BFM La Dragonne

Brewed by BFM (Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes)
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Saignelégier, Switzerland

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Tumbler

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spices; cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, dark caramel malts, zero carbonation. a bit too forward with the spice use, and far too sweet even for the type of beer this is supposed to be.

My bottles said 9.276% which I always find silly to go three decimal places, but whatever. The beer itself is very strange had hot and glad I shared it with other beer aficionados as this would have been difficult alone. Tons of spice and a thick body, mostly from a woody anise flavor. Some small hints of the cardamom were noticeable but this was just not that good.

12/30/12. 750mL bottle served warm at 115 degrees (thanks, brewing thermometer!) and cooked up as per the instructions. I enjoyed mine out of a Trappist chalice rinsed in hot water to help prevent breakage and cracks during this cool weather and my wife enjoyed hers from a mug.

Very dark brown pour with hints of red and obviously no head given there is no carbonation. Huge spice aroma on this in addition to a definite touch of alcohol... lots of clove, anise, and various savory spices as well. Very spiced flavor as well, the same as described in the aroma, but maybe even more - so much so that it almost coats and dries my mouth out. Underneath there is a hint of dark fruits and chocolate, but almost no sweetness except a hint of sugar that is lost among spices and alcohol. There is almost a woody menthol anise sensation. No carbonation and when warmed the body is quite thin, which I suppose is because it’s warm, but I was expecting it to be more viscous given the darkness and ABV.

Very interesting, but I can’t say I’ll make it a tradition.

9th January 2011
Oily looking opaque black beer. No head. This beer is all about the spice. Cloves and cinnamon dominate. Some fig and prune underneath. Fairly neutral palate. Goes down easier when served hot but doesn’t taste any different from it being cold.

Cold pour. Pours dark red min head. Smell cinnamon and gingerbread! Taste thick, gingerbread, bitter but not a good beer bitter. Very boozy. Literally liquid gingerbread with a side of cherry cough syrup. Hot pour. Dark red/black with min head, large bubbles, chocolatey head. Smells like a stocking, gingerbread, candy cane, fruit and spice. Taste strong. strong licorice. That’s really all I can get is liquid black licorice. Somewhat drinkable. Don’t get it. Not worth it, but the smell and experience might be worth it to some. Horrible beer though.cough drop,

750ml bottle. Served warm. It is something that would be good after a day on a mountain, but in the situation I was in it was a bit much. Super gingrbready with an underlying of kraueter liquor.

750mL thanks to Travlr. What a strange, but memorable experience. Meant to be drunk warm, we put this in coffee mugs and put them in the microwave for 30 seconds (yes, I did microwave a beer). The bottle gives you better instructions to warm the beer, but involves an elaborate kitchen setup we did not have at the time.

Room Temp: Nose is mild red wine barrel funk, mulled red wine, honey mint. Taste is very sugary, cloyingly sweet, thick honey palate. Abrasively sweet. Ick. Pour is flat...looks like coffee in the mug.

Heated: Nose is much more aromatic with big mulled wine character, cinnamon stick, German spiced wine (Glühwein), candied orange peel. Taste brings out a lot of orange peel, spicy tamarind, mild soy, plums/raisin dark fruits. Actually enjoyed this as I sat with it for 20 minutes or so. It grows on you I think. Really fun to experience regardless.

If i really loved drinking warm Jaegermeister, I would have loved this beer. Unfortunately, not too many people do, and I certainly don’t. Way too much anise/licorice overtone that may be accentuated by a lot of alcohol, it’s hard to differentiate the two. It’s a great one time taster, but I couldnt recommend more than an ounce at a time.

Appearance: murky browns with no head. Looks flat and swirls with no head – nothing.
Nose: ginger, cinnamon, and raisins. Gingerbread cookies. Singular but good. Winter spiced. Tickle of heat in the back. Dried brownie crust. Hot burnt gingerbread cookies in the back.
Palate: sweet and silky mouthfeel. Brown sugars, ginger, cinnamon. Melted apples with brown sugar. Stewed spiced peaches and apples.
Final Thoughts: the brewery recommends that one savors La Dragonne warmed like a grog and after having savored the whole package at cellar temperature, I must agree. I’m always on the lookout for a good glogg and now that I’ve found one, I need another bottle.

Bottle 750ml. @ PBF 2011

[ Fridge / Room temperatured ]. Clear dark brown colour with virtually none head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, heavy spicy, cinnamon, cardamom. Flavour is heavy sweet and bitter with a long duration, spicy spicy, sweet malt, sweet chocolate. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is flat. [20110702]
4-2-4-3-8

Bottle 750ml. @ PBF 2011

[ Heated aprox 75C temperatur ]. Clear dark brown colour with virtually none head. Aroma is moderate malty, roasted, caramel, spicy, cinnamon, cardamom. Flavour is moderate sweet and light to moderate bitter with a average duration, dark malt, caramel, chocolate, spicy notes. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is flat. [20110702]
6-2-6-3-13