French Kiss
Bullfrog Brewery

 

 

 

 

 

This poured out as a cloudy yellow orange color with some head and tetention down the glass. The smell off the beer had a very Belgian aroma to it, lots of yeast and floral notes. The taste takes those elements from the nose and adds an additional fruity quality to the beer. The mouthfeel was smooth and nicely carbonated. Overall I found the beer to bee pretty good, I would drink it again.

12/24/10

A:  Snifter. Hazy and murky dark brownish orange with a large beige cap, great retention and scattered lacing.

S: Lemons and lightly sweet apples with some rich malt notes. Smells a lot like apple pie with notes of nutmeg and some other spices. There's a lightly tart vinegar note in there as well. The apple pie sweetness really stands out as the beer warms.

M: Rich bready malt with moderately sweet candied apple notes and a faint acetic quality accompanying a light tartness. Spices are evident throughout. Finishes dry with sweet and tart apple accompanying rich malt.

M: Medium body, high carbonation, dry mouthfeel.

Overall: Quite unique and I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't want to drink large quantities of it.

Thanks to bifrostguard for opening this. It's incredibly turbid in the glass, a dull copper color that's completely opaque. The head rises to a two finger height and retains impressively well, but the body grows increasingly more murky and vile toward the second half of the bottle.

It smells strongly of apple cider and spices, almost to the point of overshadowing everything else. There's a faint caramelized malt character as it warms, but it's primarily sour apple juice.

Tastes like mulled apple cider. While I do enjoy apple cider, I can't say that I enjoy beer that tastes like it. A little malt character manages to shine through the yeast, lending a note of caramel. There's a yeasty spice that appears more prominently in the finish, reminiscent of white pepper, clove and garlic. The finish is oddly tannic and astringent.

This became increasingly difficult to drink, and ultimately ended up down the drain.

From 2009 notes.

Bottle. Huge explosion on popping the cork. Pours a really pretty blood-orange amber with a large, fluffy head. Interesting and surprising nose -- oranges, Asian spices, lemons, limes. Heavily carbonation is the first impression, and a little young wheat character. Unfolds into a really nice medley with bananas, cinnamon, cloves, some toasted pumpernickel bread, and orange zest. Refreshing and lively. A distinct apple flavor emerges as it warms.

I purchased this one at Capone's

A: Pours an brownish amber hue with a small off white head. Lite retention and no lace.

S: Very yeasty. Subtle spice with some sweet fruit notes.

T: Weird mustiness going on here. The yeast is rather dominate as well with a nice spicy quality. Mild fruit notes with hints of candy sweetness.

M: Medium in body, zippy carbonation, dry finish.

D: Just okay overall.

I appreciated tenderbranson69 sharing this with me, poured from the 750ml bottle into a Duvel tulip chilled

A - A murkey caramel brown w/ a light cream cap which is comprised of tiny bubbles. The lace sticks pretty well w/ rocky cap that is like a mound of cream

S - A smell that is akin to dessert -imagine a cinnnamon and apple scent like the filling of a dunkin donut apple cinnamon donut. The sweetness is apparent w/ dark stone fruit quality and red pear elements w/ mild juiciness in the nose w/ subtle nutmeg and cinnamon stick notes w/ a gentle arom of raisin

M - The feel is spicy and light tartness w/ mild sour fruit and mild bitterness w/ high carbonation level and bitter spicy finish w/ a dry slightly astringent quality

T - A taste that is both fruity and surprisingly bitter compared to the nose and for the style w/ piney and bitter grassy notes w/ subtle honey and apple flavor w/ slight alcohol influence on the palate. The beer has mild tart apple skin taste that continues into the drying finish

D - A pretty tasty Biere de Garde, but it seems like an americanized take on the style with generous hops and inensity of alcohol, it isn't as true to style as it could be but was certainly interesting enough to hold my interest - Thanks TB69 for sharing!

750mL bottle courtesy of barleydine.

As usual, there is a forceful pop when the cork comes out and this one pours a deep, murky amber with an enormous pillowy beige head that refuses to go away and leaves sheets of lacing along the sides. Gorgeous beer.

The aroma is clean but earthy and sweet all in one. There is plenty of earthy spiciness from the yeast as well as some candied apple sweetness and some caramel malts. There's not a lot of funk in the nose, but maybe some light grassy notes.

The taste has bit more bitterness to it with a very crisp grassy hop taste up front. The sweetness of the caramel malts is big underneath some light fruits and honey. The finish is where the funk finally starts to show, though it's very subtle and the sweetness still lingers through the finish as well.

The mouthfeel is almost effervescent with tons of carbonation and a very dry, yeasty finish.

I enjoyed this beer quite a bit and it's one of the better Bullfrog beers I've had. I like the fact that the caramel and fruity sweetness is heavier than I was expecting and that the funk is understated and not dominant, like some of their other beers. Nice stuff.

Bomber, obtained at the brewpub in November. Great big foamy head, on a cloudy grapefruit coloured body. The aroma is a tad funky, it draws you in. Well malted, there is some acidity. Nicely drinkable, and would have 'er again. A good take on the style, more pleasant than most of the Continental European ones.

750ml bottle shared courtesy of nonstick. Thanks again for sharing this Chris. Poured into a Portsmouth goblet.

A - Pours a very dark and yeasty orange amber...in fact looked very brown until held up to a sunny window. Huge cream colored head erupts from the surface of the beer when poured into the glass. Took several pours into three separate glasses to drain the bottle. Some yeasty sediment sits atop the head too, almost like nutmeg on top of a cappuccino.

S - First impression...this smells like a caramel covered apple. Sweet caramel over fruity apples with a hit of spice - cinnamon in particular. Very interesting and different. Lots of yeast in the aroma too.

T - Belgian yeast and a bit of funk, spice - cinnamon again, apples and a good dose of caramel. Hops are more developed in the flavor - bitterness is high, maybe a touch too high for the style and throws this a bit out of balance. Overall still a pretty good effort.

M - Medium bodied, very high carbonation...gives a bit of a foamy sensation in the mouth.

D - Good and flavorful, would go great with a good cheese assortment. Alcohol is on the high side at 7.2%, but doesn't really show itself much - just a slight presence in the flavor. A nice example of the style. Certainly wouldn't mind having this one again.

Thanks to Deuane for grabbing us one of these a few months back. This will be a nice prelude to our trip to Bullfrog tomorrow.

A-Pours a slightly hazy copper amber with lots of off white head even from a gentle pour (you should have heard the cork pop!). Very fine lacing.

S-Lots of caramel and toffee with the Belgian character taking a back seat. No funk, which may be a first for me for a Bullfrog bottle.

T-Quite tasty. Sweet caramel notes up front but the Belgian yeast character comes to the forefront quickly. Well balanced and delicious.

M-Medium bodied, the extreme carbonation from the bottle quickly settles down to a nice frothiness.

D-Very nice food beer; very nice session beer.

HV

750ml bottle poured into a pilsner - cellar - 2009

Appearance: The cork comes out with quite a loud pop and the beer itself has an enormous head. The entire pour is initially ivory colored foam. It settles slowly and shows a hazy, copper colored beer. Slow moving carbonation and sticky, foamy lace coat the glass.
Nice

Smell: As the label would indicate, the aroma has some musty, but sweet apple notes along with the traditional Belgian spiciness.YEast and underlying malt finish it off.

Taste: Sweet malt with a fruity character as well. Peppercorn, raisin, apricot and apple are all fruit components. A burn of alcohol and yeast in the finish. Quite an event.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, highly carbonated, spicy, fruity and very easy to swallow. Noticeable alcohol and plenty of malt flavor. Some hop bitterness in the finish.

Drinkability: I am very impressed with this brew. It holds true to it's style and does it very well. I could do quite a few more of these. I will keep trying Bullfrog's beer.

750ml bottle cork and caged.

There's an explosive bang when the cork is popped and this one is a slight gusher. Pours a deep, dark ruby red/chocolate caramel brown color with some coppery hues when held to a light source and a massive three finger frothy, soapy light beige head. Excellent retention, only slowly fading into a lasting cap. Large chunks of soapy lacing are left behind.

Slightly earthy aroma with a prominent malt aroma and hints of zesty spice, syrup and bready yeast. Lots of caramel malt alongside a slightly funky presence in the nose with dark fruit and pepper notes. There's also a sweet green apple character alongside the dark fruit notes.

Soft carbonation up front with a slightly chewy medium body that has a nice balance of zesty spice, dark and light fruit and leathery malts. Much darker and fuller bodied than other biere de gardes I've sampled. Pretty complex with a lot of peppery spice, dark fruit, caramel malt and sweet light fruit. Slightly tart with a dry finish and you can really taste the sweet green apple flavor. I find a lot of beers in this style light, watered down and boring but this beer is the extreme opposite. Full bodied with a lot of heavy flavors, yet still highly quaffable.

From notes - June, 2009. On tap at Capone's...

Appears a hazy dark brown with a small beige cap that never fades out. Tons of scattered lacing is left around the glass.
Smell is of caramel, toffee, raisins, dandelions, fruity esters, and doughy bread.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with a bit of a cocoa flavor coming out, along with funky citrus, and raisin bread.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, chewy, bitter, sweet, with funky prunes and dates found in the finish.

Bottle generously acquired on my behalf by johnmichaelsen, with whom I split. Appearance is very murky, dull dirty blonde/pale orange, with a large, creamy white head leaving sticky foam.

Smell is nice, very sweett, candied apples, granny smiths with caramel. Mulling spices come out as it warms.

Taste is quite different, very yeasty, not sweet at all, at bit astringent and off-putting at first. Some malt and a hint of the apple pokes through as it warms, but for me it really only went from not good to ok.

Mouthfeel is very dry, kind of thick.

Drinkability isn't to high for me. I didn't like it at all at first, aside from the smell, and barely warmed up to it as I worked through. Only had about 1/3rd of the bottle, which was plenty.

Generously shared by Adam (ccrida) last night at Bailey's.

The beer pours sort of an amber brown color with very good head retention and lots of sticky lacing all around. The nose is pretty interesting, with a considerable amount of apple, but also with some underlying spice and almost a fruit cocktail aroma. The beer is certainly on the sweet side (especially for a saison style beer), but with attractive flavors of apple, chocolate, tropical fruit and orange citrus. There's also some light hoppy bitterness in the finish, which helps to keep the sweetness in check. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a fairly long, smooth finish. Drinkability is pretty good, though the sweetness detracts just a bit.

An interesting, unusual, saison style beer. Wouldn't mind having an opportunity to drink this from time to time.