Foret - Brasserie Dupont sprl

xav33

Michigan

4.47/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Foret (aka Moinette Biologique)
750 ml bottle
Bottled 2005, delected 08/06
Medium pour and soft pour in a tulip glass

First pour was 2/3 head, second pour was a bit more reasonable with a 2 inch white frothy fully lasting head with a murky straw colored body.

Smelt of light grassy hoppiness, heavy sweet doughy yeasts, with hints of allspice, fruity esters, banana and dust.

Taste was sweet spice upfront, with light bitter hoppiness, strong sweet fruit and bread spice, that slowly mute down in an average length finish. Mouthfeel was medium-light, dry, lively and chalky.

Overall, an easily drinkable, flavorful Saison ale that nears perfection.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2006 18:20:12 | More by xav33

DogFood11

California

4.47/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml green bottle corked and caged. Latest release so this is fresh as can be expected. Poured into a snifter it formed a sturdy white head. Body is yellow with orange towards the core and probably the cloudiest saison I've seen to this point.

Quite the fruity one. The yeast is dominant as well. There is alot going on here and frankly after having been on a pale ale kick as of late this is a nice detour. There is an ever present cloying type fruity ester underbelly that is very well done. The yeast takes over in the middle of every pull and once again is not annoying at all. Finishes fairly dry and is deeply complex. A distinct and subtle earthiness balanced by a lemony zip followed with some aggressive carbonation give this a lively but balanced feel.

Notes: Loved it! Not as dry as I would have liked but that is splitting hairs. Damn good offering and up there with some of my favorites. Drink this as fresh as possible as this ultra fresh offering is better than any I've had to date.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2007 03:13:25 | More by DogFood11

atsprings

North Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer poured a nice pale orange with a decent head that diminished to a ring and left some spotty lacing. The aroma was of sweet fruits with some yeast. The taste had a good sweetness to it with a great bit of orange. There was also a very nice yeast bite to it. The beer is rather light bodied and very refreshing. This is a very enjoyable saison.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2007 00:55:27 | More by atsprings

oshinnluv

California

4.47/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The organic claims made on the label of this beer intrigued me. I tasted this beer in a large 16 ounce goblet and after pouring noticed immediately it's unique mandarin color. The head was frothy and chunky with red specks dappling it's tufts from the yeast poured from the bottom of the bottle. It smelled citrusy and earthy, but the somewhat negligible hop aroma was overpowered by the yeast which clearly is meant to be the focus of the beer's multifaceted character. The first taste reached my palate with a somewhat flowery, complex flavor, bringing with it additional aromas that only served to improve its initial impression on me. A second taste revealed a smooth, nicely-carbonated, and refreshing flavor that was perfectly textured to my preferences. I felt compelled to drink this beer slowly, because the spicy notes in the taste and aroma kept me constantly searching for descriptors, but it is certainly refreshing and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2007 00:53:35 | More by oshinnluv

cvstrickland

North Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

33-cl bottle poured into a tall goblet yields a honey-orange-golden body with a few dark floaties in suspension, crowned with a huge creamy white cap that retains at a misshapen pillow-top and leaves huge foamy rings and interconnected sheets of lacing on the glass.

Smell is earthy, spicy, yeasty, and bready with a note of malty sourdough, orange rind with coriander, dry caramel syrup and Pekoe tea. The aroma was so intriguing, I got overzealous and received a little shot of beer in my nose for the trouble of huffing so hard at this aromatic gem!

Taste is sweetly fruity, yeasty, and malty with toasted bread and dry roasted nuts; mellow and comfortable, almost edible, yet crisp and refreshing with subtle notes of banana smoothness with peach juice crispness, the dark-skinned succulence of plums and a wholesome heft of grassy sweetness. The flavors bring to mind images of sun-soaked rolling green pastures, homemade bread, vision-quest style..."perfumey-yeasty-malty" is the adjectival phrase I want to coin, just to use here? All the noted flavors are more nuances than definitions--nothing over the top, nothing in command--all atop a dry, herbally-bitter finish.

Foret is the beneficiary of magnificent feel and drinkability with wonderful flavors and spectacular balance. Medium-bodied, perfectly carbonated, and outstanding in every way I can think of, this beer leaves me at a loss for superlative words to describe just how superior this drink really is.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2008 03:56:28 | More by cvstrickland

AlexJ

North Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Hazy straw yellow in color with a massive fluffy off-white head that lasts forever. Even the last half glassfull proudly wears a rocky blob of dense foam. Lace looks like it's been applied with a putty knife.

Summertime aromas of lemon zest, oranges, grapes, fresh cut grass, herbals, and earthy, rock-like minerality.

Flavors explode from my tulip. Lemon, green apple, lots of fresh cut hay and green vegetation, grape skins, pear, crushed rocks, and a notable hop finish make this an excellent saison.

Body is medium dense with a crisp, yet airy texture accented by rolling carbonation. Crisp and dry, yet fruity and full. Very excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2005 15:42:01 | More by AlexJ

number1bum

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a cloudy golden color with a massive ivory colored head, which takes awhile to settle down. Eventually it does settle to a nic elace iwth a dollop in the middle and leaves some stick, too.

Smell is quite hoppy for a saison, with grassy and floral hops in abundance. Also some yeast and funk, bit of grain, a light sweetness and some fruit aromas.

Taste starts out with a light sweetness, some citrus and fruity flavor, some spice, yeast and grain. Just like the smell there is also some grassy and floral hop flavor going on, and it also has more bitterness than a typical saison, with a pretty healthy dose of herbal bitterness. Also some peppery spice. This is really smooth although it doesn't quite have the complexity of flavor that Saison Dupont has, but it's still outstanding.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a crisp carbonation, and is quite smooth.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and really liked the increased hoppiness. Not quite as complex as Saison Dupont but very well crafted and very tasty. Great beer. I need to get my hands on more beers from Brasserie Dupont.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2008 23:10:45 | More by number1bum

vfgccp

New York

4.45/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Opaque medium-light honey. Poured ~1 finger of head. Not overly impressive.

S - Great honey character. Wildflower nectar. Touch of early spice.

T - Semi-sweet booze and loads of honey up front. Apricots. Some of the earthy spices from the nose: pink peppercorns, cardamom pods, celery seeds.

M - Great smooth body with semi-dry finish. Pepper, honey and a touch of booze lingers on the palate. Nice refreshing carbonation.

D - Great drinkability, but a tad sweet.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2011 23:23:43 | More by vfgccp

DaveHS

California

4.45/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Hazy golden raisin/orange color with 1 inch of fluffy white head that leaves streaks of attractive Belgian lace up and down the glass.

S-White pepper, fennel, farmhouse funk, herbs de provence, fresh raw steak. Very meaty aromas in general.

T/M-Deep, earthy funkiness, white pepper, hints of fruit ranging from mandarin orange to white grapes. Fairly herbaceous, with notes of fennel and coriander mid-palate. The finish is yeasty and fruity,lingering long after its gone.

D-I prefer this to the regular DuPont. A really great saison that I will revisit in the future.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 19:06:17 | More by DaveHS

PhillyStyle

Georgia

4.45/5  rDev +10.1%
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

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

Georgiabeer

Georgia

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

Hadn't had this in quite some time and I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was- much better than I remembered. Pours a very hazy golden with not much head. Almost looks like a Hefeweizen its so cloudy. The smellis of beautiful Belgian yeast aromas of cloves and bubblegum. The taste is crisp and a little bitter up front from hops, followed by a deep flavor of bubblegum. Very balanced and delicious. The mouthfeel is a little light but still solid, and quite refreshing. Fairly high carbonation, but nothing out of the ordinary for the style. Very drinkable- I could drink this all day. Another plus is that this is an organic beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2007 04:43:13 | More by Georgiabeer

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

Sixpoint

New York

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

Special thanks to my friend Paul at Union Beer Distributors for making this happen.

Wow. Talk about a refreshing summertime treat!

This beer had a very pleasant acidity to it. Slightly sour on the tongue, it almost tasted as if it were infused with lemon extract. I am curious to know whether or not this beer was actively seasoned with lots of herbs and spices, or if there contribution was minimal.

At any rate, the wild yeast/farmhouse yeast lends a spicy complexity to it that is simply refreshing. As I write this, on a humid and sweltering Memorial Day afternoon in NYC, I could not think of a more perfect beer to quench my thirst.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2007 23:57:56 | More by Sixpoint

Bitterbill

Wyoming

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

I got this bottle in a trade with nutbrown. Thanks Alan!

2007 vintage as per cork...

It pours a hazy hazy peach colour with a beautiful head of foam that take about one third of my Celebrate glass. The lacing is stick and it is awesome! Quite the beauty appearance wise.

The smell is all Saison. Lots of yeast, fruit, some clove, some pepper, and very earthy.

The taste follows through...big earthy/musky tones with nice yeasty notes, corriander, clove, a little pepper, some citrus tartness, all in a medium bodied, medium carbonated package and it finishes delightfully dry. Very tasty and very drinkable. Yeah, it's not exactly a lightweight in the abv department but still, I can't stop taking sip after sip and I'm a big fan of the style when it is done right. This one fits that bill. No pun intended. Thanks again, Alan!

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2008 16:17:45 | More by Bitterbill

loosey

New Jersey

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

750ml bottle pours cloudy gold into a goblet, a nice frothy cloudy chunky white head forms and laces nicely all the way down

smell is fruity (lemon, pineapple and banana), grassy, sweet malt, some alcohol.. 'mouth watering' also comes to mind

taste is extremely refreshing, immediately crisp and tart, a subtle sweet malty taste slowly creeps in then bleeds into a dry and pepper and coriander laced bitter finish, its a nice short trip, similar to saison dupont but a bit more round and bold in all the flavors

the mouth is very well carbonated and the body is thin to medium, enough bubbles to cut through it all and leave the mouth just right for another sip

i like this a lot, very drinkable as a late summer beer, a bit too bold to be your heat wave refresher... i'd suggest you take a nice salmon filet, something caught wild of course, crack some salt and pepper on it and grill it with a few green peppers and sweet onions (let them little bastards char a bit).. throw all the shit into a dish and cover it.. then get out your shotgun and shoot a few rounds of skeet or trap, maybe just put some big ass holes in the side of a refrigerator box with a chalk outline of your cousin on it, kill off a case of shells or shoot till your shoulder cries and head back inside.. make up a nice salad using fresh spring mix, the salmon (cubed), the grilled onions and peppers, and a cool vinaigrette of your preference then sit down and eat the shit with 2 or 3 bottles of this here beer while discussing the finer points of your lethal accuracy with double-ought buckshot and you got yourself one fine autumn afternoon my friend

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2008 00:07:49 | More by loosey

Gish

South Carolina

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

Mmm, it's been way too long since I've had a saison. Poured into a snifter.

A - Looks like honey with a lasting head. Good lacing as well.

S - Lemon, herbs, honey.

T - Similar to the smell. However, the spiciness kicks up a notch making for a very lively beer. Excellent stuff.

M - Lots of carbonation, very dry.

D - I'm sure some would disagree with me, but I find spicy beers like this to extremely drinkable. It's one of my favorite characteristics in a beer.

Overall an interesting and tangy brew. I think I might have liked Saison DuPont a bit more but it's been a few years. I will definitely be buying this one again!

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2009 23:33:40 | More by Gish

stephens101

Oklahoma

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

Pours a brilliant orange into my Watou over-sized wine glass. A nice fluffy head rests gently on top and fades slowly with a little bit of lace left behind. A huge musty, alcoholic aroma rises out of the glass and permeates the surrounding area, which is a good thing. Further inspection reveals big malts and fruits, some straw and some burnt sugar. yeast and orange peel. Very complex, and very promising. Tastes fruity up front with an initially creamy mouth-feel which actually finishes dry. Some hop bitterness mingles with a hint of spiciness and it's all finished with a big malt backbone. After a few sips a nice alcohol warmth presents itself. Medium-bodied and highly drinkable, in the sense that there's plenty of taste, but it goes down lightly and without too much weighing on the old gut. Excellent!

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2010 23:39:24 | More by stephens101

deapokid

Pennsylvania

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

Poured into an oversized wine glass:

This Saison is a light orange/yellow in color with the bubble and fizzle of a champagne. It maintains a thin head atop that boasts amazing retention and a firm coat of lacing. Looks quite elegant.

Scent is of the musky variety, accompanied by a hint of booze, a little banana, floral aromas and peppery spicing. This is pretty much the barnyard scent by which all others are judged.

Flavor is dry and dank with a certain sweetness that is bright and vibrant. It also features a hint of what might be wheat doughiness, grassy and natural flavoring and an ending that isn't too far from the funk of Brettanomyces (although I'm almost certain that's not an ingredient).

Liquid is tingly on the tongue, like a soft drink, with a sweetness that pops and a dryness culled from the muskiest wine cellar on Earth.

This exemplary farmhouse ale is supremely tasty and easy to drink. I moved from glass to glass like it was water. Bravo!

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2010 15:59:31 | More by deapokid

Haybeerman

Colorado

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

A: Clear honey yellow color. Poured a 3 finger fluffy white head that dissipated to a half finger. Decanted continually. Laced in random patches.

S: Lot of lemony citrus zest. Honey, and light, sweet fruit (pears and grapes). There is a light funk that mixes with some clove and pepper.

T: Sweet honey and lemon peel up front; interesting contrast. Pepper and grass transition to a little yeast funk. Finish is light but very dry.

M: Light body. Ample carbonation. Flavorful and very smooth.

D: Sweet and flavorful. The balance across everything is incredible; especially for the style. Not better or worse that Saison Dupont, but enjoyably different.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 00:31:02 | More by Haybeerman

BieresDesMoines

Iowa

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

Pours a very hazy blonde with a big frothy white head leaving plenty of lace. The aroma is funky with some barnyard notes, but has a lot of fresh noble and maybe Czech hop character in there as well. There is a pronounced fruitiness with some lemon and banana as well. The flavor is nicely spicy with a good fruitiness and banana with a nice spicy hoppiness. There is a mild tartness and a great earthy and minerally character as well. Once again the palate is sprizty and full like a good saision should be. Among my favorites in the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 17:08:45 | More by BieresDesMoines

stercomm

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
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

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
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

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
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

dgallina

Georgia

4.4/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle. 2004 on the cork, but no freshness date on the bottle or label.

Poured hazy peach with really big soapy white head and quite a bit of persistent lacing. Smells sweet, malty, slightly earthy and tart all at once. Flavor begins sweet and fruity, builds into hoppy and slightly funky earthiness, and finishes with mingled hop dryness and tart green apples. Quite light and full of carbonation.

Perhaps a touch more earthy than Saison Dupont. Similarly light and pleasing, but not the same degree of complexity.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2005 01:29:28 | More by dgallina