BFM Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien (2006)

Hand crafted in 2006 - 11% alc./vol. Blended in April 2007.

Swiss ale de garde aged in oak barrels. Limited edition - ages well.

Amazing nose of fruits and spices. Slightly sour with very long aftertaste. Low carbonation. Enjoy it in a tasting glass.

3.8

286 reviews

Saignelégier, Switzerland

Community reviews

3.7 Vintage 2006 Pours cherry red with hints of etches and a very clarified. Smell is initially inky, some acetone, some oak, some cocoa (oddly). Very rich flavor, cherries, raisins, malt, a little malt and some sweetness. Very warm, very robust. There is a hint of sherry. Thin with sharp, spicy carb and a little bit of off dry character. It’s alright, I wouldn’t buy a second bottle, but I’m told later vintages are better.

3.7 Pour is still looking with no head and no lacing covering that cloudy red mixture. Aroma is simple with lactic acid and fruits being the only thing I could pick up from it. Taste is of red fruits and feels a lot more vinous than the nose, good. Body was medium, carbonation moderate I believe (no notes on this one). I could never feel the alcohol (11%! Ouch.) in there so I guess it was really well hidden. A nice one by BFM, I’ll need to crack the Grand Cru soon!

4.1 Belle couleur écarlate avec des arômes de fruits rouges, vin rouge, chêne sec, fine acidité. En bouche ya un côté gazonné qui se glisse bien à travers le vin rouge. La levure est machable, finale tannique qui se répand vite avec la carbonatation vive. Délicieux et complexe mais avec une buvabilité calme.

3.9 pours almost cloudy red with a small off-white head, some retention and lacing. red wine along with some of its tannins, oak, spices, phenols, cherries and other red fruits, appreciable acidity, booze. fizzy carbonation, light to medium body, nicely astringent herbal-grassy-spicy finish. very nice offering but not outstanding.

3.9 Bottle (750 ml). Slightly hazy bright amber with low beige head and no lacing. Aroma in winey with a lot of red fruits, malt notes, caramel and oak. Taste is very fruity (red fruits) along with malt, caramel, wine, wood and light to moderate sourness. Alcohol is very well hidden. Medium body. Weird low/fizzy carbonation. Winey mouthfeel. Somewhat dry in the finish. Really drinkable considering the abv. Not as complex as the ’09 I drank a couple of months ago, but still more than decent. Good balance. Very good Sour Red!

4.0 Bottle shared by alexsdad06. Poured a hazy brown color with an average frothy tan head that mostly lasted with excellent lacing. Moderate to heavy sour yeast and cherry aroma. Medium to full body with a smooth tingly texture and soft carbonation. Medium to heavy sour & sweet flavor with a medium to heavy sweet & sour finish of moderate to long duration. This is a standout beer for style.

3.7 750ml bottle, shared by alexsdad06. Hazy dark red brown color. Thin off-white / khaki head. Awesome huge big dark fruit and earthy aromas in the nose. Lots of vinous fruit in the flavor. Bigger body, but not sticky. More of a dry texture. Lighter, lightly soft carbonation. Moderate sour taste, light bitter, light bit of alcohol warmth. Some burnt sugars, toasty malt. Pretty damn good, much better than expected. Has held up impressively well.

4.0 Pours a a deep reddish-amber color with light brown head that dissipates quickly, good clarity. Fruity esters in the aroma...sour cherries and dark fruits. Flavor much the same, quite a bit of sourness from the age, much more so than newer ones I’ve tasted. But sour cherry here too and quite a bit of alcohol warmth. Some mild oxidation character but not off-putting. Overall the 06 Bon-Chien is drinking nice in ’13.

3.6 Bottle at Sourfest. Murky brown pour with a bubbly white head. Oaky, cherry and fig, sweet toffee malts and sourness in the aroma. Flavor is very much fruit driven with oak, sourness, doughy yeast, caramel and brown sugar. Thickish body and some noticeable booze.

4.0 2006 bottle blended in 2007. Appearance: The body is an ugly murky brown with a foamy light tan head that erupts from the body, but dies down quickly. Aroma: The aroma immediately reminds me of cocoa, then slightly sour cherries. Tart is definitely showing through, but the aroma is also fruity. Taste: The intro is of sweet caramel with some cocoa that sticks through the sip. The beer is fruity with cherry flavors throughout and only a mild sour that peaks towards the end. Hints of oak are on the finish, but very mild. Palate: Medium bodied, high carbonation. Overall: This is a very approachable sour, too easy to drink for 11%. This is my second Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien and I’m astonished at how balanced and approachable this is with the complexity it has and age on it.

3.4 Poured from a 750ml bottle, thanks to the Boise guys. Woody, fruity, wild bugs/brettanomyces and lactobacillus, slight citrus notes.

3.4 750ml bottle thanks to Jeremy Appearance: Clear amber with a small beige and light lacing Aroma: Tart fruit and oak Taste: Sour, oak, woody and plastic Ok

3.6 750 thanks to Jeremy. Pours a clear dark copper color. A sour woody nose. Sour, aggressive, brown malt, some cherry. Woody. Overall, pretty easygoing.

3.7 Copper-ruby color, clear. Aroma of toasty malt, light sour note. Flavor is similar with some biscuit, cherry notes, some pearlike light fruit, a little earthy spice, warming alcohol.

3.7 750mL bottle, sent from Glouglouburp (thanks a lot, Dany), pours a murky deep dark mahogany with a small beige head. Aroma is full of oak, vinegar, deep dark sour fruits, and wood. Flavour brings out loads of oak, vinegar, wood and some cardboard. Fairly boozy and oaky – really dominated by the oak. There is a mild hint of cardboard which suggests oxidation, but the complexity doesn’t suffer. Actually seems boozier than the 2005 despite the way lower ABV. Good stuff.

3.8 Pours a hazy reddish brown color with a fizzy three finger pinkish eggshell head. On the nose its got some nice vinous fruit that mingles with some barrel mustiness, dark fruit, and a slight touch of boozy acetone. The palate is complex and inviting. with a balance between dark raisin fig fruit notes, subtle caramel roundness and some younger lively berry, cherry notes. Nice funk creeps midpalate and draws out the dry vinous finish.

3.8 Bottle to celebrate my 1st Wedding Anniversary. It pours murky deep red- brown with a quickly dissipating off-white head. The nose is sour red berry, jamminess, vinous, oak, earth, spice and a touch of vanilla. The taste is deliciously sour, tart red berry, strawberry, red grape, vinous, lemon sherbet, Granny Smith apple, subtle vinegar, earth, wood, lactic acid, alcohol warmth and light acidity dry, tart finish. Medium body and effervescent carbonation. Nice depth of flavour and well balanced. Impressive.

3.9 Really nice sour. Pours leather brown with a white head. Aroma is funky, balsamic, yet slightly sweet. Flavor is similar. Mostly lactic but also funky and earthy. Really nice combination. Great beer.

3.6 Split a 750ml bottle with some friends. Poured a really murky ruby-copper color with not much of a head to speak of. Aroma was some light oak notes, some sour bits. Flavor is some sour fruits, some wine character, earthy notes. Sour for the most part, alcohol is still pretty present here, even after 6 or so years, though it is really drinkable.

3.9 Bouteille. Nez fruité aux notes sûres et acides (cerises noires et sûres, raisins vineux, notes de prunes) boisé et vineux, léger de vanille et d’alcool doux. Plutôt ronde en bouche avec un pétillement moyen et une texture vineuse (un peu visqueuse). Goût assez fruité et boisé à la fois sucré, moyennement sûr et légèrement acide (cerises noires et sûres, raisins vineux, notes de prunes, qui dure longtemps en bouche) avec des notes de vanille lors de l’entrée en bouche auquel se rajoute un goût malté très légèrement terreux, rappelant le caramel doux, ainsi qu’un goût de sucre brun léger et des notes de chocolat et en finale, l’on retrouve un goût légèrement amer d’alcool doux aux notes vineuses ainsi qu’un léger goût de levures boisées aux petites notes acétiques et herbeuses. Arrière-goût long et un peu asséchant, moyennement amer d’alcool doux vineux et de levures fruitées aux notes sûres, boisées et sèches (moût de cerises et de raisins, notes de pelures de prunes).

4.1 Bottle from Knightly Spirits. Damn, if I’d known this is out of production, I would’ve held onto it a bit longer. I have had this same beer before, but a different vintage. Pours a caramel body with red hues around the edges and minimal head. Loose, spotty lacing. As expected, a sour vaporous aroma escapes the bottle immediately. Even aged, the sour notes have not diminished at all. Flavors include caramel, vinegar, cola, subtle oak and vanilla. Medium/high carbonation and medium/full body. The ABV warms the throat and abdomen. Great sour brew. I hope I can cross paths with it again in the future.

4.0 Bottle shared at Woodshop 7. Pours burgundy and cloudy with a small tan head. Pitty fruits, acetic and lactic acidity, dry tannic red wine, dusty cocoa malt, lightly metallic.

4.1 Appearance was clear red honey caramel with rocky lasting white 1 finger head, no lacing. Aromas are the stars, deep fruits fig, plum,wine grapes, brown sugar, maple, slight alcohol, cararmel sweet malts. Taste are complex dark fruit, herbal spicey hops, then tart cherry and apple. Palate was silky champagne-like CO2 with meduim body, then long sour dryish slightly warming finish. Wow! love this sour...

4.9 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.

4.2 Vintage 2006 Consumed January 7, 2011 A marked improvement on the appearance, as the beer has an inch of dense head, displays great retention, and leaves ample lacing on the tulip. I’m loving the aroma, as well. It has more funk and must, with prominent oak barrel scents. It seems this beer just continues to improve with age. 4.5 4.5 4.5 4 4 Serving type: bottle

3.5 Bottle to snifter (from notes). Looks okay; no real carbonation to speak of though. Smells and tastes sweet, tart, and cherry. Tastes like it smells with an average (at best) mouthfeel. I really don’t like the fact that BFM’s beers are all borderline still; otherwise they’d be much better IMO.

3.8 750ml Bottle (Bottle #276).: Aroma of acetic acid, tart fruit, oak, cherries, and some vanilla. Poured brown/orange in color with a small, creamy, dense, tan/beige head that lasted throughout. Cloudy. Very sparkling. Full of medium, large, and huge-sized particles throughout. Flavor is heavily sweet and light to medium tart. Tastes of acetic acid, fruit, malt, light cocoa, oak, cherries, light wood, and a hint of funk. Medium to full body. Dry texture. Lively carbonation. Heavily sweet, light to medium tart, malt, oak, tart fruit, acetic acid, cherry, slight funk finish is lightly dry. 11%ABV is completely hidden throughout. Has held up very well over 6 years.

3.8 Bottle from some place in Ohio. Served in a BFM goblet. Pours a nice amber-mahogany color with a short off-white head that quickly fizzes away without leaving behind any lacing. The nose carries great notes of cherry and accompanying pit, alongside oak and some dark fruits. A touch of earth lingers in the background. Good vinous acidity. Flavor is remarkably complex and intriguing. Vinous qualities along with moderate-heavy acidity, especially in the finish. Tart and lactic. Light-medium body with more carbonation than the appearance would suggest. Smooth and easy drinking. Would love to revisit this one in the future.

3.9 Bottle at WWBA ’12 Brooklyn. Really nice sour. Notes of sour cherry, old cheese, and funk in the nose. Prominent funkiness in the flavor with slight sourness.

3.5 Bottle - Ruby pour with zero head and little to no bubbles. Lots of complexity on the nose including an acidic vegetal tomato character. Flavor is soft sweetness against a sour note. Approaching Flanders in acidity but not there completely. Very delicious and interesting.