Etienne Dupont Cidre Bouché Brut de Normandie

Brewed by Domaine Familial Louis Dupont
Style: Cider
Victot-Pontfol, France

Aroma:smell like a geuze,sour and acid aroma... Appearance:Hazy gold,good withe head... Flavor:apple and sugar.The sugar lloks like a 7up....

2002 vintage. Murky gold body is moderately sparkling, yet doesn’t produce too big a white head. Appealing farmyard aroma, highly hay reminiscent, oldish and musty, yet bright and fresh apple undertones. Is this yeasty or what? Cheesy, earthy suggestions add a bit of complexity. Gentle yet active carbonation renders a palate cleansing mouthfeel. The apples come out more than in the nose, sweeter than I expected, citrusy almost and unfortunately hinting at 7-up a bit more than I’d hope. Excellent refreshing acid touch bring forth the juicy aspects. Impressive, I’d dig similar ciders a lot, I need to kick Normandy up my must-go list now.

Bottle - corked and caged. Vintage 2003. Clouded gold with a effervescent white head. As soon as it erupts, it fizzles out. Nose could easily be mistaken for a gueuze, at least by me. Sour apple, tart fruits, barnyard, horse blanket, and damp basement. Lovely! I’m not sure it’s supposed to be this way, but it evokes relaxing in the French countryside at a farmhouse after a long day of work and enjoying some quality cider. Not sure if that makes sense or if it is just rambling... At any rate, the flavors bring forth a more pronounced apple, less barnyard and horseblanket while bringing some apple jam, straw, light grains and light leather to the table. Body is very bubbly and effervescent. Lots of carbonation to this. You’ll be belching for hours. Finish brings it back around to the start with more gueueze-like characteristics coming back out. Light apple, some sugary notes, barnyard, tart fruits, horseblanket, wet wood, and light leather. NICE!!! If all French cidres are like this, I can’t wait to try another.

2002 bottle. Fruit sweet aroma with a thin white head around the rim. Refreshing sour and sweet combination with a wood backing. I would love to get an older bottle and see the change.

At Schroppfy post party morning after breakfast, 1999 and 2000 sampled: The 1999 is more funky fruit lambic in nature and the apple seem to more dominate in the taste. More wood and sublime floral as well than was the 2000. It was outstanding...The 2000 was more lively and crisp on the palate and more grassy than floral. It was still quite good and refreshing but not as complex on the nose or palate as the breathtaking 1999 which are the number reflected in my rating. Thanks for this rare opportunity to sample two classic ciders next to each other and in the company of great ratebeerians.

1999 and 2000 bottles sampled side by side in 2005. Very nice ciders, age has not hurt these at all, perhaps even improving them. Appearance is golden yellow. Soda pop like white head. Aroma of the ’99 is very lambic like. Plenty of musty and horsey aromas. The 2000 still had quite a bit of apple aroma left. Both were very dry with the ’99 just being a touch more. Still carbonated well after 5-6 years. Very nicely done, now time to find some more and age it. Thanks Schroppfy for the 1999 vintage!!!

750ml bottle, 2003 vinatge: Opaque light orange/amber color with a medium off-white head. Aroma is musty sour apples, stale grass, tart & dry apple skin, a hint of wet oak, and barnyard. Smells similar to a lambic but not quite as sour. Medium bodied, spritzy carbonation, fine bubbles. Taste is initially tart and sour with notes of sour apple and wood, then opens up to sweet, ripe apple juice, grass, oak, mild lemon, mild spice feel on the tongue (black pepper, cloves) but without the flavors, yeast, nutmeg, staying somewhat acidic. Finishes with notes of sweet apple, yeast, and is somewhat dry yet sticky (similar mouthfeel to eating a fresh apple).

bottled, very little head, fruity aroma. flavorful and easy drinking, good after b-ball.