BFM Cuvée du 7ème

Formerly brewed at BFM (Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes)
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Saignelégier, Switzerland

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

From julio’s Liqour in Mass. 2006 bottle. Pours with a slightly cloudy amber-orange body topped by a medium thick, white head with a good amount of lacing. It’s slightly sweet yet sour with a touch of grassiness. The aroma has notes of mustard. Light to medium bodied, smooth and a touch dry.

Thoroughly over carbonated, the beer starts to foam up as soon as I pop the cap, this active bottle is definitely sitting in the sink where it can foam at its leisure. I am able to get maybe two-fingers of beer in my glass with the rest being foam, including a good two-fingers above the rim of my glass. The head is a light tan color and sits on top of a reddish-pink tinged, copper colored brew that is almost brilliantly clear. The aroma is quite interesting, a mix of damp, earthy / musty notes, ripe fruit and malt. Amped up notes of red apple, plums, candied tropical fruit are offset by a mix of malt and funky notes. The malt leans toward toasted grain, crushed malt and biscuit notes while the funky notes provide an overripe fruitiness and a touch of musty funk.

Lightly sweet, but it finishes with a sharp, substantial bitterness as well as a bit of musty funkiness. The beer is quite light bodied, almost surprisingly given the perceived sweetness, though I think a lot of the sweetness is accentuated by the amped up fruit character of this brew. The fruit notes lean towards a mix of strawberries, rip melons, berries, plum and blood oranges. The fruitiness seems a bit over-ripe, which is really where the funkiness comes in to play, but there is a light, musty, damp earthiness here that contributes lightly to the flavor profile. The malt character has all but dissapeared from the flavor, probably reduced by whatever bug has dried this out.

What a strange beer, the mix of hop focus (which has clearly mellowed with age) and weird fruity funkiness (was this even intended) can be a bit confusing at times. I admit though that the two don’t really get in the way of each other. While this may not be the exact vision of the brewer (though maybe it is), it is certainly an interesting, engaging and tasty brew. In the end this is definitely a hop dominated brew, especially since the malt character has been reduced so much by the "wild" bug, but I like the light funky influence.

Sampled 8-1-2007. I have actually had this beer several times prior to now. Somehow I never took the time to review it. I guess I was too busy enjoying it at Spuyten Duyvil to care about reviews. Pours a dark brownish with orange tint and it is completely clouded. Nice crème head. Spices are on the nose as in an airy light orange citrus. Flavor is a thick mix of spices. That is the astounding theme here. Spices and a bit of funk. I feel like just biting into a thick bloody steak as I drink this. Feel has an attacking carbonation that is firm on the tongue. Liquid is pretty well bodied too. I say this is very drinkable, though the mass of spices assaulting the palate will definitely turn some people off. But hey, I like it. Enough to have had it a third time already.

2006 Bottle #276 (Which I guess everyone in the U.S. has?!?):
Super large tan head pops open immediately unop taking the top off. The head stays on the beer nicely and helps accentuate the deep amber coloured body with strong orange highlights. Aroma of yeast, bread, lemons, wheat, coriander seed and a bit of hops. Medium-bodied; Spicey and grassy hops in the taste up front - pretty nice and bittering. Complex finish - very carbonated with a good wheat backbone. Aftertaste shows good complexity, the bittering hops definitely show through without harsh aftertastes. Overall, a good beer (a crazy stretch for a Swiss IPA), but great to try! I sampled this 75 cL bottle purchased from Sam’s Liquor in Chicago, Illinois on 25-January-2008.

Bouteille, verte, de 750 ml obtenue via Importations Privées Bièropholie. Arôme: Odeur de caramel et de petits fruits avec une pointe d’houblons. Apparence: La couleur est ambrée voilée avec une faible densité de bulle. Présence d’un moyen col mousseux et d’une large dentelle sur le verre. Goût: Goût de caramel avec une pointe d’houblons. Longue durée de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement crémeuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Légère présence d’houblon herbacé en arrière goût. (Rating #1433)

2006 bottle, #276. Poured a somewhat murky mahogany with an insane amount of beaten-egg-like head. Overtly malty aroma and some slight sour/lambic notes. Predominate walnut, cherry, toffee and some slight bitter lemon.

2006 750 ml bottle. IPA it’s not at all, but it is good, being a unique amalgam of Belgian blonde and saison tastes, with just a tiny hint of lambic sourness. Enjoyable and a bit lemony. If you like this, you’d also like Flemish Primitive.

Hazy amber-orangeish hue, with a frothy beige head, yeasty, sweet toasty malt nose, with a subtle wet winey oakiness, with some fruity citrusy accents, with an earthy herbal floral hop note, with a hint of mustiness in the aroma follows through on a medium-bodied palate with a yeasty, fruity peachy, winey character, with some caramelized malts, with a juicy flowery hop note, remembering me of the bitterness of cooked rapinis as my mother used to do, with a hint of coriander spiciness, leading towards a malty, fruity, lingering hop bittering finish.