Domaine DuPage French Style Country Ale - Two Brothers Brewing Company

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Smells of thick malts, bringing a brown sugar syrup aroma to the forefront, with hints of toasted grains just underneath. Most of these grain smells hint towards light toasted, but I seemed to detect just a hint of chocolate malt. A slight, fresh rosewater quality rounds out the nose.

On the tongue, the beer sports a sweet fullness, with apricot and butter flavors intermingling with brown sugars and caramels. A nice bitter hoppy background fuzz provides the perfect complement, tempering the sugars with just a touch of sour grapefruit, and a hint of rosewater. The sugars last well into the mouthful, peeling off near the end to expose a toasted grain base. The aftertaste carries all of the primary flavors, and lasts for quite some time, wavering between sweet and hoppy bitter.

Overall, while it may be true that this beer doesn't adequately represent the flavors present in a French-style Country Ale, it is still a well-flavored and nicely balanced brew, and worth a taste.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 03:42:13 | More by jondeelee

beveritt

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz brown bottle into a Duvel glass. This bottle was in a 10 pack of Winter Brews I received as a gift recently.

Appearance: Pours with very little head, maybe a quarter inch of creamy, off white head. This falls quickly and leaves a ring around the glass. The beer itself is a peachy-red/brown color with a chill haze. Constant stream of bubble coming up from the D.

Smell: Raisins, caramel and sweet alcohol.

Taste: Bubbly at first, feels slightly prickly. Once again, raisins, carmal and some sweet alcohol. Bready. Faint bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Very effervescent, lots of bubbles on the tongue, but not much of the CO2 bite you normally get from highly carbonated beers. The bubbles feel smaller, like champagne made by methode champanoise. Great mouthfeel.

Drinkability: Overall, a very drinkable beer. I like this class of beers and with the lower alcohol level in this one, it makes it more reasonable to have a few.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2006 03:16:22 | More by beveritt

pmcadamis

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Reddish orange sunset hued brew with a thin cap of light brown suds. The dishwater head exhibits large and loose bubbles, and settles to a soapy haze with abundant lace coating the glass. I really like the uniquely pretty color of this brew.

S - Toasted malt campfire and burnt wood. Wet ashes....reminds me of the way that a campfire smells after you douse it with water to cool the dying embers. Autumnal and cozy with outdoorsy aromas. Smells like a walk in the woods on a wet autumn morning.

T - Sweet caramel malt with a good dose of toasty grains and some leafy hops. Burning wood with some really nice campfire nuances. Becomes progressively more hoppy and salty (soy sauce) towards the moderately dry and barky finish.

M - Low carbonation, medium in body, and very slightly acidic (sour) with a moderately dry finish. A tad under-carbonated IMHO.

D - An outstanding aroma and tasty flavors and a near perfect balance of roastiness and hoppiness make this an eminetnly drinkable brew. It's flavorful enough to hold my interest, and mellow enough to drink three or four.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2007 05:19:17 | More by pmcadamis

Larrytown

Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer comes deep red with virtually no head, but tons of lacing. Strange. There were toasty caramel notes in the nose, but pretty subtle.

I'm really digging the taste on this one. It's sweet upfront, but the toastiness and slight hops on the back-end balance it out. Very well crafted. Not a ton of carbonation in the head, but it's a beer that's meant to go down smooth. Boy does it. I'd love to knock back a couple more and at this ABV, I just might.

Serving type: on-tap

06-21-2008 22:23:55 | More by Larrytown

Benjigoose

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a pleasing orange amber and smell is sweet with notes of caramel, and hints of citrus. A soft light-tan head tops it off.

Taste is complex with flavors of toffee, caramel with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Texture is very smooth to the point of creamy. Highly drinkable and overall quite delicious! I would pair this with the sweeter group of traditional fall flavors (pumpkin, apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.)

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2008 01:06:07 | More by Benjigoose

ccrida

Oregon

4.2/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into my Schell's shaker pint, Domaine DuPage is a dull chestnut with a small off-white skim leaving no lace.

Smell is semi-sweet, some spiciness, complex stylistically.

Taste is classically aligned as a BdG,a nice caramel sweetness, some esters, but not overly so.

Mouthfeel is light, clean.

Drinkability is good, this is a well executed, clean BdG, with the classic notes to satisfy.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2011 03:50:06 | More by ccrida

Lawl3ss

Texas

4.2/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Chilled 12 oz. bottle into a stemmed tulip. Best-by date on bottle 5.16.12

Look- Nearly clear dark apricot color with a surprising amount (three solid fingers) of fairly dense puffy-looking head. Leaves some very nice intricate webby lacing as it settles over five minutes or so. Plenty of yeast sediment in the bottle, not too much in the glass. No visible carbonation.

Smell- Robust amber and caramel malt, spice, and apple, with a touch fresh-cut flowers and a hint of straw. It’s almost perfume-like, musky but not in an off-putting way. Makes me think of candied apples and mulled cider in a warm cabin. I’ve never smelled a farmhouse-style ale that made me think so strongly of... well, the country around harvest time. A+

Taste- Woah! Woah! Hold up! What just happened there? I think my mind was blown. I swear it tastes like a mellow pear cider. Caramel malt starts it off, followed by a bit of grass and alcohol/yeasty spice, finishing with a very mild lingering fruity sweetness. As the flavors are gasping their last, a touch of rich nutty malt makes itself felt. I don’t really know what to make of it, but it’s not quite like anything I’ve had. Very tasty, and light on its feet for how malty it is. Fairly clean finish, excepting the lingering pear feeling that I can’t shake.

Mouthfeel- Crisp to start, and smooth thereafter. Soft carbonation, but it was a vigorous pour. Medium to full body, leaning towards medium. Drinks... like cider.

Overall- I don’t have much to compare it to, but it seems like a great mélange of English-style ale and Bavarian Saison. I have to give it props for hitting spot-on the “farmhouse feel”, even though I’d never really conceptualized it as such. I could definitely see people drinking something like this in the heat of the summer, and man is it tasty. I just wish I could get my hands on it on a regular basis.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 07:07:20 | More by Lawl3ss

jaz58

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A great craft brew. It went very well with the great burger I had at DMK.
Spicy smell and taste. Hints of carmel. Good mouth feel and very easy to drink.
Very good white head. Reddish carmel clear colour. A gentle hop aroma with a decent bitter finish.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2012 03:05:07 | More by jaz58

Kongquistador

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I haven't been a huge fan of the other Two Brothers beer I tried, the Northwind Imperial Stout, but this is a far superior beer, and merits consideration, should you find it. With luck they will continue to produce it, although it claims to be a limited run.

Pours a nice reddish hue, just fading to yellow around the edges. Forms a very respectable head on a vigorous pour, which held form well with some large-ish bubbles. Head is slightly yellowish. Smell is not overpowering, mostly a citrus note.

Taste begins with a moderate citrus on the tip of the tounge, and moves onto the middle of the tounge with what others have described as an earthy taste. I'm not sure I want the term earthy, but it is hard to find the right word for the pleasant but very mild sensation as the beer swirls around your mouth. Finish is hoppy, but also in a moderated way, and nicely balances against the other flavors without overpowering. The hops have distinctly grassy note, which conjures the image of a small chateau in the rolling wheat fields.

This is a superbly balanced beer. I didn't like it much when I had my first, but I came back the next day for a review, and found that it has grown on me immensly. The subtle combination of flavors at each stage of the drink makes it worth returning to, as I will, many times with luck.

[Edit 11/03] I've had mixed luck with this beer. Some are quite good, and others seem to have gone off. It varies bottle to bottle, but in the 12 I had, 2 were yeasty and poor.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2003 04:41:35 | More by Kongquistador

johanvond

Wisconsin

4.18/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A very tasty brew form Two Brothers amber in color and hazy with almost no head. It is my first Biere de garde and I first had it sevral years ago. Unfotunatly it didnt catch on but, The Professor's Pub, a new bar in kent, ohio now carries it and i cant pass it up when ever i stop in. It has a nutty aroma with a slight hint of aprcot. The mouthfeeel and body are good not too heavy. In the end you get a slight hop bite with bits of citrus floral notes. Quite pleasureable.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2008 21:42:58 | More by johanvond

DIM

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a: This was a slightly murky, peachy golden color. I couldn't coax more than a thin, soapy head out of this one.

s: Lightly bready with mild fruit notes of grape and apple along with some moderate farmhouse funk and delicate spiciness. Nothing leaps out of the glass here, but it all comes together extremely well.

t: As with the smell, there isn't a single overwhelming element here. Just a bunch of hints and suggestions that make this fun to decipher. At various times I tasted slightly sweet grapes and other fruits, mildly funky wet hay, some dry unidetifiable spices, and a few other things I don't have the vocabulary for.

m: Light but creamy carbonation works well with this one.

d: Very interesting overall, I liked this quite a bit. Never had anything else quite like it.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2009 10:45:35 | More by DIM

DaPeculierDane

Wisconsin

4.15/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Brave stuff from a worthwhile brewery. This is an accomplished Saison that could be labeled as Fantome Hiver’s baby brother. It brings an mild sourness to the caramel dough nutty complexity that forms the backbone of this hazelnut amber brew. Buttery and musty with hints of grass and hay. Parties in the mouth. Medium bodied with nice light carbonation. No head. Excellent session Saison…but aren’t they all?

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2005 05:23:50 | More by DaPeculierDane

CharlesRiver

Connecticut

4.15/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I actually first had this beer on tap in Chicago last summer but am now reviewing a bottle. Pours out a light brownish-amber color with no real head to speak of. A bit hazy with some bubble making their way to the top.

The smell reminds me of apples and spice. Hints of malt and something bready are present as well. Taste is very similar to the smell. The malt backbone is much more present. The apple and citrus notes are nicely balanced through out. Very low in terms of carbonation. Very smooth yet still retains some complex flavors. Different than what I remember on tap.

An impressive brew that could use a bit more carbonation. Maybe it is just my bottle?

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2006 23:58:54 | More by CharlesRiver

wedge

North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudless amber red hue with a fixed thin, bubbly cap. Almost no visible carbonation. Low-key toasted malt aroma - doughy with some fruitiness in the back. The flavor is smooth toasted sweet caramel malts that quickly blend with muted spiced fruits...bready with a slight tart hoppiness in the finish. Medium, coating mouthfeel - very smooth and balanced.

Very rich, yet subtle - a nice, malty bière de garde. Much better than the first beer I had from Two Brothers...I'll have to give some more of their beers a try. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2006 21:59:42 | More by wedge

Gehrig

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Hazy amber with yellow trim in the body, with a finger of off-white foam; nice duration and lacing. Good nose, plenty of citrus and dried fruit, malty and a bit yeasty--sweet and a tad funky.

Solid, sweet and dried fruit taste--fig, date, berry, caramel--very good. I'd love a little more hop balance to this, but this is unquestionably one of the best representatives of the style I've ever had. The mouthfeel seals the deal--creamy smooth, but with a sour bite in the finish. The sweet-tart interplay is really impressive, and the vibrant effervescence brings it home with ease.

Domaine DuPage is another Two Brothers offering I've passed up for no good reason. This was excellent, and my wife, no huge fan of beer, enjoyed the heck out of this at The Crane Alley's beer and chocolate pairing with me tonight. I did, too. Excellent beer, well paired with a toffee/caramel truffle. Very well done, Two Brothers.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2010 02:38:01 | More by Gehrig

DanL133

Minnesota

4.15/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My brother turned me on to this beer. It's a nice medium bodied beer with a lot going on.
Pours an opaque orangy honey color with a thin white cap.
Nice low carbonation mouth feel, smooth caramel with sweetness, pears, grass, cotton candy? moves to some hops that give a good clean finish.
This is a impressive beer. I recommend this one for sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 01:14:23 | More by DanL133

rangerred

Tennessee

4.15/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a tulip.

Pours a slightly hazy reddish-brown with an off-white one finger head. Head retention is not very good but lacing is excellent.

Caramel immediately jumps out in the aroma along with a little biscuit and toast. I can also detect a little bit of yeast, molasses, and wood.

The flavor really seems to have quite a bit going on. Caramel and molasses are very prominent in the flavor. A bit of roast and biscuit linger in the background with a very assertive bitterness coming in almost immediately and lingering throughout. Oddly enough I can pick up some raspberry and bubblegum notes buried deeply underneath, presumably coming from the yeast. Mouthfeel is quite light but finishes a bit sticky.

Overall, an impressive beer in a style that is not seen too often in the US. There is a lot of depth to this beer and a whole lot going on. Definitely one to pick up if you get the chance.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 00:41:36 | More by rangerred

williamherbert

New York

4.13/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Tremendously hazy; medium carrot orange. Radiant. Nice finger of flat head. The haze is great.

Some biscuity malt. A little farmhouse spice. Mild flowery, perfumey hops. Very fragrant.

Sweet caramel initially, very mild and very nice. Second hit of a Belgian, champagne-like spice. As it warms, that toasted caramel comes back. Really great how it evolves.

Bubbly, fizzy, effervescent. Appropriate for style. Thick as well. Two thirds caramel, one third champagne. Impressive as hell.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2008 03:25:16 | More by williamherbert

PirateUlf73

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tulip glass.

A: Beautiful clear, crimson hue. White head dissipated quickly, but it may have been a bad pour on my part.

S: Crisp and fruity nose, akin to freshly picked apples. Light caramel notes and faint yeasty twang.

T: Sturdy malt sweetness, but not overpowering. Mild to medium hop bitterness adds crispness. A little apple-like tartness as well. Overall, mild yet enjoyable.

M: Lighter side of medium-bodied. Moderately carbonated and finishes clean, with a faint, slightly tart aftertaste.

D: Very versatile. Equally suited to be sessionable or a sipper.

"Refreshing" is the key word here. Interesting flavors and superb construction lend to its sublime mouthfeel and quaffability. At first taste, this one came off as a hybrid of several styles, but as time passed I realized that it was superb when judged by its own merits. An interesting venture from Two Brothers. I'm eager to see other American brewers tackle this style.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2009 06:56:22 | More by PirateUlf73

ZeroSignal

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Many thanks to GDBEERMAN for the bottle

Poured from a 12 oz bottle, best by 11/04/10

A - Pours a clear copper color with about a half inch of white head; retention settles to a thin layer across the top of the beer with sticky lacing.

S - Nose is roasted malts, with a bit of nuttiness and a caramel character. Feint hop aroma; hard to nail it, but it seems somewhat grassy and herbal

T&M - Medium body and malt forward, with the nutty and caramel characters from the nose coming through in force. I'd dare say the hop presence here is damn near perfect - it swoops in at the very end and makes itself known in the finish, cleansing the palate for the next wave of malts.

D - Very smooth with excellent balance, clean flavors and easy on the palate. If I find myself traveling West, I would certainly pick some up.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2010 03:09:14 | More by ZeroSignal

CBlack85

South Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to JAYBLACK for this one

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a New Belgium globe glass

The beer pours a cloudy orange/rust color and has about three fingers worth of frothy white head that recedes quickly and leaves spotty lacing.

The nose is rather subdued, consisting mainly of bready malts, some weak fruity notes (apple, pear, peach), and a nice yeast character that rounds everything out making it rather pleasant.

The flavor is much the same as the nose; bits of caramel, bready malts, tart fruit, a slight spiciness, and a fair amount of belgian yeast character. Medium bodied and well carbonated, the beer feels prickly on the tongue; ultimately the beer is supremely drinkable.

Overall, the beer is very enjoyable and easy to drink. Light in flavor, yet complex enough to keep you wanting more. I wish this was available in my area...

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 23:53:55 | More by CBlack85

match1112

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

nice clear dark amber/copper body a off white head rises to a finger and a half tall before settling to a frothy cap with decent retention and lacing. nose is mainly big bready malts with hints of biscuits and caramel. the tongue picks up some apple and pear along with a well balanced amount of hops. goes down nice and creamy smooth with a short clean finish. this is a good beer that pairs well with anything i eat with it. highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 16:24:42 | More by match1112

mvanaskie13

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a new belgium chalice, color is amber, copper edges, head was huge, settled to 1" then dissipated to about a ring with some nice lacing, color is off white.

Smell is caramel, light toast and biscuit, crisp hop notes, some grass, light spice.

Taste is spot on for a biere de garde, great malt sweetness, not overly so, crisp bitterness, intermixed wheat or biscuit flavors; somehow crisp and smooth at the same time. Spice is light and in the background

Mouthfeel is again very good, nice crisp flavors but tasty caramel/wheat malt sweetness to balance; great lingering flavor.

Overall, a very tasty, easy drinking brew; great malt/hop/carbonation balance, quenching and tasty brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 00:39:48 | More by mvanaskie13

cretemixer

Indiana

4.1/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I grabbed this right out of the cellar at 52 degrees and was not dissapointed. Pours the color of raw honey with a fast fading white head. I'm left with a thin collar shortly after pouring. The aroma is of roasted barley with a hint of sweetness and a slightly earthy undertone. The taste has a slight graininess to it with a honey sweetness. Caramel malts and a mild hop bitterness to balance things out. A very smooth drinker with a light to medium body and smooth carbonation. An easy drinker and more importantly, a beer you want to have again & again. This one has found a place in my regular rotation.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2003 19:43:49 | More by cretemixer

DrunkMcDermott

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Great stuff from the far western 'burbs. Nice malty aroma behind a head that disappears a little too quickly. Taste of orange and some light spiciness comes through, finishes off dry with a note of red wine. Mesdames, Messieurs, makez zhure to teep your waiters, si'l vouz plait!

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2003 13:29:54 | More by DrunkMcDermott