Foret - Brasserie Dupont sprl

DovaliHops

California

4.08/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a very hazy, golden straw color with a huge, frothy white head that lingers for quite some time. Scent is extremely grassy and reeks of tart green apples, melon, and citrus. There are some lovely Belgian yeast notes as well. Not much funk to this one. Taste is initially melon flavors...then shifts to green apples, lemon, and mango. Then I get some grassy flavors with Belgian yeast and clove. Finishes dry and hoppy. Mouthfeel is very carbonated and dry. Drinkability is very high. Overall, this is a very tasty and refreshing saison. It's definitely not my favorite saison, but a saison worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 07:23:28 | More by DovaliHops

waltersrj

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pour: Deep, golden yellow with an orange hue. The head was initially very frothy like meringue but eventually disappeared for the most part leaving behind lacing on the glass and a soapy formation swirling on top of the beer.

Nose: Honey (raw), grassy notes, light cellar must/funk, caramel, pepper and light, dank hops.

Taste: Slight citrus hops, pepper, honey, caramel, light touches of hops and grass.

Mouthfeel: A little thicker than most Saisons ive tried, slightly filling, a touch between oily and creamy.

Overall: Worth the try in a 330 ml bottle. There are better Saisons to be had.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2011 20:38:39 | More by waltersrj

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Straw yellow colour with a huge tall foam head that slowly drops down to a thin blanket of bubbles.

S: Alot of floral and earthy (grassy) notes present in the aroma, along with yeast, cloves, some quiet biscuit malts, and honey. Picking up some fruits including pears, apples, and pineapple. Quite complex and very appealing.

T: Floral and earthy notes are balanced real nicely with the sweetness from malts, sugar, and honey. Tasting more tropical fruits (pineapple & banana) as opposed to the orchard fruits initially detected in the smell - interesting (and very nice). Alcohol slightly present in the finish, but not in an overwhelming way.

M: Slightly viscous and resiny with medium carbonation, which are pleasant and about right for the style.

D: Very nice saison offering that I'll be keeping my eye out for again. Bonus marks for a killer label!

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 01:40:28 | More by Digimaika2

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750 ml corked and caged bottle, 2010 printed on the cork. Served in a tulip glass, the beer pours a cloudy straw gold color with a couple inch frothy white head that stays around for a long time. There's also a lot of lacing left on the glass. Aroma is lemon peel, pears, herbs, tart apples, and a bit of skunk and funk. The brew tastes like lemon peel, peppery spice, bready malt and some apple. Mouthfeel/body is light/medium, it's well carbonated and a bit dry. It's a little too well carbonated for my liking. Not a bad brew, but this one just doesn't do much of anything for me. I'll have to try this again in the future, but for now I'd pick other saisons before this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2011 23:17:15 | More by bluejacket74

kgwine

Rhode Island

4.8/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

The first pour into my Speigelau wineglass created a froathy foamy white cloud that reeked of beautiful scents. Super tight bubbles grew up over the top of the rim. Herbal and full of nature, this Saison stays true to the cloudy tart one-of-a-kind taste that I love. Being a wine guy, this style of beer intrigues me - perhaps because the sentiment is that Dupont's original yeast strain is purported to be a red wine yeast that has developed over time.

The mouthfeel is gritty and real. Why filter out all the goodness. This beer is nourishing without feeling heavy. Particles of goodness were heavy on the last pour.

Overall - Fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 01:15:33 | More by kgwine

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +4.7%
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

bahbhorner

Washington

5/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is a wonderful beer to enjoy on a nice summer day. Especially after some time in the garden, similar to the farmers of age that the saison was often brewed.

It bursts with beautiful Saaz hops, overwhelming the senses before you even get to a glass. It is sharp and herbal, with wonderful hop aroma. The basic malts of this saison are perfectly balanced with adjunct sugar, and the bitterness is well suited for the fruity, spicy and earthy characteristics of the yeast.

This beer really demonstrates a restrained and sensible use of ingredients that many American brewers could learn from. It is powerful and pungent, warming and herbal, delicate and complex.

Oh...and it is organic! = no pesticides and chemicals in the water that my homebrew comes from.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 03:14:51 | More by bahbhorner

HoppingMadRedCap

North Carolina

3.73/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12.7oz bottle poured into pint glasses.

Appearance - Golden around the edges with a solid beam of hazy brown through the middle. Plenty of bubbles floating to the top creating a lasting layer of fluffy white head.

Aroma - Picking up plenty of herbs with a touch of some white floral notes and this faint scent of honey. Could use just a touch more on the nose.

Taste - Sweet flowers, almost like honeysuckle to me. Hop character is low, only appearing at the tail end for a crisp finish.

Mouthfeel - A little gritty, though a light body to it.

Overall - Normally, I’m a huge fan of Saisons but something about this one felt slightly lacking to me. The look drew me in but I don’t think the flavor lived up to its appeal. I would almost certainly have this one again, but I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2011 00:32:12 | More by HoppingMadRedCap

PhillyStyle

Georgia

4.45/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at The Trappe Door, Greenville, SC. May 2011:

The beer appeared a nice, hazy golden amber color with a huge white head that was very well retained throughout the beer that also left some nice lacing on the glass. The beer had the aroma that you would expect from the style, a nice spicy, citrus aroma with hints of the yeast. The taste is excellent...what one would expect from a saison, but this one takes it up a notch. A nice strong, spicy and citrus taste with that Belgian yeast backbone. The beer had a lighter medium feel to it with higher carbonation, but as expected. The beer had a nice dry finish. Overall, this is an excellent beer and one that I am glad that I ran across and I hope to again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-22-2011 03:12:23 | More by PhillyStyle

StoneBrewFanatic

Virginia

4.03/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours hazy golden straw in color into my pint glass with two fingers of dense head that has fantastic retention and splotchy lacing. Lots of visible carbonation and some sediment.

S - Sweet malts, banana, clove, tart apples and a bit of funk.

T - Mostly sweet malts, very mild banana and clove notes, has some funk to it, finish is almost like a bitter apple cider.

M - Medium and well balanced.

O - Not overly impressed, but overall solid.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2011 17:16:33 | More by StoneBrewFanatic

Patrickbrusil

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Interesting that this guy is USDA certified organic. My food in general is tasty when organic, so why not my beer?

Nice clean pour with a wonderful cork pop. A tall head dies down rather fast leaving nice lacing and the beer is a beautiful hazy golden color.

Smells of the quintessential "Belgian" yeast rounded out by honey and apples.

The taste is clean, crisp, and incredibly fresh. Semi dry finish with a slight yeast flare. This is very enjoyable. A little fruit zest here, a sweet tang of honey essence, and I'm in love.

Great mouthfeel that is well carbonated and carries great front to back.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2011 00:37:14 | More by Patrickbrusil

rbd13

Rhode Island

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours an attractive hazy gold with an enormous white foam head that leaves heavy lacing on the glass.
Bright fruit, ripe peaches, citrus, cloves, and an earthy spiciness are present on the nose, along with sweetbread yeast.
Again there are flavors of bright fruits, green apple, citrus, and spice with a nice light hop presence and bread dough on the finish.
Refreshing, crisp body with a full mouth feel.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2011 13:10:19 | More by rbd13

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I picked this up for an italian BYO. It was a bonus to find a quality saison at the corner store for a nice dinner outside.

Unfortunately I had to use the water glasses from the restaurant for this beer.

Just like a typical belgian, there was a lot of head from the pour. The released esters smelled like fruit and seasoning. It was very refreshing. I thought I smelled apples and raisins.

I tasted the belgian yeast and some grassiness in the first sip. The aftertaste remained refreshing, and the bitterness only came through when the beer finally reached room temperature.

This is a great purchase for an evening outside. It paired well with the italian, and my wife enjoyed it with her clams.

You should pick up a bottle. Yup, I stand by that universal statement.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2011 23:16:29 | More by ummswimmin

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice saison hitting the right notes, and riding the organic branding.

Presentation: 750 ml corked green glass bottle. Front label with an illustration of a garden with some animals: unicorn, dog... Notes ingredients and the back label adds a paragraph with the general characteristic, intent, and pairings. Displays date of bottling (2010) on the trunk of the cork, and 7.5% Alc. by Vol. Poured into a tulip glass.

A - Hazy straw to pale gold pour with a generous head that shows a sturdy retention, good surface memory and some lacing.

S - Fresh smell, lightly fruity, with a hoppy sense and an earthy yeasty hint.

T - Taste follows with a yeasty spiciness, grassy, citrus, freshly fruity...

M - Light-medium body with medium-high carbonation and an assertive dryness in particular around the finish.

O - Nice flow of a saison, good range although it could do with some more nuances but it does well in a rather straight forward manner.

Notes: While not extraordinary this sits better on my palate than their classic Dupont, not one of my favorite Saisons. And organic certification hype aside, I'd gladly cross paths with this one in the future.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 19:18:08 | More by Daniellobo

Kinsman

New Hampshire

3.38/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Cork year says 2010 so this one it at least 5 months old.

Dark golden yellow color with a big and fluffy white head. Fades down to a more manageable size pretty quickly and stays there for a while.

Upon opening bottle the initial aroma was full of of skunky ammonia note that made me suspect a bottle gone bad. However the skunkiness quickly subsided and left behind a more familiar barnyard funk that you get in the flagship Saidon Dupont. Light honey-like sweetness and some malt backbone can be detected.

Taste was surprisingly lacking in complexity. Malts provide a slightly sweet bready character and the yeast provides some funk and phenols with a peppery note.

Mouthfeel is crisp and bubbly with a medium body feel and a semi-dry finish. Overall, Foret is not a bad Saison. The funk however does seem to overpower the malts and the beer lacks the amazing diversity of flavors you get from Saison Dupont.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2011 23:46:52 | More by Kinsman

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.6/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330 mL bottle without a freshness date. Pours a rustic, hazed copper color with a frothy off-white head. Dark colored for a saison.

Nose of light fruits - pears galore. Bready grains provide a nice backdrop and has a soft yeasty aroma to it.

Earthier, sweeter pull than the infamous Saison DuPont. Plenty of alcohol and hop drying going on in the finish. Sharper flavor contrasts than I typically like in a saison....not exactly refreshing. Seems to lack the brightness and snappy, clean deliciousness of a DuPont. Although if it is farmhouse flavors you are seeking, this is your beer. Yeast plays a huge role in this beer and throws off lots of funky esters. Alot of character that just doesnt seem to make it through in American-brewed saisons. That said, I still find this a little disappointing considering Brasserie Dupont kicks out the quintessential example of the style in the lovely green and yellow checkered label.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2011 21:51:24 | More by twiggamortis420

stercomm

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle.

A - hazy yellowish gold, fine 2 finger puffy head, very nice rentention

S - Getting banana, some funk, some citrus, lots going on here.

T - Nice taste, banana, yeasty malts, some sweetness, getting citrus and some apple on the finish.

M - Medium bodied with mild carbonation, coats the mouth nicely.

D - A very refreshing brew, great variety of tastes.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2011 17:41:04 | More by stercomm

sk8man121

Maine

4.38/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle poured into Allagash chalice.

A: Pours a semi-opaque gold with apricot highlights. 2-finger pillowy head with nice retention settles slightly and leaves quite a bit of lacing on the glass.

S: Banana, delicate floral hops and slightly-sour apple in the nose. There's a skunky element to this that is very appealing.

T: Banana and spice up front, followed by Belgian yeast and citrus in the middle. Finish is full of apple cider notes, along with the aforementioned skunk. Very dry, and ideal for pairing with practically any type of food.

M: Carbonation is light on the tongue but very high, transforming an otherwise fairly-thin beer into pure cream. A very pleasurable sensation comes from drinking this.

O: This is not my first run in with this wonderful beer, nor is it anywhere near the last. When I think of a perfectly balanced saison, I think of Foret and its cousin, Saison Dupont. I have to say that I prefer Foret over the latter by just a hair, if only because I'm awestruck by the faint skunkiness this beer consistently portrays.

There is hardly a better balanced, more versatile saison on the shelves than Foret.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2011 00:48:16 | More by sk8man121

LaCoursiere

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is my first time drinking a Saison.

A - Poured into a wineglass slowly without much of a head. A nice golden copper color that is slightly hazy. The beer is quite active with carbonation that maintains a nice collar and thin head in the middle. Very little lacing on the sides of the glass.

S - Not a huge nose. It smells a little bit funky with honey, cherry and citrus notes. Very faint Belgian yeast aroma.

T - There is a honey sweetness up front with great bready malts in the middle with a nice mild bitter hop finish. There are notes of lemon pepper, cinnamon and clove. A little bit of alcohol comes through as well.

M - Very chewy with quite a bit of carbonation and slight alcohol warmth. Very pleasant.

D - As I mentioned this is my first time drinking this style. The thing I liked most about this beer was the slightly funky malty character and bitter flavors. The typical banana and clove notes you find in Belgians take a back seat to the earthy malt flavor, hop bitterness and peppery spice. A very unique beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2011 02:11:16 | More by LaCoursiere

womencantsail

California

4.05/5  rDev +0.5%
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

Sam21

Connecticut

3.6/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle purchased for ~$11. 2010 vintage. Poured into a tulip.

Appearance – Pours with a hazy orange body and large fluffy head. Great retention. Slowsly descends to a chunky buffer. Visibly effervescent.

Smell – Pale malt sweetness supported by a laundry list of characters. Grassy, earthy, musty, and a hint of skunk. There is also a spiciness underlying the sweetness bringing forth pepper and mint.

Taste – Yeast accented sweetness up front with spicy clove, banana esters, pear, subtle green apple, and an herbal bitterness. Earthy, rustic, and difficult to dissect. It starts with banana esters at the base. Spicy accents of clove and bold black peper. Finish is sweet and ends with a pronounced grassy and herbal bitterness. No shortage of peppery bite. I am noticing a slight skunkiness buried deeply in the finish, but it blends with the beer’s earthy notes. It may just be the grassy aromas.

Mouthfeel – Medium body with very full carbonation. Fluffy feel on the tongue.

Drinkability – This is a good beer, but doesn’t hold a flame to Saison Dupont. Rustic, earthy, and a bit raw and an overall enjoyable saison.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2011 00:51:11 | More by Sam21

smakawhat

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured on tap into a tumbler at Pizza Paradiso DC.

Gold bodied in appearance sort of yellow/orange and a little cloudy. Foam white head doesn't stick around leaving a small collar eventually, and no lacing. Looks alright nice body.

Smell is kind of small. Muted lemon, and salty airy, nice but mostly closed.

Taste brings a little more. Slightly viscous with mild lemon tastes. Prickly carbonation with a small teeth coating effect. Slight floral aromas in the mouth and orange, even a mild pepper on the finish.

Overall not too bad, masking a high abv but really small in taste and flavor, feels alright but nothing much that seems to grab me while drinking this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2011 02:39:18 | More by smakawhat

craytonic

District of Columbia

4.13/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Straw-yellow-gold, more clear than I expected. Great mother of pearl head, good lacing and retention.

Smell: Great spicy yeast, loads of lemon, light touch of funk, cloves, white pepper, banana, light funk

Taste: Very good saison, not Fantome perfect but very good. Lots of golden fruits like pears, apricots, and green apples. Also a nice spicy yeast of white pepper and clove.

Mouthfeel: Light, nice and creamy. Not quite perfect when you roll it on the tongue though.

Overall: Great saison, doesn't compare to Fantome but nothing does. Very enjoyable and complex. Drinks incredibly easily.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 00:01:49 | More by craytonic

KingPuuChuu

Arizona

4.28/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into "Better Beer Glass". Produces a spectacular head, which doesn't die down, and is very fluffy, similar to whipped cream.

Smells of yeast & apple cider, and a little bit of berry.

Flavor is very Belgium. Little sweet, definitely wheaty, some citrus, mild hops, and a little bit of alcohol.

Pretty dry, effervescent, and unlike Saison Dupont, this leaves me wanting more. I feel like I could drink a few bottles of this.

I wish I could get this on Tap!

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2011 05:12:03 | More by KingPuuChuu

DelMontiac

Oklahoma

4.05/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased the corked and caged green 750mL bottle at Brown's Bottle Shop in Stillwater, OK. Appears to be a date on it, but I can't decipher it. This bottle appears to have been stored on it's side for some time as there is a two inch wide trail of yeast clinging to the side of the bottle even though I stored it upright for at least three months.

Poured into a New Belgium globe, this saison is golden honey topped by a three fingers of peaked off-white froth, bubbles vary in size. The head tappers off to a manageable quarter inch and sticks all the way down the glass, nearly a solid sheet.

Aromas are nice. There is lemon-lime up front and bubble gum lingering in the background. Musty straw or grass also comes to mind.

Flavors are grassy with lemon zest, tart apple, mild hops, and slight alcohol at the finish. The indescribable funk for which saisons are known for is there. I can't place words on it. Bubble gum character is still there, but faint.

Typical feel of many Belgian brews - highly effervescent, refreshing on the palat, and oh so dry. Quite nice.

Overall this saison is enjoyable from start to finish. Definitely would seek this one out again down the road.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 00:47:36 | More by DelMontiac