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pick of the week

The iconic Belgian brewery Brasserie Dupont is best known for a farmhouse-style saison ale that some critics have called the finest beer in the world. That flagship is just one reason to admire Dupont, which relies on closely guarded yeast strains, among other things, to craft mesmerizingly complex and balanced brews. Avec Les Bons Voeux is another. Created in 1970 as a special new year's gift for key clients (the name translates as "with best wishes"), it was eventually commercialized, though it is still produced in sadly limited quantities. A blond ale boasting a hefty 9.5-per-cent alcohol, it pours with a hazy tint and is almost buttery-smooth in texture. There's mellow fruitiness and yeasty bread flavour at its core, with lively clove and licorice notes folded in, set against a solidly bitter backbone. This is beer that tastes like a perfect meal. Savour it slowly. Available in Ontario at the above price, various prices in Alberta.

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