BFM Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien Grand Cru 2009 (Merlot Piana 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 craytonic. Thanks Matt. The beer is a light ruby hue, with very little head, appearing more like a wine than a beer. The aroma offers wine barrels, sour cherries, funk. Slightly acetic, but overall really smooth. Cherries and light funk, mild tannins. Subtle alcohol presence in the finish. Low carbonation. Very enjoyable. Very glad to have tried this. Looking forward to trying some other beers in this Grand Cru series. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 10-07-2011

Poured into a snifter. Brewed in 2009, bottled March 2010. This specifically says, "ale aged in Merlot Piana vecchia barrel," in case there’s supposed to be another listing. Big thanks to SteveFinny for this. 4.5 A: Murky light plum color. Two fingers of creamy beige head. Retention is good given the ABV and a great deal of lacing is left. 4.5 S: I had the vin jaune version a couple days ago and while it smelled good, it was in no way on par with this. Perhaps the carbonation in this is aiding the nose, but smells better in addition to stronger. Rich vinous grapiness. Tart cherry is just as abundant. Plum and apple round out the fruits. Big lactic tanginess that contributes to the fruits, but also holds it’s own independent of. Caramel and toffee with oak and vanilla from the barrel. This is definitely more fruit forward than the vin jaune and all around better smoother as the aromas complement each other seemlessly. 4.5 T: This has all the good qualities of the vin jaune, without the pesky tannic astringency interferring. Big fruitiness again with apple joining the cherry and grape on the main stage. Plum is also stronger than in the nose. Oak and vanilla. The lactic acid is less tangy that I would have imagined while this is much funkier than expected. Rotting wood, musty basement, and animal musk. Caramel and toffee are light and while this is quite dry, it isn’t bone dry. 3.5 M: Medium body. Good moderate carbonation. This isn’t spritzy or creamy or anything other than just regular carbonation. That’s fine, but not ideal. 4.0 D: Best of the series so far after two rounds. I have four more of these I believe, so I wonder which will come out on top. If the others are as good as this one, it will be a great trip. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 07-20-2012 05:34:27

8/1/12. 375mL bottle from Grassroots. Murky burnt sienna pour with the slightest hint of a soapy tan head, but there’s basically nothing, and what is there is gone fast. Really great aroma that shows nice almost Flanders red aspects - slightly sweet with oak, vinegar, tartness, and definite wine aspects. The flavor is good but not what I was hoping after the aroma. Light cherries, wood, wine, vinegar, and a distinct lingering yeasty bitterness. nice.

Pours clear deep gold into a tulip. No head whatsoever. Tart pit fruit aromas. Thin with yeast and tart pit fruit front to back. Warming hay finish.

Bottle 375ml. @ home.

Clear medium to dark orange red colour with a small, fizzy, virtually none lacing, fully diminishing head. Aroma is moderate malty, caramel, grape, alcohol, moderate to light heavy berry, wood. Flavour is moderate to heavy sweet and light to moderate acidic with a long duration, wood, sweet tobacco, tart, grapes, wine. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft to flat, finish feel is light moderate alcoholic. [20111214]

Thanks to craytonic for opening this bottle up last night. Served in a wine glass. Pours a light rusty-red color with a few bubbles on the initial pour and not much in the way of a head or lacing. The nose carries a really nice Merlot and grape character plus a light oak character and faint acidity. Flavor isn’t quite as complex and integrated, but still fairly nice. Light body with low to medium carbonation and faint acidity. Light earthiness plus a semi-dry finish. Very nice brew.

Bottle shared with others. Pours a hazy earthy ruby with no head whatsoever. Aroma has a slight amount of sour with sweet grains and some dry red wine. Flavor begins thin and has some chemical sours with sweet grains and a bit of backing red wine.

Thank EricE ! Murky brown pour with no head. Oaky wood note intermingle with red wine vinousness, tart cherry dark fruits, and huge dark sugar sweetness. Thick palate with low carbonation.

Thanks to EricE for this one! Very similar to the other barreled BFMs; tart cherry, woody oak, but more vinous notes. My least favorite of the three smaller batch BFMs at this tasting (Rhum, San Giovese the others).

Bottle shared by EricE. Pours clear tawny with a bubbly, off-white head, short retention with light lacing. Aroma is vinous, grapes, red fruits, oak, spices, caramel and toast malt with light alcohol. Flavor is caramel, toast, and cookie malt, vinous and Merlot, oak, alcohol, fruity and a dry finish. Full body, medium warmth and carbonation.