Cuvée Des Jonquilles - Brasserie Bailleux

mactrail

California

3.84/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Good thing I had the bottle pointing away from me, as the cork suddenly blew out and bounced off the ceiling without being touched. Somebody is just one bad luck day from losing an eye on these damned Belgian corks. Really fruity aroma is outstanding, and inescapable on every sip.

I would call this more of a Saison with the rich and mellow taste. If it's not Brett, it sure tastes like it to me. Deeply funky. Less of the drying effect of most Belgian yeast. Pineapple and yeast flavors, with some spiciness.

A totally distinctive brew that should be tried just for the education. From the 750 ml Belgian-style bottle purchased at Bottleworks in San Diego for 14 bucks.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2013 05:56:41 | More by mactrail

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

3.99/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

750ml bottle into a snifter

A: It's a gusher - not too bad, though. Unfortunately it does rouse the yeast, though. The beer pours a hazy golden color with flakes of yeast throughout. Active carbonation is evident with a three finger head that fairly quickly recedes to a thin film.

S: A sweet citrus aroma is quite strong in this beer. It's refreshing and quite nice. A bit musty with a nice amount of clove. An underlying floral nature is also present with a touch of earthiness.

T: Not nearly as bright as the aroma. Clove is much more apparent with some citrus and a touch of oxidation. Bready malts are quite strong. Alcohol is noticeable, but not overwhelming. Enjoyable.

M: Medium thickness with very strong carbonation.

O: A nice Biere de Garde. I wish the flavor was a bit brighter with as much complexity as the aroma.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 01:01:29 | More by coreyfmcdonald

ZethOfTheNorth

Louisiana

4.26/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

750ml bottle from Stein's, New Orleans. $13.

A: Light gold like a saison. Murky. Nice head and retention; incredible, thick lacing. Furious carbonation. Looks great.

S: Candi sugar and Belgian yeast, then increasingly floral as it opens up. Faint esters and ripe bananas. Maybe a kiss of lemon.

T: Damn good. Very saisonlike. Floral and light, husky and dry. Subdued and refined.

M: Creamy and very carbonated.

O: A beautifully elegant hot-weather beer. Easily the best non-Brett biere de garde I've had. My third bottle in a month and certainly won't be the last. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 15:29:42 | More by ZethOfTheNorth

thierrynantes

France

4.01/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer bottle (75 cl.) purchased from Bières & Chopes, and tasted in 2013.

Appearance : yellow golden color with a huge white foamy head (w lacing).
Smell : yeasty and fruity aromas.
Taste & mouthfeel : fruity, malty and spicy flavors with a yeasty finish.
Drinkability : a nice beer in the French style "bière de garde".

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 05:46:05 | More by thierrynantes

DenverLogan

Colorado

4.6/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from corked bottle into Chimay chalice.
Loud cork pop...bubbles were racing for the neck.
Aroma of pear, light sweet malt, hay, white pepper.
Heavy carbonation robust mouthfeel.
Flavors of sweet malt, citrus zest, lemon grass, lemon zinger tea, amber honey. The big carbonation fills the mouth with sweetness and zest. I'll give it 5 minutes...
OK...head remains, carbonation is still active. Aromas include baked bread, flowery perfume, lavender, citrus. Flavors include field herbs, tea, honey, lemon zest. As a farmhouse ale I find this very tasty, refreshing and satisfying. I'm torn on how high to rate this as I find few flaws except perhaps a slight soapy water note, or some odd herbs, an a tiny mouth puckering dry-bitter finish. Full bodied with sweet amber malts, light herbs, honeydew melon juice, powdered sugar. It's complex and pleasant...reminds me a bit of the Achel yeast. The field workers of yore would have been fortunate to have such a brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 02:31:10 | More by DenverLogan

spoony

Colorado

3.95/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From a 750 ml bottle into a tulip.

A-The cork jumped out with very little effort, but no gushing, which was nice. Still, there was some serious carbonation that produced a solid three-finger off-white head. The brew was slightly cloudy with colors like straw and wheat.

S-This beer had a mild smell. I picked up some funk and a little citrus (lemon mostly). Also some grassy, earthy notes.

T-The taste is bigger than the smell. I again got funk and light citrus flavors with some grass and straw, but also honey and vanilla. There was a pleasant cereal grain and malt taste on the back end.

M-Nicely carbonated and lighter to medium bodied. Slightly sweeter finish, but not heavy or cloying.

O-A really solid, if unremarkable, beer. The smell and flavors do not hit you over the head, but I don't think that is what this beer was trying to do. High marks for a well-balanced mouthfeel, too.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 16:23:53 | More by spoony

goatxpower

California

3.98/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Serves up a hazy straw color with a thick, frothy white head

S- Lemon, hay, "Belgian" aromas

T- it has an almost lemon bar like taste. There is a tartness that is paired with a creamy sweetness. There are some pear notes and some ambiguous spice notes. It is somehow complex, yet subtle at the same time. Bier de garde isn't usually my style, but this one is goood.

M- nice level of carbonation, slightly creamy body

O- this is a good beer. It would be great on a hot day (today is NOT a hot day). The tartness took me a minute to get accustomed to, but I was really digging it towards the end of the bottle. This was a tasty find.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 02:47:53 | More by goatxpower

impending

California

4.18/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-

750ml into a tulip. Pours a nearly transparent pale yellow gold, minor white head, ok lacing.

Nice aroma of citrus and spice, sweet glazed touch of earth.

Flavor too is rich with citrus, surprisingly so, a wonderful tingly amount and not of the hop variety. Powdery yeast, dose of white pepper and a nice dry kick. No bitter, rapidly fading aftertaste, pairs well with rich food. Thin bodied lively mouthfeel.
cheers
jd

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 05:29:15 | More by impending

Etan

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle purchased at Cave a Bulles.

A: Pours a straw-gold body with a bubbly white head.

S: Light sweet grain, pale malt, vaniila, yeast. Esters are subtly floral and sweet.

T: Honey, sugary pale malt, a bit of peppery bitterness, crisp and dry esters over pleasing grain.

M: Frothy, lively carbonation, light-bodied.

O: A very subtle, well-crafted, and easy-drinking French blonde.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 19:04:47 | More by Etan

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pours a hazy deep golden yellow with a thin tight small bubbled head. Nose is pretty nice, light barnyard yeast notes, lemony and airy with a faint spice to it. Taste is similar, a bit brighter with more barnyard, nice balance of yeast, more peppery mid to back palate, assertive carb, semi dry finish, light and refreshing, gets a touch sweet and syrupy towards the finish

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 13:27:51 | More by cpetrone84

oline73

Maryland

3.95/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

We had this during our time in France. Poured from the bottle into a champagne flute.

Appearance: pours a cloudy yellow with an amber hue. There is a finger of white head that fades to a ring around the glass.

Smell: light and sweet with herbal notes along with some banana and bubble gum. There is a slight tartness showing up.

Taste: Wheat malt shows up, but not very sweet. Fruity and floral. Banana, clove, and bubble gum. Herbal banana finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with lively carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: carbonation lightens flavor. Easy to drink, no hint of abv.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 20:59:49 | More by oline73

drabmuh

Maryland

4/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Thorpe, beer is yellow / amber and clear. A nice white head, small bubbles, minimal lacing, low carbonation, looks fine.

Aroma is sweet, malty, pilsen, nice.

Beer is light in body sweet and a little floral, it is interesting. A simple but completely decent Biere de Garde. I really enjoyed it and I'd even have it again perhaps.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 16:59:20 | More by drabmuh

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from West Lakeview. Served in a Moeder Lambic tulip.

Pours a clear dark straw color with a nice white head. Good retention and a nice collar after the cap finally fades away. Some spotty lacing on the sides of the glass.

The nose carries a bit of light pilsner malt up front, followed by a touch of flowers and some perfume notes. Finally, there's just a bit of pepper and earth on the back end.

The flavor follows up on the nose quite well, with the addition of some slight hop character, not as much in the flavor as in a backing bitterness, which creates a semi-dry finish. The floral and perfume notes are more prominent in the flavor, especially as it warms up a bit.

Medium body with carbonation that is a touch on the low end, especially considering the pop of the cork when I opened this thing. The finish is quite nice and more than makes up for it. There's just a touch of residual sweetness through the finish.

Overall, this is quite delicate, but very nice. The floral character is really well done. This is something I look forward to having again.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 00:21:12 | More by Thorpe429

ptykozoon

California

3.03/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Hazy orange/yellow. Large inch head, fuzzy lacing on the sides.

Meh, pretty subdued, nothing much going on here. Lemon peel, oak, wheat.

Lime, a bit of oak - tastes like a watered down witbier. Fairly mediocre.

Average mouthfeel, tastes no where near 7%, more like 4%.

A nice beer, but really nothing worth any trouble.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 01:10:08 | More by ptykozoon

OldPenguinHunter

California

4.35/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this with a pumpkin-corn chowder, and it paired very nicely.

A: Upon opening the bottle, with a good pop, I poured the beer into a tulip, a nice aged hay look and a constant fizzing that kept supplying the head.
S: Grassy, euro hops, melon, pears and hay.
T: a nice sweet mouth-watering malty/hoppiness. a blend of all the smells aforementioned.
M: Silky, medium bodied. Very thirst quenching and at the same time nicley bitter. Very enjoyable.
O: I think, though different styles, that magic ghost hast met its match.

I find that this garde has more in common with a saison than with a tradional biere de garde. I have to agree with the person who mentioned this before.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 04:41:52 | More by OldPenguinHunter

GRG1313

California

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle exploded with a huge pop and shot the cork but did not gush.

Pours a light apricot skin with no head. Medium esters in the nose that are pleasant and complex.

Mouthfeel is light and fizzy and very much like a nice champagne. Feels rich and smooth and "expensive." Light/medium bodied but very inviting.

Flavors are layered, complex and pleasant. Very inviting light stone fruit tones with pear, citrus and a light green/grassy undertone. All in all a nice layered flavor profile that very pleasant and a bit unique.

The finish is lightly bitter green spice and herbs.

This is a really nice drink and would be nice with most food profiles, while pleasant and most drinkable on its own.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 20:14:04 | More by GRG1313

BradLikesBrew

Missouri

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cloudy light straw colored body and a white head.

The first aromas gave me visions of bad Heineken: totally skunked. Damn green bottles I thought, why do brewers still use these? But luckily the skunk subsided and I was able to really enjoy this beer. Noble hops to the rescue!

On the palate grassy hops, soft bready malt, lemon peel, earthy, musty yeast character and moderate hop bitterness produce a zesty, balanced and refreshing beer with a hint of tartness and just a hint of malty sweetness.

Crisp, medium, highly carbonated body.

A perfect example of what French Farmhouse ales have to offer. Not as malty as other Biere de Gardes, more like a Belgian Saison. Would pair well with a wide range of foods, we enjoyed ours with tamales.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 00:25:59 | More by BradLikesBrew

kscaldef

Oregon

4.33/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Drank this on the porch in the late afternoon of what might be our last proper summer day, and it was just the thing. Fluffy white head leaving loose lacing. Aromas of hay, lavender, and lemon zest. Nice malt-driven body, but with a light touch. Complex but not heavy handed, and with an easy drinking nature relative to it's alcohol content

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 02:27:08 | More by kscaldef

emmasdad

Colorado

3.65/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Ken for sharing this one at a recent tasting. Poured a hazy yellow with a lingering ring of white foam. Aromas of bread, lemons, yeast and flowers. On the palate, this one was light bodied, tart and prickly, with flavors of straw, vanilla, yeast, lemons and light floral notes with a smooth dry citrus finish.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 02:30:52 | More by emmasdad

hmsbeagle75

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Got this beer through Michael Jackson's Rare Beer Club. Poured into a red wine glass with a nice even white head. I could have stuck my nose in it all night - lemons and pear. Was a perfect summer beer for dinner on the porch. Served with Gazpacho and grilled pears with balsamic vinegar.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 19:20:54 | More by hmsbeagle75

muttyd

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured gently into a stemmed Hill Farmstead stemmed tulip glass. Hazy yellow body with a huge fluffy white head that coats the glass well. Bottle opened with a nice loud pop too.

Aroma is pretty typical of the style: earthy, funky, and slightly citrusy. Has a faint apple/pear-like presence as well. Becomes more musty as it warms up. Flavor follows with a sweet, malty, citrusy backbone with a sharp Belgian spiciness. Very well balanced. Bubbly on the tongue and finishes bone dry.

Great beer, glad I picked this one up.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 01:59:18 | More by muttyd

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a cloudy golden colour with thick head that immediately vanishes to a ring around the glass. Good retention down the glass.

S: Wonderful funky earthy (almost mushroom-like) and floral notes, fruits including pear and a bit of tangerine, yeast, honey, and a very slight nuttyness like chopped walnuts. Quite complex and quite pleasant.

T: Quite smoother and lighter than I was expecting with tastes similar to the above mentioned smell. An appealing bit of initial sourness to this that I couldn't detect on the nose. Lingering bitterness with a good crisp dry aftertaste.

M: Moderate amount of carbonation (might be a bit too much for some) with a thinner mouthfeel. Works well for this style.

D: Would love to drink acouple of these throughout the night. Quite easy to drink and satisfying for a farmhouse ale.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 23:26:49 | More by Digimaika2

rfgetz

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Upon removing the wire bail, the cap had a millimeter deep impression, fortunately the cork was removed with no effort and before anyone got hurt. Pours a hazy golden yellow color with a three finger plume of soapy white head (expected a lot more), good retention. Scent was fantastic, combining light watery fruits, flowers, tangy grain, bready yeasts, peppery spice and and wonderful earthy funk with light notes of barnyard. The taste presented all components of scent and was much smoother then the scent dictated, but still tremendous. Lightly dry and bubbly on the tongue. One of the more lighter and delicate beers in the style i have sampled, but full of complexity and character,

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 14:07:18 | More by rfgetz

metter98

New York

4.15/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is hazy yellow in color and has a light to moderate amount of visible carbonation and some yeast particles floating in suspension. It poured with a finger high white head that has good retention properties.
S: There are earthy aromas in the nose along with notes of bready and grainy malts.
T: Like the smell, there are flavors of bready and grainy malts in the taste along with notes of yeast.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. There are some hints of dryness.
O: The beer is quite easy to drink because the alcohol is well hidden from the taste. It’s an interesting take on the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 16:55:51 | More by metter98

dstc

Florida

4/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy yellow color with an airy white head. Head falls rather quickly to a very minimal one. Thinnest of lace.

Aroma is of grains yet rather clean. Bit of skunkiness in the smell as well.

Nice farmhouse taste that is rather clean. Mild malt and even milder hops. Pleasantly tart. Very refreshing.

Thin to medium bodied in the mouth. Bit sharp with plenty of carbonation.

Easy to drink and quenches the thirst. Nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 15:26:13 | More by dstc