BFM Cuvée du 7ème

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

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

750. 2006. Beer is hazy medium brown with a huge, frothy, off-white, diminishing, mostly lasting head.<P> The aroma is really pleasing. Malty with moderate notes of toasted grain, creme brulee, shortbread cookie; Hoppy with moderate notes of herb, lemon zest; Yeasty with moderate note of basement; Moderate-to-heavy notes of brown sugar, warm alcohol. Light notes of tropical fruit, spicy pear. Less-than-trace note of rubber.<P> The flavor is heavily bitter, moderately sweet with a long, slightly warm, moderately bittersweet finish. Top-soil & anise in the retros.<P>The body is medium, the texture is watery and the carbonation is lively.

Poured a brown red/burgundy with a tremendous off-white head, sweet, cider-sour and funky (yeast) fragrances, found some cinnamon in the nose, citrus and malt fragrances, malt taste with some spices, faint sour on the tongue, hints of wood and wine in the mouth, lots of carbonation on the palate makes this a light drink, dry finish, nice brew.

Clear, amber body with a moderate, tightly-packed tan head. The aroma is an awesome blend of caramelized, grainy malt and dense, layered hop character. Sweet maple, caramel, tea leaves, whole grains, earthy, leafy hops, some mild raisin, sweet apples and a spicy (vanilla, cinnamon), slightly estery yeast hint. The body is full and robust with soft carbonation; it’s quite pleasurable and velvety on the tongue. The flavor starts malty and slightly sweet, until some tea-like leaves add a little bitterness. As it progresses toward the end, it becomes more and more bitter. The various hops seem to have been added with some emphasis and not just as a gimmick. The bitterness is a little shocking, but actually quite enjoyable. It’s a little expensive to do as a regular beer, but I feel like I could drink a lot of this. Quite the pleasant find.

Hazy dark golden orange colour displays a fat, foamy and regular shaped off-white head. Gently yeasty nose expressive on the herbal, green, woody and sprucey hops. Floral and spicy. I don’t know if they used spices or their yeast strain is just that good, but for a yeast-lover, it joins the realms of the greats, bottle-conditioned IPAs with complex aromas that go beyond hops (hitachino classic, alpine exponential and company). This one mostly focuses on aromatics, the bitterness being restrained, though it’s strikingly dry. Citrus and pine resin grow in importance toward the finish. Fair maltiness supports it all, sweetish and caramelly. Unnoticeable alcohol.

The pour reveals a murky dark amber color with a creamy offwhite head. The aroma is great with its spices and welll balanced hops, malt and yeast, very appealing. The flavor is amazing, it feels like a superb fruity cake with malt, hops and yeast, all the elements are well balanced. The body has a light to medium thickness with a creamy texture and moderate carbonation. Amazing.

very interesting beer, citrusy sour complex and pleasant - had it at Redcoat with mussels and calamari, would highly recommend with seafood

Bottle courtesy of Knightly Spirits. I had to pour this quickly: upon opening, instant foam erupted from the bottle and did not cease flowing. Once I frantically filled my glass, I noticed a gorgeous muddy orange color over a large tan-ish head. Aroma is decadent; noticeable traces of caramel, hops, dark fruits, and oak on the nose. This is an IPA? Tastes more like a Rousse de Garde, like it says on the bottle. Heavy caramel and flame-fired wood, definite noticeable hop presence, but not enough for me to consider this an IPA. Slight astringent alcohol bite in the finish. High carbonation, full body. Very nice. I will probably purchase another bottle in the future for aging.

(bottle thanks Joebrew!) Pours dark amber with a towering beige head that completely fills my excessively large novelty snifter. The smell is really just enjoyable, with some scents of dust, light funk, stale hops, lightly floral, rosehips, and a faint touch of barnyard as well. The taste is great too, with flavors of caramel, vanilla, lightly floral, with some spices I can’t identify. The finish possesses a bit of yeastiness and a faint bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium and carbonation is lively. Don’t know why this is listed as an IPA, as it says it’s a Biere de Garde on the label, and it certainly tastes as such. Either way, this is a really enjoyable beer, and one I hope to try again. Thanks again Joe!