Glazen Toren, Saison d'Erpe Mere

Delicious saison from Glazen Toren in Erpe-Mere (surprisingly enough). Sub £7 about 5/6 months ago, money very well spent. Watched Spectre, it was dull.

Fantôme, Brise-BonBons!

You know that really irritating taste in an IPA when you've got to it too late? The overpowering maltiness barely tempered by a nondescript herbal/vegetal parenthesis, the oily mouthfeel without the accompaniment, then a big bitterness that teases you about how good it was when fresh. This Fantôme basically. Maybe some bitter lemon flavours, some saisonyness, but mostly just the taste of dissappointment. (I've still got a Pissenlit wasting away somewhere to upset me as well.....)

Fantôme, India Red Ale

Since my first time with Fantôme, my experiences havent been so great. My second bottle of the saison seemed a little tired - there was none of that tropical, dry hop business. I put it down to hop fade (it was an older bottle that I'd been aging after all).

I figured their India Red Ale would be a pungent, dry hopped to eff saison. Not really, unfortunately. The fact that I don't have notes for it suggests I was underwhelmed although I do remember three things quite clearly - the first was this bizarre herbal taste that I didn't recognise (funnily enough, in hindsight, the closest thing I can think of that resembled that taste was the Wacky Cabbage that we used to buy from East West). Second was a very bitter finish, but not a particularly pleasant one. Lastly, I remember struggling to finish it. Overall, a bit of a shame really.

Brasserie Fantôme, Saison

A very popular Belgian saison, particularly in the US I understand. It's pretty 'complex' I suppose - there's a small sourness going on (cider vinegar on the nose), ripe orange, sweaty farmhouse (brett?) - the taste is kind of all over the shop. It's kind of cool though - I quite like the jumbly nature of it. It's not heavy going like the Moneuse, even though it's a similar abv and the colours aren't particularly dissimilar. After I'd acclimatised to it, my overriding impressions was that of a dry hopped saison: overripe fruit style hoppage - some pineapple, sweetness (malts?), acidity too. Finsh was bitter, some more hops there too iirc. Warming but not overly boozy. A warm up drink would do well I think. Fantastic saison overall. I have another one.

Brasserie de Balugies, Moneuse

Dark orange pour, yeasty aroma + ripe fruit. Mouthfeel is heavy. High carbonation (obv). Taste is yeast, saison (:/), some fruit, but no funk/sweat/barnyard (unlike the D'Epeautre). Some bitterness in the finish. Hard to drink all if this. A bière de garde rather than a saison? I do like Blaugies though - hope to one day get hold of that one they did with Hill Farmstead.

Brasserie de Blaugies, Saison d'Epeautre

Big fat pop as the cork came off! No gush though. Purchased from Bottledog for a semi-decent £6.50. Sweet + sweaty nose, light body. Taste had some funk, coriander?? Quite sweet and some yeast. Small bitterness in the finish. Dry. Good. Will buy again.

Brasserie Dupont, Avec Les Bon Voeux

Don't drink this often enough unfortunately. Have had a bottle every Christmas since 2013, planning to have another this year to make 3 years on the trot. An easy 4.5/5 this beer, love it. Can't pronounce that last word in the name though.

Brasserie Dupont, Saison Dupont Cuvée Dry Hopping 2014

Shit-the-bed good, this saison. Shading the Elusive/Weird Beard collab on vicosity and mouthfeel, this 2014 cuvée was hopped with wohle challenger hops for big marmalade and dank orange aromas and taste, married with Dupont farmhouse signature yeastiness. 2015 wasn't quite as pungent (Minstrel hops from the UK) but still excellent. This drink is released in April/May and I tend to get hold of one towards the end of the year so I'm not even drinking them at their freshest...