What to say about one of the worlds classic ales?
Saison Dupont is a beautiful straw colour, with a think white head. The aroma is a lively mix of orange citrus, grassy hops, typical Belgian yeast phenolics of banana and clove, and a bread malt base. All with a touch of wild mustiness in the background. The yeast is the hero of the beer, with the Brasserie Dupont yeast being cultivated for decades, and the desire of many other breweries.
The taste is immediately light and defined. Sweet malty grains, with a little soft ripe citrus like grapefruit and lemon. This gives way to the grassy, floral hop bitterness and gentle clove spice. The high attenuation results in a bone dry finish. At 6.5% the beer is substantial, but is such an easy drinking beer to be very sessionable.
The brewery suggest serving the beer at 12 degrees, to get the most out of all aspects. They know what they are doing, so take their advice!
A short history of the style: Saison is a translation of the French word for 'seasons'. Historically, the beer originated in the Wallonian region of Belgium. Farms used excess grains to produce beers in the slow winter/spring period, for consumption by the farm works in the summer/autumn period. To ensure the beer lasted, higher levels of hops were used leading to the high level of bitterness typical for the style. It was a declining style, but Saison Dupont can claim to have aided in the resurgence of the style.
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