be easy to figure out due to the bucolic scene depicted on the label. It's too bad that this lively little Belgian ale doesn't come in 750 ml bottles like just about every other saison in existence (or if it does, it's too bad that I ended up with this puny 11.2 ouncer) because it's a corker of a beer that disappeared waaay too quickly.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2006 14:28:21 | More by BuckeyeNation

womencantsail

California

4.05/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: The pour is a hazed golden straw color with a huge, rocky, white head.

S: There's a touch of skunk up front, but after the first sniff or two, I don't get it anymore. Lots of peppery phenols and spices. Mildly floral with some light fruits such as apples and lemons. Quite a bit of yeast with a bit of bready malts.

T: Sweet bread up front which is accompanied by a very strong yeast flavor. Some earthy funk with lots of grass. Mildly floral with a touch of tart lemon and lemon zest. Moderately spicy with plenty of pepper notes.

M: Medium in body with a medium to high carbonation.

O: Of the Dupont saisons, this is probably my favorite. Nicely complex with lots of good flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2011 03:43:54 | More by womencantsail

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.18/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle - $8.99 at Hop City in Atlanta, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours out an effervescent, clouded, rustic orange body with a large, lasting, oh-so airy, white head.

Smell: Soft, sweet-toned barley with a hint of honey-coated cookies and fresh Also some notable notes of both spice and flowers.

Taste: Ah, the gentle taste of sweetish barley featuring notes of cookie crumbs, white bread, and wildflower honey. Hint of orange and lemon citrus flavors begin the emerge. Slight, slender florals welcome in a light spiciness though very, very little bitterness. Finishes quite crisp and somewhat sweet.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Well carbonated.

Drinkability: Keenly drinkable like the standard version, though, I would say this is just a tad sweeter. Usually, Saison Dupont is my go-to beer for Thanksgiving dinner, but I thought I'd mix it up a bit this year. It all worked out well, I'd say.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2009 21:18:30 | More by ChainGangGuy

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a dirty yellow/beige color ale with a huge pure white foamy head with great retention and some lacing. Aroma of bready yeast with some nice floral Belgian malt notes but not as many hops as the vieille provision. Taste was a nice combination between some floral Belgian malt with some bready yeast which also provided a slightly spicy finish. Full body with some great carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Another great beer from this fine brewery.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2008 17:54:58 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.18/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Some beers defy styles and become legendarily world class on their own unique merrit. Duponts Saisons do this, and Foret is no exception

This classy Belgian Saison is bursting with a hazy glow of deep golden straw that draws excessive lace and retention. Sediments of yeast soon settle on the bottom of the glass and further fuel the appetizing appearance.

Aromas are chocked full of cantied fruits- juicy to the core apples, pears, appricots, passion fruit, and mild bananas are all well represented. Honey, powdered sugar, and sweet grains provide the perfect base for the fruits and spices from yeast.

The honey-soaked fruits continue in taste, along with the supple bready sweet flavor of pilsner malt and thin honey. The developing spicy and pungent earthy flavors of grass, herbs, white pepper, corriander, and light brine all give a rustic rawness to taste. Hop bitterness comes into play very late with almost an after thought of lemongrass and woody bark.

Early malt creaminess is exacerbated by the abundance of carbonation, creating an expansive and airy feel that culminates into an evaporative disolvance just before finsih. The beer seems to vanish just before the attempt to swallow, creating the epidome of drinkability and digestability. Absolutely effortless to the palate and stomach for a warming and welcoming session.

Nearly the ideal Saison that's sure to win over lovers of dry white wines and earthy Belgain Ales.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2008 04:00:51 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Really liked the nice golden color of this ale,with nice big rocky head that left nice lace.Very fresh and citruisy smel with a little yeast in the background.Fresh taste with some hoppiness to it,thirst quenching and very easy to drink.I do believe this is a organic ale wich makes it even better.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2003 15:25:31 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

I was expecting more from this organic version of a saison from the makers of the brilliant Saison Dupont. Unfortunately, this version disappointed me.

Although I sampled a long-stored and refrigerated bottle, the carbonation immediately brought up the yeast sediment and it poured a very hazy gold with an orange cast and billowing swirls of effervescent bubbles beneath a huge head of rocky off-white foam. The head retention was more than impressive (it held a small cap throughout the entire glass) and it left some excellent lacing (beautiful jagged rings and walls). Its candyish nose was quite welcoming, but a bit deceptive as the flavor was actually much less sweet, balanced by a bold hop bitterness and flavor. The mouthfeel was light and airy, and quite smooth with just a gentle caress on the tongue considering its zesty effervescence. In the flavor, some candyish and honey-like malt was over-shadowed by a brisk bitterness, leafy hop flavor, and a slap of spice. It finished dry with a mild, grainy-sweet note, a touch of light phenolic (plastic/smoke), and a lingering delicate spiciness.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2003 01:47:36 | More by NeroFiddled

metter98

New York

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer poured cloudy pale golden yellow in color with a finger-sized head. A light amount of carbonation is visible and there are some yeast particles floating near the bottom of the glass. The beer has good head retention and a thin layer of bubbles consistently covered the surface.
S: There are earthy and musty aromas along with some notes of spices.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell and also has some notes of fruits.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and crisp on the palate. There is a little bit of dryness in the finish.
D: The beer is very refreshing and easy to drink. Not a trace of alcohol is perceptible.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2010 23:25:07 | More by metter98

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: a hazy, straw-golden color, with a thick, cloud-fluffy-white head.
Aroma: big lemon, a touch of sourness, and seemingly a bit off...I'm getting suspicious already whether I have a poorly handled bottle...the floaties detected later only widened that suspicion...
Taste: hoppy, vibrant, with a crisp, citrusy flavor.
Light body, adequate texture, simple and very tasty, with that lemony aspect dominant. The pleasant, sparkling citric flavor rings through and out in the finish.
Oddly, though, the flavor lags off some, and begins to taste of cardboard, feels stale...again, I wonder if something's wrong...but that's not a major element of my enjoyment of this drink, in fact, it popped up, then receded, and I finished the remainder of this 750ml bottle with a lack of complaints.
Again, though, I found myself wishing that an "organic" beer would mean one that really tasted fantastic, not just pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2003 01:44:33 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

3.95/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a cloudy pale gold color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a nice pale malt scent with a banana/ clove aroma and a fruity Belgian yeast finish. The taste is good. It has a spicey pale malt flavor with a bit of pepper undertones and a slight hop character. It goes down smooth and finishes with a fruity Belgian yeast aftertaste. The mouthfeel is decent. It is a medium bodied beer with a little too much carbonation. This is a fine saison. It is true to style and full of spicey flavor.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2004 01:52:51 | More by WesWes

Mora2000

Texas

3.95/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer ours a murky yellow color with a small white head. Not a very attractive beer. The aroma is light funk with some strong citrus lemon notes. The flavor is lemon, funk, Belgian yeast and some nice sweetness. A relatively funky saison. Medium carbonation and medium mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2010 21:15:47 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

3.53/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out a semi-opaque, fizzy, golden-yellow color with a small, white, short-lived head. Little lacing.

S - It smelled a little skunky - not good - like a euro lager. Also, some lemon notes hidden underneath it.

T - It had a tart flavor from the lemon. Good Belgian yeast and light caramel maltiness.

M - It was sharp and fizzy. A light to medium bodied beer with a warming quality.

D - This is an okay saison. I did not enjoy the aroma, but it tasted okay.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2008 03:22:47 | More by zeff80

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

This beer was poured for me as the Farmhouse in Emmaus. The beer was a nice golden color, hazy and not see through at all. The smell is a little funy but its mostly grainy and has a light amount of hops. The taste is also grainy and has a nice amount of Belgian yeast on the flavor. The mouthfeel is smooth and lightly carbonated, leaving just a light bubbly bite on the tongue. Overall I found this to be a pretty good Farmhouse Ale.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 22:43:23 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.85/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy bronze (settles out nicely)with a 3 fingers+ fluffy white head. Great lacing & pretty good head retention

S: Apple skins, leather yeast & pepper, plus lemon as it warms

T: Sour apples, lemon, & peppery hops up front. Some fruityness & alcohol as it warms. Finshses dry, tart & lemony

MF: Spritzy & light. A little overcarbonated

Drinks pretty good, about average as far a saisons go, Goes down too easy during this colorado hail storm! A good effort, but a tad over priced $9.50 for 750ML bottle IMO

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2006 03:41:30 | More by russpowell

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.95/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Cork Date 2003, Sampled April 2004
Pours brilliantly clear, and a full gold color. The beer is topped by a thick cream colored head that is produced by an incredible amount of carbonation. Aromas of grain and a floral characteristic reminiscent of a field of blooming weeds (both soft and sharp floral aromatics competing for attention). The taste is light and refreshing, with perhaps a hint of acidity in the finish. The ample carbonation prickles my tongue. There is a light grainy sweetness up front, but the finish is quite dry. Quite nice, with a good amount of character derived from the yeast. I get notes of pepper, grass, tropical fruit, pineapple, clove, and a herbal character. This is quite nice, light and refreshing with enough complexity to keep me interested in each sip.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2004 02:36:58 | More by Gueuzedude

emerge077

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a hazy orangy tone, plenty of sticky foam that laces the glass well. Smell is of sweet candi sugar, earthy cannabis, and peach or apricot.

Tastes slightly sweet, countered by earthy herbal notes, drying in the finish. Mouthfeel is slightly chalky, but effervescent, and more "wet" that Saison Dupont. A distant, muted relation to Fantome. Very drinkable, perfect for a sunny day outdoors...

2008: 11.2 oz. bottle. Seemed a bit more thin, bland and metallic that what I remember from the 750 bottle reviewed above. There was a sweetness and alcoholic dryness to it, but it was missing the subtle fruit mentioned above.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2007 03:18:52 | More by emerge077

Halcyondays

California

3.73/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Beachwood BBQ,

A: Pours a cloudy translucent orange-yellow, with a mild white head, but white extensive full lacing, nice to see.

S: Earthy notes indicative of this style, grass, hop resin, sweet malt.

T: Flowery hops and earth, maltiness is sweet and bready, some yeast complexity, mild apple. Standard saison flavour, good, but nothing too exciting.

M: Mild carbonation, fairly light-bodied for its alcohol content, creamy, rustic.

D: Another tasty if not ovrwhelming saison from Dupont, would be a really good food beer, I'd have again on-tap, but wouldn't pop the 9 bucks for a bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

07-12-2008 22:08:41 | More by Halcyondays

jwc215

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750 ml cage-corked bottle - poured into a tulip glass.

Pours all head (white) despite slow, careful, pour. In time, the head descends - revealing a pale, clouded, somewhat lifeless (little in way of rising bubbles), darkish yellow body. For such a head, not much lacing sticks.

The smell is grassy, musty, lemony and honey-ish.

The taste is of honey sweetness with tart lemon. There is a metallic tinge and a mustiness leaning more towards mildew than barnyard. It's not bad - but lacks the lemony zest of Saison DuPont or other classic saisons. As it progresses, it gets a touch soapy. It has a slightly bitter-ish, but wet, finish.

Despite the head, the carbonation is mild on the palate, giving it a certain watery thinness, though the carbonation does become a bit more noticeable in the throat - not really a characteristic that thrills me.

This seems like a "wanna be" Saison Dupont (although - I know - same brewery). I don't know if "organic" has anything to do with it, but it is just a shadow of the true classic. Not bad, but unless you are really "green" no reason to get this with so many more satisfying saisons out there.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2008 22:29:12 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Now this is an example of a great beer that just happens to be organic. It reminds me immediately of Brooklyn's Local 1 for being so drinkable and having so many subtle flavors. It pours a straw-gold body with a thick white head. The aroma is toasty and bready, with hint of sweet malt, spice, and earthy hop. The flavor dives into the hops with herbal and spicy citrus notes along with creamy malt, pepper, more toast, and a cadny-like sweetness. It's balanced a little towards the hops, but it's a mellow, rounded bitterness that adds to the crisp nature of the beer.

This is a top-notch saison and one I'll be looking for in the future. I don't know if I've ever had a better organic beer. Worth seeking out if you like saisons.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2008 17:04:26 | More by tempest

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -25%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Straw color, slight cloudiness

Strong skunky aroma. Oh no, another green bottle. I'll try to evaluate this without that in mind. Unfortunately, I really cannot detect any other aromas. I imagine that the smell is deserving of a much better score than I can give here.

Again, the skunkiness shows up. Beyond that, this is a crisp ale with good malt flavor. Good body with very high carbonation. The aftertaste is very dry.

I'd love to try this in a fresher condition, it has hints of delicacy that cannot be perceived in this condition.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2006 20:35:20 | More by smcolw

rhoadsrage

Illinois

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

(Served in a chalice)

A- This beer has a hazy dark copper body with a thick off-white head that has a nice bit of lacing.

S- This beer has a yeasty flowery note to a club soda aroma.

T- This beer has a dry pale malt flavor with soft bubble gum that increases with warmth. There is a bittern finish with zest notes and a hint of green peppercorns. The finish has a dry sulfur quality to it.

M- This beer has a light mouthfeel with a full finish do to a big but tight fizz.

D- This beer has a dry crisp fresh quality with a nice peppery spice and a big club soda note with a hint of tonic quality. There is a nice hoppyness but not much in flavor more in spicy qualities.

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2007 02:50:10 | More by rhoadsrage

Jason

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

750 ml green champagne magnum with no freshness date to be found other than the year 2002 on the cork which I assume it was the bottling year.

Appearance: Has a hazed golden cider hue, crackling carbonation leads to a fallen head though the lace sticks around.

Smell: Raw honey maltiness, brash grassy malt and hops, and herbal / earthy phenolic, cellar mustiness and yeast aromas all over the place. Suggestions of plums and mint come to mind as well.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Fluffy crisp on the palate, grassy from the grain and withered hop flavour. Hop bitterness is there but seems bigger only because it joins up with some medicinal phenols and a yeasty bite. Vague spicing and more grain in the mouth. Warming alcoholic esters are in tow but not without some fruitiness in hand. Touch vinous and lemony middle to end.

Notes: A simple beer, I expected a bit more. Rough around the edges showing some withdrawn complexities. There are other Saisons out there that are better.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2003 11:31:21 | More by Jason

Billolick

New York

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

large bottle, with cork and cage. Pours cloudy orangy amber, lifting a massive white head. Good retention, dissolving to a tiny bubble film. Leaves much well scattered lacing. Nose of spice, yeast, corriander. Soft mouthfeel. A hint of a mettalic note. Otherwise typical saison flavors of pepper, must, earthyness and a nice dry finish. Love this style, but this take on it is just so so. Still worth trying and enjoying with BBQ, and summer fare.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2004 01:32:35 | More by Billolick

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle, corked and caged, 2006.

Poured in a Rapscallion glass, formed a 2" eggshell head over the clearish orangey gold brew. Head holds steady for quite some time, fueled by bubbling deep in the glass, with lots of heavy foamed lacing. Aroma is effervescent, lightly spiced, with some earthiness. Taste is sweet malts upfront, some spiciness in the middle, and a bitter close. Mouthfeel is extra smooth, and drinkability is excellent. Don't really care that it's organic, but good for them that made a very nice beer and could still follow those guidelines.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2007 22:21:25 | More by ppoitras