Benelux Eponyme

Brewed by Benelux Brasserie Artisanale
Style: Saison
Montreal, Canada

Serve in Tulip

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UPDATED: SEP 6, 2010 Note: Most of my comments come from a special cask version that was dry-hopped with Nelson Sauvin hops. Only one cask has been made so far, so I didn’t make it a new entry. But this amazingly successful rendition of Éponyme had to be recorded somewhere, right? My score is averaged out with that of the regular Éponyme’s, which is a softer and amazingly friendly Saison. Both are world-class!

My Bottom Line:
Tropical fruits galore (citrus, pineapple, mango, lychee), herbal spiciness and white grapes seduce both nostrils and tastebuds, as a highly comfortable mouthfeel leads to dryness and restrained bitterness.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A fluffy head of foam tops the misty blond, lacing all the way down the glass.
-This is amazingly aromatic, but the bitterness is much more tranquil. A concept I adore.
-A little more malt flavor and this is a perfect score.
-Light fruity tartness emerges from the union of hops and Saison character.
-This is as flavorful as it is drinkable.
-The hops also offer leafy and piney connotations.
-Lots of aroma, admirable dryness, not too much bitterness. What more can you ask for in a complex quencher?

On cask at the brewpub.

Spicy hop nose with notes of hay, fresh cut grass, mint and light floral citrus (bergamot?). Hazy golden body is topped by a decent, fine bubbled, and long lasting white head that coats the sides of the glass with lacing. Doughy malts with plenty of citrus and some earthy notes in the flavour. Bitterness is quite pronounced. Cereal grains in the aftertaste. Medium body with nice crisp effervescence. On tap at the brewpub (6.5%).

Tap at Mondial. Pours a nice slightly hazy blonde gold with a massive sticky white head. Aroma is nice and phenolic yeasty, slight earth, good bready fresh malt, doughy, sea salt and light lemon zest. Earhty phenolic flavor witht he fresh malts, good clean fresh herbal and floral hops- clean yeast yet remains very nicely saison-like without getting too harsh or having a added spice character- the most traditional and best of their saisons so far. Nice!

Sampled @ Bieres et Saveurs 09.09.07 : Light clear yellow no head. Straw some pineapple and other fruit, light body. Excellent saison !

on cask @ Benelux: This was the fresh cask version and the pour was cloudy orange with a thin head that left a nice lacing. The aroma was leafy and green with some citrus. It tasted sweet and yeasty. Overall this was a yummy saison, the perfect beer for a spring day in Montreal. Even better that was fresh from the cask.

En fût. Pinte dégusté directement à la brasserie. Arôme: Odeur de blé et d’épices. Apparence: La couleur est blonde voilée avec une faible densité de bulle. Présence d’un moyen col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de zeste d’orange avec une pointe d’épices. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement minérale. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Légère présence d’épices en arrière goût. (Rating #2484)

Aroma:wheat,floral and good citrus aroma... Appearance:Clear yellow,light head... Flavor:Nice citrus flavor,floral

Tap at Benelux. Very pale straw-coloured beer. Light spicy nose. Some clove and some black pepper. There is a touch of light citrus on the back and a fairly assertive herbal/spicy hoppiness. Fairly bitter on the back which does help with the drinkability and make it appear substantially dryer than it actually is. It is fairly enjoyable though.

Cloudy golden color with a thin white head. Aroma of lemon, grass, mild funk and yeast. Good flavor of peppery yeast, lemon and grass. The body is light to medium with an oily texture and moderate carbonation. This is a very good saison.

UPDATED: JAN 23, 2011 In short: A moderately wild, floral and slightly spicy Saison. Good brew.
How: Tap at brewpub and at Montreal Mondial de la Bière 2009
The look: Partly cloudy yellow-blonde body topped by a long-lasting small white head
In long: The nose is slightly wild and a little spicy. Taste is soft bready malts, dry banana peels, floral hops, dry herbal notes, white pepper. Pickling carbonation. Finish is a mix between juicy floral bitterness and herbal dryness. Feels as if they spiced up and added up herbs to their regular Saison (Fixe). I prefer a straightforward countryside/wild Saison (like their Fixe). If the beer is called Eponym, what is it named after? Try to answer that.