Dageraad Entropy No. 20: Bière de Coupage

Dageraad Entropy No. 20: Bière de Coupage Review

Dageraad Brewing has doubled the size of its barrel aging program in the past couple of years, and this month they bring you not one but three specialty releases. Last week, we reviewed Time’s Arrow Barrel-Aged Saison. Today, it’s the first of two additions to their famed Entropy Series: No. 20, known as Bière de Coupage.

That name represents a Farmhouse beer tradition practised in Belgium and France. The French term coupage means “cutting”, and a Bière de Coupage is a blended beer, generally with older (barrel-aged, typically sour) and younger brews (often a somewhat hoppy Saison). Indeed, Dageraad confirms that their Coupage is “a blend of 20 and 31 month-old barrels, along with freshly dry-hopped saison.” Let’s find out how the Burnaby brewery’s take on this under-represented style turned out.

The first pour from our brewery-provided preview sample bottle was highly active, netting a frothy golden liquid with a slight haze.

On the nose, there was the signature funky aroma of a Dageraad Saison, with a trace of banana and a fairly strong acetic note.

From a light malt base, Coupage presented a fresh, somewhat tart palate experience. Compared to Time’s Arrow, where red wine had noticeably leeched from the wood, the modest oakiness of Coupage was more understated. There’s only a fraction of Arrow’s acetic sensation, but its inherent sourness still does get the juices flowing.

Dageraad’s own tasting notes summarize: “Bière de Coupage has a deep woody body supporting notes of citrus, and herbaceous noble hops. It’s a winding journey of a beer, with rich and complementary flavours that finish with a dose of hoppiness otherwise unattainable in a barrel-aged beer.”

Soft and palatable, this Belgian ale is far from challenging. Any beer drinker who enjoys a refreshing golden beverage will appreciate the cultured manner in which this delicate Saison hides its 7.4% ABV.

Interested to put your hands on this before the limited edition is gone? Order online now → 

NEXT UP

Next, Dageraad releases Entropy series No. 21: Cognac n’ Brett. Stay tuned for our exclusive review! Meanwhile, you can order both new Entropy releases right now at Dageraad’s online store.

LINKS

• https://webstore.dageraadbrewing.com
• https://dageraadbrewing.com/beers/entropy-series

Dageraad Time’s Arrow Barrel-Aged Saison