Avec Les Bons Voeux
Brasserie Dupont sprl

Avec Les Bons VoeuxAvec Les Bons Voeux
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From:
Brasserie Dupont sprl
 
Belgium
Style:
Saison
Ranked #177
ABV:
9.5%
Score:
93
Ranked #3,683
Avg:
4.17 | pDev: 9.59%
Reviews:
671
Ratings:
1,524
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 05, 2024
Added:
Mar 18, 2002
Wants:
  111
Gots:
  203
Les Bons Voeux means best wishes, which is what Brasserie Dupont sends with this very special saison ale brewed for the holidays. Redolently aromatic, rich and velvety.

Rich gold color, fragrant (lemony with hints of pepper, banana and clove), as all the beers of Dupont are with a full, deep malt richness that lingers on your tongue for what seems the whole holiday season. Considered by some the finest offering from this unparalleled Brewery. “The best Belgian beer, if ever there could be such an award...a sumptuous, seductive 9.5% beer. Because of it’s intensity, I would recommend the novice graduate to this beer. However, if a saison that is starting to lean towards being a triple appeals to you, and if its in season, don’t hesitate.”
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Ratings by ricke:
Photo of ricke
Reviewed by ricke from Sweden

3.98/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Serving date: 2009-02-09. Served in tulip.

Presentation: 375 ml corked bottle with freshness date on the label (best before July 2013).

Appearance: The pour is golden orange with straw hues - it almost looks like it's glowing. Ivory-colored, big and creamy head that sticks around for a while before settling and leaving some foam on top of the brew and chunky lacings on the glass. A good looking beer.

Smell: Sharp medicinal phenols mix with a general spiciness and a smell of sweet citrus fruits. Faint smell of yeast as well. Despite plenty of phenols and tangy spices, the smell is rather fresh and pleasant.

Taste: Big taste of medicinal phenols - distinct taste of band-Aids - and prominent spices (cloves, and perhaps white pepper?). Together with an unexpectedly big presence of alcohol this results in a interesting and pleasant - but still quite demanding - hotness. All of these tangy and sharp flavors are balanced by a taste of sweet fruits - mostly orange and lemon peel, but also pineapple - and faint malts. No funky flavors to speak of. The finish is dry with a more spices, minimal hop bitterness and a bit of a twang from the alcohol. This one develops very nicely towards the end: It gets a little less edgy, more round and balanced, as the sweet fruit flavors becomes more prominent.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, plenty of carbonation and all in all quite dry. But it still has a semi-smooth feel to it.

Drinkability: A very good beer. Quite tasty as well. The big medicinal phenols and spiciness coupled with the sweet fruits makes it truly interesting, but also a bit demanding. Although it drinks really easily and is quite refreshing, the alcohol and the spices becomes a little too prominent and somewhat demanding after a while.

NOTE: Will cellar a couple of these to see how they turn out. I'm especially interested to see how the balance between the alcohol and spices develops.
Feb 10, 2009
More User Ratings:
Photo of C-Stockwell
Reviewed by C-Stockwell from Rhode Island

4.32/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
L: transparent straw gold with large white head
S: molasses, cherries, maple syrup, honey, pear, and apple
T: wine yeast, bread, cherries, and orange
F: excellent carbonation

Noticeably higher alcohol content but otherwise a great beer.
Mar 05, 2024
 
Rated: 4.07 by not2quick from Missouri

Sep 03, 2023
 
Rated: 4.24 by QueenSac from Colorado

Sep 02, 2023
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.93/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750 ml corked & caged bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 9.5%. Slightly hazy golden colour, huge white head. Aroma of spicy Belgian ale yeast, white kandij sugar syrup and spicy hops. The same spicy notes in the flavour, also sufficient malts, hints of yellow plums, not too sweet, bitter finish. Refreshing for its strength.
Aug 04, 2023
Photo of Ushouldbeworkinh
Reviewed by Ushouldbeworkinh from England

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Nice saison. Farmhouse flavour, malty, spicy. Had no clue it was so strong, really hides it with the dry finish. Feels close to Westlake triple honestly
Jul 22, 2023
Photo of Lucular
Reviewed by Lucular from Maryland

4.06/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
10 oz snifter draft pour at Frisco Taphouse in Crofton, MD. The description is pretty accurate - notes of banana, lemon, clove, and Belgian yeast esters. Fairly sweet and also boozy. I agree that this is edging towards being a tripel - which is not really what I want when I drink a saison. I like saisons to be more on the delicate side, and this is definitely not a delicate beer. Still a good beer, just...well, I am tempted to say it's not true to style, but this is Brasserie Dupont we're talking about. So, I won't say it.
May 17, 2023
Photo of Wattie83
Reviewed by Wattie83 from Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from 750 Ml bottle to a chalice glass. Poured beautiful gold color with a white head on top that didn't go away. Lively body with carbonation throughout. Smell was grainy, apples and cinnamon, funky, earthy tones. Taste starts a bit sweet with bread and grain. Then the earthy funk kicks in with yeast and straw/grassy flavors. Finish is rather dry and the funk lingers. Feel is light and bubbly as the carbonation keeps it alive. A crisp dry finish is the perfect end. Overall, this is great sipper with a lot of interesting flavor. I'd buy this again for sure.
Apr 30, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by Stengelfoot from California

Apr 28, 2023
 
Rated: 4.28 by Ananabiya

Apr 09, 2023
Photo of HattedClassic
Reviewed by HattedClassic from Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
The beer pours a voluminous white and fluffy head that takes a while to dissipate while the beer itself is a clear metallic amber color that looks very good.

The smell is delicious. It has a mix of fruity notes and light bread notes mixed with an earthy bitterness from the hops.

The taste is fantastic. The Belgian spice notes dominate the taste at first, but the apple and pear notes come in rather quickly without displacing the yeast notes. There is also a light caramel taste to it as well. While the beer starts sweet, it starts to become more bitter than sweet quickly. The earthy bitter hop notes come out towards the finish to round out the beer.

The feel is amazing! It starts off with a bit of stickiness before becoming fairly dry! The carbonation is tingling while the texture is fluffy smooth with a medium body to it.

Overall, this is a fantastic beer worth getting and having if available.
Mar 10, 2023
Photo of MikeWard
Rated by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

4.19/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
The progression from refreshingly sweet to drying and somewhat bitter is very enjoyable
Feb 05, 2023
 
Rated: 4.61 by Shantzak from Pennsylvania

Feb 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by avisong from Virginia

Jan 15, 2023
 
Rated: 3.79 by BigFatOgre1975 from Rhode Island

Dec 29, 2022
 
Rated: 4.31 by Jsalz21 from New Jersey

Sep 02, 2022
Photo of AzfromOz
Reviewed by AzfromOz from Australia

4.49/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Purchased from the international Beer Collector Christmas sale in November 2021 and drunk in July 2022.

The beer comes in a sturdy-looking, green, corked bottle. There's a satisfying pop and hiss as the cork is pryed loose followed by a whiff of "smoke" and an immediate orchard fruit scent at the neck of the bottle.

On the nose, as previewed at the opening, there's peach and apricot, spicy yeast, vanilla and pepper. Wow, I've not even had it in my mouth and I can tell it's going to be something complex and special.

In the mouth, spicy Belgian yeast dominates at first, but the orchard fruits quickly announce their presence. There also the vanilla from the nose and bitter orange peel and candied lemon. At the swallow there is substantial, earthy bitterness that's quite sharp and not at all what I was expecting. The finish is dry but the bitterness lingers long after the swallow.

Mouthfeel is luxurious. It's smooth and counteracts the lingering bitterness well. There's quite a bit of carbonation, but the sweetness, bitterness and bubbles all work together seemlessly. A follow-up mouthfeel demands attention.

Overall, this is a magnificent beer. There's complexity that isn't always evident in saisons or farmhouse ales, which takes the beer beyond the standard Belgian yeast, lemon candy and pepper/herbal profile that those styles can fall back on. I can't remember a better saison or farmhouse ale and in fact can't remember too many better beers full stop.

Cheers!
Jul 23, 2022
 
Rated: 4.24 by Hawkfish from Washington

Jun 05, 2022
Photo of Greywulfken
Reviewed by Greywulfken from New York

4.18/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Vinous and elegant, with orchard fruit impressions plumping it up and a tangy yeast funk drying it out, quite a brew... Stone fruits like peach and apricot accompany white wine grapes with a twang on the finish - amply carbonated and lightly spicy with notes of cardamom, clove, ginger, and nutmeg... Sediment on the finishing pour...
Apr 04, 2022
 
Rated: 4.65 by jason_nwx from Oregon

Mar 20, 2022
Avec Les Bons Voeux from Brasserie Dupont sprl
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 1524 ratings