BFM Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien Grand Cru 2007 (Pinot Noir Barrel)

Formerly brewed at BFM (Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes)
Style: Sour Ale/Wild Ale
Saignelégier, Switzerland

Serve in Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler

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Bottle shared by 1FastSTi...thanks Blake! - Pours rosy mahogany with a thin off white head. A little sharp on the nose, with oak, lots of red grape/wine dryness, a bit of caramel, brown sugar, raisins...lots of sweetness, and just a touch of spice. Taste is roughly the same, with a bit of yeastiness and some clean sugary sweetness on the finish. A bit of menthol. Medium-bodied and not a ton of carbonation. NIce beer.

Thanks to Blake for bringing the magnum over. Poured reddish-amber with lots of chunky stuff and almost no head. The aroma picked up sour cherries, tangy oak, and redder, vinous fruits over jammy, fruity meat.. more oak and a little oxidation on the back of the nose.. warm and quite enjoyable. The flavor found jammy vinous fruits and cherry meat, with cherry vinegar, oak, and definite Pinot around.. dry and tangy on the finish.. warmed up the belly. Medium-bodied with almost no carbonation on the palate.. moderate-plus sourness.. tasty stuff, but not excellent.

1.5 liter. The beer pours to a ruby body with pretty much no head (white when it was there). The aroma is similar to the 2006 but more grape. Peppery grapes with earthy spice. The flavor is peppery spice with a sour tang. More red wine everywhere. Sweet but nice and tart. The palate is medium bodied and hides it really well.

Common rating for all three Saint Bon-Chien Grand Cru 2007 (Bourbon, Cabernet, Pinot)
In short: A very oaky, uber-sharp vinous red ale full of mouth puckering tannins.
How: Magnums, all three versions side-by-side, consumed 1.5 year after the beer release (Grand Cru 2007 were released jan 2009). Bottles shared by Brad at RBSG 2011 grand tasting
The look: Cloudy rusty-red body with almost no head
In long: Nose is very sharp, very oaky, from the nose you can tell that this will be a tannins bomb, some cherries, woody vinous notes. Taste is uber-tannic, very astringent, lots and lots of oak, acetic acid, cherry skin, sawdust. For a sour ale this is more tannic dry & astringent & acetic than it is actually sour.
Pinot version: (8-3-8-3-16 = 3.8)A bit more fruity adding other red fruits which made it a little more round
Carbarnet version: (8-3-8-3-15 = 3.7)The most tannic and most aceditic of the three. Maybe a bit too much. My least favorite
Bourbon version: (8-3-8-3-17 = 3.9)Inexplicably my favorite of the three. Simply smoother and easier to drink. And no bourbon presence whatsoever. Maybe just more vanilla
In conclusion: Side-by-side I was surprise to notice so few differences between the three different versions. The base beer is undoubtedly so intense that it crushes most of the barrels characteristics. Saint Bon-Chien beers are an acquired taste and those were pretty much what I was expecting, true oaky-tannic sippers. It was insanely generous of my friend Brad to open these three expensive magnums at once, on top of other crazy beers he brought. I would also like to be an altruistic and very generous person myself but only if *I* have something to gain from it.

Thanks to Alex for this 1.5 liter bottle, exactly what was needed 15 beers in... pours a medium dirty brown pink, light pink head... the nose is pretty nice grapefruits with pinot noir... the taste hides the alcohol really well but just isn’t successful overall, grainy red wine that’s carbonated water

1.5L bottle @RBSG shared by ygtbsm94-pours offwhite bubbles for a head and amber color. Aroma is sweet medium malt, vinuous/oak. Taste is sweet medium malt, vinuous/oak.

Magnum generously shared by ygtbsm. Thanks again Brad! Sampled alongside the bourbon and Cabernet versions. Pours a dark golden orange/copper color that’s completely opaque with a thin off-white head that immediately disapears leaving no lacing. Vinous aroma with lots of vanilla, dark fruit and subtle oak. The red wine presence is very prominent with lots of dark grape, cherry and other berries. Flat but the sweet red wine notes help. Very vinous with subtle oak dryness. Lots of grape, cherry, currant and other dark fruit. Again, the barrel presence is very strong, dominating the other flavors and nakingthis beer a bit one dimensional.

1.5L bottle, RBSG grand tasting, thanks ygtbsm94. Crystal clear amber body. Aroma is moderately sweet, vinous, light caramel. Taste is medium sweet, vinegar, some vinous, light caramel. Uncarbonated medium-full body, some stickiness.

1.5L bottle (RBSG). Poured an amberish/copper color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of wood/oak, vinous, and some earth. Tastes of wood, vinous, fruity, and some vinegar.

Bottle generously shared at the RBSG grand tasting. Pours a hazy iced tea color. Rich aroma of strawberry rhubarb pie. Flavor has notes of bourbon and cheese with a tough of balsamic and strawberries. Velverty body with a touch of strawberry in the finish. The best smelling of the 2007 series but second overall to the cab.