BFM Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien (2013)
L’abbaye de St Bon-Chien est une bière acide de fermentation mixte mûrie durant un an dans des barriques ayant contenu du vin. Nous utilisons plusieurs fois ces barriques provenant des meilleurs vignerons suisses. Après cette longue période d’élevage, je déguste toutes les barriques tentant de les assembler au mieux pour parvenir à la fois à un équilibre et à la fois à une ligne de bières d’exception.
Cette cuvée aux reflets rouges-ambrés est mûrie pendant de longs mois dans des fûts de chêne ayant déjà contenu du vin ou des eaux-de-vie. Ces fûts donneront des arômes très complexes à cette bière.
En bouche, elle rappelle la trame d’un vin rouge fruité avec une acidité très marquée. Mais attention, je vous vois venir, pas question de me descendre une bouteilles de St Bon-Ch’ sortant du frigo dans des verres à moutarde Pingu, non ! Servie à 16.5 °C environ, dans un beau verre à pied accompagnant une souris d’agneau confite ou un bon Epoisse, vous apprécierez pleinement ce nectar.
La légende veut que nous avions une chatte particulièrement sympathique qui répondait d’un petit miaou au nom de Bon-Chien. Lorsqu’elle nous quitta à jamais, pétris de tristesse nous organisâmes une cérémonie de sanctification décidant de dédier une cuvée incroyable à l’animal fraîchement disparue. L’Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien était née. Grâce à notre chatte disparue, notre bière fait maintenant le tour du monde. Elle connaît un franc succès aux Etats-Unis, au Japon, en France et Scandinavie par exemple
Cette cuvée aux reflets rouges-ambrés est mûrie pendant de longs mois dans des fûts de chêne ayant déjà contenu du vin ou des eaux-de-vie. Ces fûts donneront des arômes très complexes à cette bière.
En bouche, elle rappelle la trame d’un vin rouge fruité avec une acidité très marquée. Mais attention, je vous vois venir, pas question de me descendre une bouteilles de St Bon-Ch’ sortant du frigo dans des verres à moutarde Pingu, non ! Servie à 16.5 °C environ, dans un beau verre à pied accompagnant une souris d’agneau confite ou un bon Epoisse, vous apprécierez pleinement ce nectar.
La légende veut que nous avions une chatte particulièrement sympathique qui répondait d’un petit miaou au nom de Bon-Chien. Lorsqu’elle nous quitta à jamais, pétris de tristesse nous organisâmes une cérémonie de sanctification décidant de dédier une cuvée incroyable à l’animal fraîchement disparue. L’Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien était née. Grâce à notre chatte disparue, notre bière fait maintenant le tour du monde. Elle connaît un franc succès aux Etats-Unis, au Japon, en France et Scandinavie par exemple
3.9
164 reviews
Saignelégier, Switzerland
Community reviews
Bottle: Thanks Rene: Served in a Duvel glass:
Cloudy amber with a lively and quick disappearing head.
Nose fears the drinker of a vinegar ish sourness. Happily not true... Also some funk, wood and fruit...
Flavour is lovely tart, yet on the edge, with some malts, funk, sour candy, sour fruit, etc...
Aftertaste is malty, sweet tart with some fruit, funk, wood and a hint of malts...
Low carbo, tart mouthfeel, more than medium bodied.
Nice sour with a complexity!
Bottle sample tasted at BBF Lab Madrid 2016 on the 02/07/2016. Ruby brown colour with a thin beige head. Aroma of berries, caramel, oak and some vainilla. Taste is red berries, candy sugar and light wood. Sour aftertaste. Next one please!
2013 Edition / Assemblage #10 / 37.5 cl bottle. Pours an off-white small head which forms a thin and very persistent layer; orange to copper colour, hazy but in a certain way clear appearance. Aroma of orange and red fruits, like strawberry and peach, lots of ribes, cherries, wow... the fruitiness is on the top level, really juicy, vivid and complex. Then all the wood, basement and wild yeasty fragrances to finish off, on a very subtle and delicate vinous and light balsamic background. Tastes again berries and ribes fruits (remembers me the ones I used to grow in my garden), forest wood, winey notes (Chardonnay), sweet lemony hints. Both medium and very pleasant sour and sweet notes, which blend together in a unique bouquet. Bitter notes are almost non perceivable, just there to give the overall balance, which in my opinion is outstanding, the really focal point of this brew. You can find some of the aromatic and taste notes of the Saint Bon-Chien also in other sour/lambic/gueze brews, the real big difference with this one is how perfectly, how harmonious are blended together. The body is medium, the carbonation just low enough as it should be and the alcohol perfectly masked in my opinion, it really doesn’t feel like 11% abv compared to other beers of the category,very "drinkable"(most sours are not). The finish is extremely clean, with the acidic notes completely gone and fruitiness that fades away progressively. Actually I wouldn’t almost call this, beer, except from the ingredients. I haven’t tried yet all of the top shelf and rare Cantillons, but without doubt this best “sour” I’ve ever had. Incredible stuff!
Aromas of cherry, vinegar, surface-ripened cheese. Murky brown with a fully fading white head. Dry, sour, fruity, funky, got a sting to it. Medium bodied, finishes pretty clean.
750 ml bottle shared by Sebilinz, thanks! Amber color, off-white head. Aroma is sourly-fruity, cider, lemon notes, dark sugar. Flavor is sourly-sweet, cider, light sugar notes. Salty, dry finish.
Bottle. Opened 3-27-16. Hazy dark ruby brown, no real head. Balsamic vinegar sweetness, okay, woody, minerals, dark sour cherries in the aroma. Flavor has an early sweet-sour dynamic that dries out into a more oaky and minerally rocky finish with dry sour bite at the end. Medium body. Lovely.
On tap at Crest in Clintonville: ruby-brown pour, slight head. aroma of vinegar, oak, cherry, little funk. tastes are tart, vinegar, woody, grape, cherry. a bit sweet then solidly sour. dark fruit, little leather. couldn’t tell the difference between years, but love these generally speaking.
Bottle from Bacco. Batch 12. Pours a light brown with little to no head - flat carbonation. Strong bubblegum sour aroma. Medium bodied, sour fruity punch in the face. Alcohol up front with a long puckered finish.
Murky brown with small tan head. Vinegar, cherry, spicy syrah red wine, pepper, green apples, brown sugar, light funk and toffee. Thick, vinous, Red wine, Sweet and sour, vinegar, red berries, alcohol and lemon finish. Overall: Imperial version of rodenbach rouge? Almost red wine like with the best of crisp and sour krieks. Well done and happy new year!
Bottle at home. Pours a hazy mahogany color with an off-white head. Has a sweet and sour aroma of brown sugar, vinegar, oak, gooseberries, forest floor and cocoa. The flavor follows up with lemon juice, oak, brown sugar and balsamico. Has a slick and silky mouth feel, full-bodied and light bitterness. A complex, well-balanced and easy-drinking sour ale.
Bottle brownand hints of body with offwhite head. Aroma is fruity with wood and hints of sour apples. Taste is sour and fruity and malty. Aftertaste is sour with some artificial sweetness.
750 ml bottle shared by Sebilinz, thanks!
Copper-brown, hazy body, with a medium, frothy, a bit yellowish head.
Aroma of oak, wine, ripe fruits, leather, citrus, apples, slight vinegar.
Taste follows this, but more intense, with more sour and more sweet notes.
Medium, slick mouthfeel, with a soft carbonation.
Finishes sour-sweet, a bit alcohol warming, fruity, wooden, with some vinegar.
Very nice. Quite heavy, but also really complex. Overall not among my favourite sour beers, but a really characterful beer nonetheless.
0,75l bottle shared by Sebilinz at Linz RB Tasting, big thanks. no obvious BB date. Bottle #276. copper quite hazy color, small tan head. smells sour, green apples, marzipan, nuts, wood, cherries, light herbs / a bit glueish, very nice smell. full body, medium carbonation, slick mouthfeel. tastes of cherries, sour, green apples, marzipan, bitter almonds, some wood, spices, lightly glueish, light sweetness, citric. finishes lightly sour with notes of marzipan and green apples. a bit on the heavy malty side, but quite nice beer. would drink again.
On tap at Tasty. Was described as mouth puckeringly sour and bartender was right on. Sort of murky brown pour with a reddish hue. Not much head. Super tart/ sour on the palate with some nice cherry notes. Definitely sweetens as it warms. Super funk. Really interesting. And a great story about a cat. Makes me want to go Switzerland.
Fruity funky and tannic. Definitely heavy oak and Belgian yeast influence. Good stuff, though very expensive.
Bottle. Slightly hazy reddish amber color, scant head. Nice aroma of vanilla, cherry, raspberry, port wine. Taste is funky tart cherry and vanilla, light tannins. Delicious.
375 mL bottle shared by ebone1988. The pour is a foggy orangey red color with a nice white head and some good lace. The aroma is tart and sharp. There is a great cherry skin happening and some great balance and a nice souring aspect on the back end. The flavor is excellent. Great cherry juice and a light tartness. It's well balanced without being too sour. The mouth feel is light, but well carbonated with an excellent lingeringly cherry aftertaste. It's good and well balanced. I wish this was a touch more tart and sour, but it's good
Bottle shared with koleminer20 and Gus. Aroma is sour, funky, oak, no sign of booze, tart skins, vinegar. Appearance is orange, amber, off white head. Taste is sour, funky, vinegar, bitter, tart skins, oak. Mouthfeel is crisp carbonation, medium body, really nice. Overall, wow this is very very nice.
Draft. Nicely tart and funky ale. Tart cherries, some balsamic, plenty of sourness. Good batch.
Bottle to glass at the Birch. Feel like this fits the sour red category a bit more. Huge balsamic vinegar character. Tasty.
Somewhat hazy fox brown colour, beige head. Aroma of red fruits, wood, vanilla, malts, yoghurt. Sour flavour, light vinegar, wood, umami notes, balsamico. Fruity sour finish, red fruits.
(from draught @ Villaggio della Birra)
3500th review! 375 ml bottle into tulip glass; 2013 vintage, blend #6. Pours slightly hazy reddish copper color with small off white head with decent retention, that reduces to a ring of lace that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big tart cherry, raisin, plum, prune, berry, red grape, apple, vanilla, toasted oak, brown sugar, toffee, leather, light red wine vinegar, musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness. Incredible aromas with fantastic complexity and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, dark bamt, and oak barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of big tart cherry, raisin, plum, prune, berry, red grape, apple, vanilla, toasted oak, brown sugar, toffee, leather, light red wine vinegar, musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness. Moderate fruity/tannic/acidic tartness and slight oak spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of cherry, raisin, plum, berry, red grape, apple, vanilla, toasted oak, brown sugar, toffee, leather, light vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, dark malt, and oak barrel flavors; with a fantastic sweetness/tartness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very smooth, fairly acidic/tannic, and slightly slick mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is an absolutely incredible sour biere de garde style. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, dark malt, and oak barrel flavors; and very smooth and easy to sip on for the big ABV. A highly amazing offering all around.
at sour fest at OEC, damn these are nice, one of the best oud bruins, very dark and rich. Nutty and complex like a $50 Bordeaux bottle. Awesome sauce right here.
Pours brownish clear, minimal head. Aroma is moderate lacto, cherry, raisin, oak, lots o wine barrel, vinegar. Flavor is super winey, fairly sour lacto, raisin.
Bottle at OEC Brewing SourFest, 8/15/15.
Lightly hazy brown (chestnut-mahogany) body shows scant carbonation and a small beige head that recedes quickly to a ring.
Haven’t had this one in a while, the last being a Zymatore version of 2014, I believe and probably a 2011 or 2012 before that....I really loved those versions, though I found this one a bit barleywine-like. Granted, that’s more or less what it is, but it reminded more of an oxidized, malt-dominated, candyish English barleywine than a graceful, complex Belgian Strong Ale. Plentiful barrel character in the nose is enjoyable, but a big dose of caramel is there as well, dragging down the livliness/brightness. Vanilla, raisins and other port-like qualities abound, with a light note of alcohol.
Candy coated raisins, caramel and vanilla, prunes and moderate acidity make up the flavor. Very low carbonation with a loose, watery mouthfeel and yet sticky, borderline syrupy malt texture. Rather grapey, acetic-like sourness/tartness where I’d want brett or lactic notes instead. Fruity, moderately enjoyable, but certainly not my favorite release year.
Pours a ruby brown color with an off white head. Funk, tart, oak, fruit, molasses, yeast and mild alcohol aroma. Funk, yeast, tart, vinegar, plum, raspberry, blackberry, apricot, oak, molasses and mild alcohol flavors. Medium full body and average carbonation. Plum, vinegar and oak finish.
Nice beer here on tap at oec. Aroma is woody balsamic, fruity, and funky. Taste is nicely tart with a solid backbone of nutty maltiness. Great to try without spending a ton on the bottle.
Poured from a bottle. Murky brass color, small white head. Strong sour fruit aroma. Medium body with a nice and subdued sour fruit flavor and a medium finish.
Tap. Pours cloudy and viscous opaque amber with small beige head. Aroma is so complex! Packed with oak, vanilla, balsamic. Sweet peach candy, fudge, melon and pineapple. Tons of oak, also acidic oak. Tart sour cherries and wine grapes. Taste has loads of sweet apricot, peach candy and sweet vanilla to balance out the sour notes. Packed with oaky character. Full body and nice carbonation. Bitter tannins in finish. Slight booziness. Sweet and ripe grapes, both red and white. Crazy this is 11%. A nice surprise! Different!
(On tap @ Moeder Lambic Fontainas, July 27 2015) Pours hazy deep orange brown with a big off white head and lots of lace. Aroma pretty sour with acetic acid, tart and fruity. Cantaloupe, citrus, melon rind, dusty, bit of caramel sweetness, softly woody. Sour on the palate with lots of cantaloupe dominating and the acidity from citrus and wine vinegar. Caramel malts give a tick of sweetness. The finish is softly bitter and woody, lightly tannic. Medium full and silky smooth in the mouth. Can’t quite get over how dominant the melon is but this is a really nice, kind of different sort of sour.