BFM Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien 2006

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

Presentation: It was poured from a capped green 1pint 9.4oz bottle. The bottle reads hand crafted in 2006 at 11%abv. aged in oak and blended October 07. Also there is what I think is a bottle number or batch number on the neck label that reads 00276. Appearance: The body has a dark and murky appearance with a dark brownish burgundy color and some lighter reddish high lights. Near the edges of the glass there are some tine bubbles of carbonation. The head is a small, creamy off white layer of foam that slowly fades to just a small ring of tiny bubbles. Lacing is slick and minimal. Smell: Its aroma has nice tart fruit, funky earthy yeast notes with a hint of oak. Taste/Mouth: The flavor starts with a semi-sweet malty base with a wonderfully complex mix of dry tart fruit, funky earthy east and wood. Some fruit notes that pop out are sour cherries, dry wine like grapes, and tart apple skins. All these flavors work in perfect harmony and its 11%abv is well hidden. It adds another layer of complexity and mellow warmth to the palate. It has a medium body with a silky light texture and soft carbonation. Notes: This beer shows outstanding complexity, balance and sophistication. I could sip this all night paired up with a nice plate of fine cheese and fruit.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Bottle Number 276; Sampled January 2008
This is well carbonated as a soft pour into my large Tripel Karmeliet tulip glass produces three fingers of tightly beaded, tan colored froth. The beer is dark, damp earth sort of amber color that shows a brilliantly clear ruby color and countless madly streaming carbonation bubbles when held up to the light. The aroma of oak is noticeable as soon as I start to pour this beer; solid vanillin notes, butterscotch, a touch of oak spice and a nicely complex woody note are joined by a light tartness that accentuates notes of plum perhaps a hint of tamarind, there is also a note that is a bit like a funky, farmhouse cheese (ripe cheese, funky feet and a musty, earthy note scent that nose with their light, but persistent presence). There is really a rich, earthy fruit note here that provides a solid backdrop to the oak, there is also some alcohol that provides a bit of singing piquancy to my nose. The oak is definitely the most noticeable component of this beer's aroma, but there is enough fruit and funkiness here to keep this in check and to make this quite enjoyable to smell.

Frothy feeling, but the body is rich enough to temper this quite well. The beer is also a bit more tart than I was expecting, though not overly so, in fact it is quite pleasant for this particular lover of sour beers. The beer comes off as quite dry tasting, but there is still some body left to this brew; the oak seems to provide a tannic structure and velvety body; despite being somewhat light, this definitely comes off as a sipping beer (which is a good thing given the alcohol of this beer). The oak character accentuates the dryness with lots of woody spice notes, almost a bourbon like piquancy. The oak combines with the alcohol to provide some heat to the finish in the throat. Up front there are some nice, tart, fruit notes of plums, raisins, and dried fig, but all with the sweetness stripped out and just the hearty, dark fruit and tart notes left. This is quite reminiscent of an over oaked red wine in many ways; it definitely has a very vinous quality to it (in body, aroma and taste), and the fruit character also is reminiscent of the almost jam-like, concentrated berry character one often finds in the wine world as well. The tartness seems to get a bit more complex as the beer warms up, it is definitely lactic in character and somehow provides a roundness to the flavor profile. The spiciness of this beer can at times be quite piquant; ample, woody black pepper notes, a touch of mace and some turpene-clove. As the beer warms up it also begins to pick up a touch of sweetness, this helps to bring out a bit more of the fruit character.

It is funny that the bottle says this is only slightly carbonated and lightly tart, obviously the wild bugs have done some work during this bottles slumber. This is definitely a bit over oaked, not only does it get a bit too hot in the finish at times (the alcohol obviously accentuates this), but the oak character itself is a bit too dominant in that it drowns out some of the other notes that could make this a more balanced brew. Still, I am enjoying this brew and would gladly try this one again; in fact I seem to enjoy drinking this more than the sum of the component flavors would suggest.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

..early in the sun with my boy stumac! ... pours a brown dark brown colour ... has oak, chocolate, cherries, tar and other grab bag candies ... tastes like cherries a bit ... bold yet still quite balanced, a great brew indeed ... quality and crazy mixed in a 750 bottle..

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 7

Sampled at the North Park Belgian Beer Party at my house on 3-29-08. Pours wtih a cloudy red-amber body topped by an thin to medium, off-white head with a good amount of lacing. It’s slightly sour yet bitter with an underlying sweetness and some vinious notes. Light bodied, dry and crisp.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Bottle: Poured a light reddish color ale with a huge foamy head with great retention and good lacing. Aroma consists of sour notes with some oak and some weird funky barnyard type ester. Taste is also an interesting mix between some sour notes with great French oak notes. It really reminds of a great Flemish sour but the funky barnyard notes, which I usually appreciated in my lambic, doesn’t provide the best fit IMO. Good body with some great carbonation and no apparent alcohol which is quite spectacular considering the 11% of alcohol. I think in retrospective that I preferred the 2005 over this but this is still a freaking good beer.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 10

Amazing. Poured a orange color with ton of bubbles and massive head. Aroma was tons of sourness light fruits some cherry, and general almost sasion like smells. Flavor was there. light fruits plenty of sourness after looking at the bottle not sure where they hid the alcohol but it wasn't there at all. AMAZING

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 10

Bottle, 750, from SL. The pour was orangey-brown, huge amount of mini carbonation bubbles steadily rising to the surface, huge honkin' carbonated head, bottle gushing/erupting shortly after opening. The aroma was funky sour fruits, gentle sweet cherries underneath, some funk. The flavor was wonderful, light sour grapes and cherries, faint touch of lemons, oak, brett funk, even some semi-sweet partially plumy malts, a good blend of it all. The malt depth behind this "sour" style is very impressive, it's the Duchesse done with class (I'm a cheap Duchesse gopher), class beyond all measure, wonderful. Alcohol at 11%? Simply unbelievable. Mouthfeel was the only downfall, huge gusher, erring on the overly carbonated edge of things, good malt base, though, to this Flemish Sour style ale.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Pour was dark honey brown with some head and lacing. Aroma of vinegar. Flavor was fruity malts with a mild vinegar sourness and strong wood notes. Thanks to eaglefan538 for sharing.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Hazy brownish colour, mediumsized beige head. Aroma is sourness and some bitter fruits along with nuts and overall quite brutal. Flavour is sour fruits nicely balanced up with some wooden hints. Way better than the 2005 one in my opinion.