La Moneuse
Brasserie de Blaugies

What an interesting beer! I tried it in comparison to a Saison I’d made myself. So it was more research than anything. The appearance was orange with a very full bubbly look. aroma seemed neutral at first, but with a slight apple in it. The mouthfeel felt full, but in a way that Champagne does. The flavour was incredible, a slight wine, giving way to an drey apple flavour. I’m definitely going to try this again. As for my version, it was nice but needs more work next time

12.7oz green bottle. Corked and caged. Stamp on cage cap is 'U2-05:21'.
Dirty brown orange colored body. Some foam over when the cork is removed. White head is continuously rebuilt by rising bubbles. Leaves behind some strings of lacing on the drinking side of the glass.
Aroma of yeast - leather and tobacco, fruit - peach and pear, and malt.
Taste is spicy from the yeast, with esters of peach and pear. Darker bread malts. Grassy, with some hay.
Thicker mouth feel, solid texture. Drying finish. Excellent carbonation.
No real sweetness nor bitterness but complex and full of flavors. Perfect for a working person's lunch drink. Musty and spicy at the same time.

375ml bottle from Wee Vault, Edinburgh (£7.50):
Amber with some orange tinges & a 2.5cm, foamy white head that looks thick & wavy, holding well with a lot of visible carbonation through the body & a few large bits of sediment at the bottom. Lots of yeast & peppery spices on the nose with a malty base, fruity esters & less tart than expected. It's well balanced with bread malts, a little more spice & tart with the taste, a little apple & the same yeasty finish from the nose. Dry, well carbonated & definitely not as pronounced most saison but not bad.

 

 

I had this on draft 2/1/23 @ the Hopleaf.

Mostly opaque dark orange appearance.

Nice eggshell head; decent lace.

Pear, apple, mild ash & faint caramel notes in the nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Fresh pear, some volcanic ash & faint caramel flavors.

Refreshing but substantial. Nice.

 

 

 

Pours clear light amber color with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has fruit and malt hints
The taste follows the nose with a fruity malt flavor
A medium bodied well carbonated beer
A good Saison

 

Very impressive saison, the Clarity is was got me.

I enjoyed the pepper finish, considering this brew to be a fine pairing with . .

375 mL cork and cage bottle from the LCBO; best before Dec 31 2024 and served at cellar temperature.

Pours a clear golden-orange colour with fine sediment visible throughout the body; gathered atop is roughly one finger of loose, soapy white head that settles off quickly. Pouring in the dregs (later in the session) makes it a downright murky, muddy brownish-amber. A bubbly collar is left encircling a patchy, filmy cap, with a small amount of lace tossed about in the process. It smells wholesome: whole grain bread, doughy malts and graininess, with hints of grassy hay, earthy hops, grapes and orchard fruit. There's also some mildly peppery yeast spiciness, as well as a whiff of ethanol.

Tastes quite nice - fruity notes abound on the front end, with bruised apple, apricot, grape and apple juice coming through amidst a grainy, bready malt backbone. Later on come hints of floral hops, citrus zest, grassy hay & barnyard, with peppery yeast spiciness and earthiness rounding out the back end; lingering hints of apple, earthy hops and citrus precede an off-dry aftertaste, with surprisingly little sign of that 8%. Medium in body, moderately carbonated; this one just felt a little watery to me, and the carbonation exhausted itself very quickly. Dangerously drinkable.

Final Grade: 4.04, an A-. I don't think I've reviewed an actual, honest to goodness Belgian-brewed saison such as La Moneuse for years now! Lemme check... yep, late 2016 (Avec les Bons Voeux, for the record). This style was very popular amongst North American brewers for a while, but seems to have fallen out of vogue, at least here in Ontario. I found this to be a relatively fruit (ester)-forward saison - well-brewed, and its flavours are definitely appealing, but I wouldn't put this on the same level as Dupont. Hope to see this around here again.

 

Pours an unfiltered amber color with a medium sized, fine pored stable head.

Offers aromas of a herbal bunch of flowers, soft, peppery yeast, a note of glazed caramel and a touch of wood.

Got a fuller, medium mouthfeel with a well fitting, effervescent carbonation, leading to a nice refreshment.

Tastes of toffee accompanied wheat, dried lime zest, bread dough and a soft, lingering yeast spiciness. Develops a bakers chocolate covered rusticness, softened by its creamy mouthfeel. Finishes spicy and honey driven with a lingering, herbal dryness.

Rich and soft, well focused and easy drinking, this is a rich and warming Saison.

 

375 ml cork and cage bottle. Served cold into a chalice. LCBO purchase for $6.95 CDN. Best before end of 2024.

Appearance - hazy honey brown color with a half finger of white head that rests on top and declines into a small coalescent cap.

Smell - Earthy and funky with barnyard funk, some grape must and some other low lying berries like elderberry. A hint of honey and some other spices (maybe coriander).

Taste - Initially, mineral water with some barnyard funk, some small berry sweetness, hints of grapes. The aftertaste is very pleasant, mid-sip is less remarkable. As it warms there's a juicy quality to it, almost with hints of watermelon. Unusual, but tasty.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, lots of carbonation, dry finish but less so than similar beers in the style (think Brasserie Dupont). Booze is incredibly hidden.

Overall - Excellent saison that is well crafted, flavorful and quite drinkable that nicely balances the funkiness of some yeast strains with traditional saison flavors. Well worth a try (although it ain't cheap). Gets better and better as it warms. Also definitely the type of beer, you could enjoy multiples of at some cafe or bar in Belgium, stand up and make a complete fool of yourself, because it's that good and the alcohol quotient is hidden so well.

 

From the large bottle of indeterminate age, it pours a hazy dark amber with a modest head that eventually diminishes to a thin layer. Aroma is pleasant, with yeast, spices and a bit of alcohol coming through. In the mouth, it is pleasant with pepper, malt and spices coming through. Enjoyable!

375 ml bottle into a tulip glass. Believe it’s a 2017 bottle, had 5/12/20.

Pours a brownish gold, hazy, with a huge spongy foam head on an average pour that has great retention, and a good amount of foamy lacing. Aromas of Belgian yeast, black pepper, bread, spices, dough, apples, malt, some hay, some caramel. Somewhat similar flavors- Belgian yeast, malt, bread, spices- coriander and cloves for sure, fruity- maybe apples, light earthy/herbal hops, a little black pepper on the finish. A little bit of a sweet note and a light bitterness on the finish. Smooth, a little dry, a solid light to medium body, well carbonated on the high side.

An excellent classic saison. Fruity, well balanced, solid from top to bottom. I would have this often, if it was more available.