Beer Advent Calendar Window 18 - Avec Les Bons Voeux

With the best wishes of the Brewery Dupont...

Avec Les Bons Voeux - Brasserie Dupont's festive beer first created in 1970 as a new year present to their best clients. A 9.5% saison tripel of sorts, it's a hugely revered beer; with a design that suggests speciality. The makers of the greatest saison in the world can surely only create brilliance when making something festive.

Christmas is on its way. The number of beers left is frighteningly small. The beer fatigue amongst all these work parties is strong so garnering enthusiasm and love for a beer is becoming more and more difficult. It'll take a monumental drink at this point to make me feel magnanimous. I'm suffering for the love of this calendar but, as a popular snowman once stated...

"Some people are worth melting for"

So, as this beer sung out of my Advent Calendar, I wrote the below notes and present them unedited; choosing not to reassemble the affectionate love-in that provides little in tasting notes, information or indeed credibility. But the words below spewed from my fingers and mind as I sat late in the evening feeling the awe and aura of this beverage.

Brasserie Dupont - Avec Les Bons Voeux - 9.5%

Oh Lord.

I mean my eyes watered. My eyes actually watered. Get your nose stuck into a glass of vinuous tannins, grapes, sweet Turkish delight and marzipan. And it's a dazzling taste. It's that moment you discovered beer. It's the moment you're Uncle handed you a first proper Belgium beer in a bar in Wakefield. It's the night ten years ago exploring the North Bar for the first time. It's the night 9 years ago you tried every European beer from the Grove's beer book. It's the nights you spent in Belgium with someobdy you loved drinking fantastic beer at the steadiest of paces and warmest of atmospheres. It's the afternoon at the beer festival you looked around the room, surrounded by good friends and realised that this world is for you. It's the beer moment beer. It's the reminder of what was before, what is now and what is to come. Yes, it's the Christmas Carol of beers.

Does that tell you what it tastes like? I care not. It's a feeling with every sip. It's the champagne I've always wanted. It is outstanding.

Mince pie pairing rating: N/A - I was so dumbstruck, staring at the glass and bottle in awe, that I forgot to eat the damn mince pie.

Best paired with: Christmas dinner. A huge 750ml bottle of this. No, four bottles to share amongst friends, to toast those that you love and the coming new year.

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