2017 Styrian Eureka version. Purchased for $11.99, in a random store in Ohio along with a few other bottles of really old beer. Took a chance, and at that price I am prepared to lose the $12. Yes, I am fully aware of the age of this beer, and its intended purpose, and I completely understand what I am potentially getting into here. Relax, these are just notes for myself about an old beer that might not be any good. Corked and caged, 750 mL bottle. Great pop on opening, such a good sign. The...
Notes on beers in the style
Saison / Farmhouse Ale
Saison DUPONT Cuvée
Fantôme Blondinette
de Printemps
lot 04 02 23 Best Before end of 2027. Lightly hazed, orange creamsicle body with a high, rocky and broken head. Head retention above average, lacing the same. Thin film settles on the surface of the beer. Acidic, grainy, musty apples on the nose with some herbal notes. Typical Fantôme with a ton of grassy, medicinal bitterness and light funk. A ton of hoppy bitterness that is quite green, but the beer still showcases many citrus-based herbs. There's no doubt that the beer remains bitter, but...
Fantôme 5 Monkeys
Somewhere
Opening the capped and corked bottle (the usual Fantôme presentation) fails to produce much pop or gun smoke which is a slight worry. However, a decently aggressive pour leads to a nice, 1 inch rocky white head, with some decent retention and lace. It settles to a thin film across the surface. Lightly hazed orange body. Nose has some clean grains, and some generic citrus. Controlled and steady. General bitterness throughout the beer, but again it's restrained. Some Fantôme beers exhibit a lot...
Fantôme
d’Automne 2022
Best Before End of 2025 Lot 18 Nr 22 ABV is not noted on the bottle. BA has the 2019 bottles at 7.0%, Rate Beer has 8.0%. Very pretty golden body. Head average, retention not incredible (some spotty lace and some spotty film on the surface of the beer. The second pour with the yeast sediment brings the murky orange body. Nose is surprisingly fruity. I mean really fruity. Almost some estery-like pineapple. Wasn't expecting that! First tastes seem very bitter but with time and warmth that evens...
Fantôme
Lea’s Journey
750 mL bottle, corked and caged in the usual Fantôme fashion. Purchased on a recent trip to Portland, ME. Quite a gusher, but I didn't lose too much. With the carbonation comes a good looking, high head. It's wispy, but persistent. Doesn't leave a lot of lace. Mid-amber body with good clarity, and with strong light there is a bright orange color about the beer. Nose doesn't offer much more that some light bread at first. On warming, a touch more sweetness. Tastes are some bready malts and then...
St. Feuillien
SEVEN
Described as an Unfiltered Amber Beer this is really a fruity saison. The pour is far more golden in color than 'amber' might suggest. A nice head, retention average. The beer is lively and well-carbonated. Tastes offer a lovely malt balance with plenty of sweetness and some very light toffee and caramel notes. It finishes quite sweet as well. The beer is surprisingly fruity, and the sweetness and light bitter balance make the whole package very satisfying. The fruit is a generic estery note...
Fantôme
in Flowers
lot c10 oct 18 best before end 2022. Bottle purchased and consumed at Ebenezer's in Lovell, ME. First visit for me to this much lauded beer Mecca. Possibly the least Fantôme-like beer I have ever tasted. To keep it simple, there is a distinct lack of typical Fantôme yeast here, very little funk, and the trademark botanicals are really flowery, light and easy, and not as herbal as one usually encounters. Bitterness is also missing. Is it the name, or the label that creates an illusion, or is...
No Salvation
Brett Saison
375mL corked and caged bottle. $10.99 Tavour. Cork jammed in hard. Despite the cork, lack of pop on opening, but still carbonated OK. Golden, slightly clouded pour with a nice head that gives good retention and some decent lace. Looks good. Advertised as a 'Brett Saison', the nose gives up a little funk, but it's not large. That's OK because one would expect more of that element in the tastes but it too is somewhat muted. It's quite delicate in fact, which for me is a plus. Some drying...
Waypost Bière
De Coupage 2023
2023 Vintage, 1 pint, 1 fl.oz. A very weird color with is a sort of pink gold, light rose body with a fizzy head that dissipates quickly. Thin rim of lace around the edge of the surface of the beer. Almost no lace, almost no retention. There are some funky notes on the nose without it being very strong. Quite thin and light acidity on the initial tastes. The beer is relatively dry with some white wine notes, but it seriously lacks much presence. This was the overall memory this beer, a bit...
Fantôme Rare
BarleyDark Project
The usual presentation, 750mL corked and capped. Chestnut brown pour - conker like. Thick, ice-cream, cream colored head. Well retained, some decent lace. Head nice, color less so. Nose has mainly a slightly cheesy, funky acidity. Nice horse-blanket notes. Tastes offer a little of the nose, plus some fruit that seems overripe and dark. Medium bitterness, some herbal medicinal notes in the finish. As it warms we get some more fruit elements that are hard to nail down, but a little, woody cherry...
Fantôme
Esprit Valdotèn
Pour is a butterscotch colored body with a nice, substantial white head. Decent retention and lace. Nose has a lot of banana and pineapple for me. Quite surprising. very topical that I was not expecting. Lively beer, good carbonation. Solid bitterness throughout the beer. The back-end is surprisingly fruity, that I first thought was a hop bitterness, then some kind of grapefruit note, and then finally a cross between some kind of tropical fruit and some pithy citrus. There is a distinct lack...
Logsdon Two Rivers
Violette
Much the same as its sister beer, Two Rivers Noir in many respects. After cracking the cap there is an intriguing foam that protrudes out of the top of the bottle, as if it is fermenting - it is bottle-conditioned. Poured head is that of a soda. Fizzy but disappeared entirely almost entirely. Slightly cloudy, rose or purple colored body. Label tells us this is 75% Malbec grape Saison and 25% Brettanomyces Table Saison. Nose offers generic fruit. Mouthfeel is lively and quite fizzy. Lots of...
La Moneuse
Triple X 30 Ans
750 mL corked and caged from Etre Gourmet. Red cap on the cage has dot-matrixed "U2 02:22 TRIPLE X". Presumably brewed for the 30th anniversary which seems to have been in 2019, so this is a four to five year old beer. Pop on opening is impressive, good gun smoke too. Pour is a hazed, honey-orange color body with a high white, tightly formed head. Fine sized bubbles, retention and lace good considering the ABV. Nose is quite estery, yeasty and fruity and doesn't give up the alcohol that I was...
Fantôme
Garden Ghost
33 cL bottle. 2d batch. Etre Gourmet. Thickish looking, hazed orange body with a magnificent, ice-cream-like head. Body color is not particularly attractive (has a NEIPA look about it which I absolutely HATE). Head is resplendent. Retention and lace are great, not surprising given the colossal initial head. The first aromas that drift across on opening (and even before the beer is poured) are a tangerine, orange whiff. On closer inspection this turns out to have a lot of mango qualities. Quite...
Logsdon
Pruim ‘n Brett
Bottled 11.29.21. The usual Logsdon presentation. My second time having this beer. Light pop on opening, carbonated as expected. There's a light, pinkish hue to the mostly orange, hazed body. Head is appropriately wispy, leaves a better than expected thin film. No lace. Nose has some light cheesiness and a touch of funk. Tastes are not tart per se, but also lack sweetness. Nice and dry, a little champagne like on the tongue and the palate. Highly drinkable, helped by the creamy (not prickly)...
Fantôme
Santé-25!
750 mL, corked and capped, the usual presentation. Brewed 19-20 August 2022. Modest pop on removing the cork. Pour gives a lovely tangerine, marmalade color with some light haze and a nice, rocky, white head. Head is only moderately retained, and leaves little lace. Nose has some tangerine, orange based bitterness that is not particularly perceptible, but just about is. Tastes are mostly citrus bitterness initially, and they largely stay that way even as the beer warms. It's not really a hoppy...
Logsdon
Peche ‘n Brett
Batch no: 2021, Bottled on 2/23/22. Pale, clouded yellow body with a modest head. Head is light and bubbly. Light film is left, a very, very light touch of lace, hardly anything left on the glass. Great mouthfeel. Feels both lively and light. Light, fruity acidity on the nose, not necessarily discernible as peach for me. Nice, but somewhat generic. There's a lovely, gentle balance about this beer. Sour and sweet complement rather than compete. Gently vying with one another for the spotlight....
Fantôme
De Tous Les D’iâpes
Best Before End 2020. Healthy pop on opening, with an initially high, white, wispy head that dissipates quite quickly. Not a lot of lace, but a thin film left on the surface of the beer. Deep orange colored body. Nose is all marmalade with some grapefruit that then gives way to a lot of floral character. Tastes follow the nose with signature, Cinzano Bianco herbal notes. Quite bubbly and lively in the mouth that build to give a slightly carbonated taste amongst the herbal elements. Marmalade,...
House Saison
(for Fred Eckhardt)
When people make grandiose statements about beer I usually take it all with a pinch of salt. In most of those cases I know a lot more about beer than they do, and I have significantly more experience. There are of course plenty of people whose opinions I do value, and they are the ones who do have the experience and the know-how. So when Bob Sylvester (Saint Somewhere) said to me that Zebulon is perhaps his favorite American brewery, then my radar goes up. Why? Because I'm smart. To quote Bob,...
Fantôme Straight West
Coast Ghostin’
Light, golden hazed pour with a white head that when forced out of the bottle, is good. Decent retention, some lace. There's a lot of raw cereal malt in the nose. Tastes are really clean with a strong lime undercurrent. Really light with some underlying funk but it's not strong. It's slightly light for a Fantôme beer in all respects. Mouthfeel is thinnish, and the beer exudes a serious cereal note with that persistent lime background. Definitely citrusy, zesty and sharp, but this is not a...
Saison van
de Bruwer
Lovely lemon colored, clouded pour with a dense head. Excellent retention and some lace. Looks classically well-made. Nose offers a dry funky note, as expected, simple and requisite with the style. That has the potential to sound trivial, but as we know, ids far from guaranteed. The initial tastes are surpringsly bitter. There's a nice does of floral hops too. I was expecting the bitterness to back off a bit as the funky notes cut in, but if I'm honest they didn't. The funk element lingers,...
Bruxellensis
Local Brett Beer
33cl bottle, imported from Belgium. Orange, hazed pour with a modest head. Nice retention but not a great deal of lace. Nose is immediately apparent with a serious dose of funk right off the bat. A touch of white pepper up front, but it's mainly a a funky cheese note. Big cheesy funk in the tastes too, but the beer is surprisingly light to drink. Very light on its feet in fact. The funk brings some lovely residual bitterness that turns into hoppy burps, and a dry, satisfying bitter aftertaste....
Fantôme
Sante 24!
Label has (what I assume is) the original brewing date of Friday and Saturday 14-15 August 2020 changed to 13-14 August 21, and the 24 asterisked. My guess would be because of COVID changes to the production occurred. Having had a bad experience with Sante 23! I'm a little wary. Of course, these beers are so individual, that perhaps there's no point in even thinking about that, but I guess it's just natural to wonder. Opens with an encouraging pop, and the pour really is something special. A...
Jester
Zinne
Brewed May 18th 2016. Barrel-aged Saison, bottle-conditioned. Bottled on 7th, August 2017, Best Before 7th August 2019. Well, it is what it is. Brewed in 2016, this is likely a minimum of three, maybe more, years past its best. That didn't stop me buying it late in 2022 when I saw the last bottle, hanging out, lonely on a shelf. Happy to take a punt on a beer brewed by these two guys, full in the knowledge that this likely won't be good/great/drinkable. Pour is quite acceptable in terms of...
The Bruery
Saison D’Hiver
2022 Vintage. 750 mL, Tavour purchase, the usual Bruery presentation. The Bruery's marketing re: labels and 750 mLs still pulls me in - at least I recognize that fact! Hazy, appropriately enough, orange body with a short-lived, initially decent but soon fading head. Nose has a TON of orange juice. I mean it actually smells like artificial orange juice. Because of that, it's a mild surprise when the beer isn't quite as sweet as the nose might suggest. It still replicates the orange nose, and...
Fantôme Refreshing
Summer Spiritus Project
Well, here we are, back to utter insanity with this Fantôme offering. A darkish, lime green pour with a decent head, some thin film lingering, and an acceptable, if not incredibly well-retained head. The green color doesn't bother me (it's Dany), and the beer looks pretty solid out of the bottle. Nose has some lemon, and then a healthy dose of green herbs, that may or may not be recognizable as single entities. In the tastes there are some menthol notes, a bit of mint and eucalyptus, some...
Fantôme
Fantôsma Patagonia
At the very best of times Fantôme beers can be tricky to pin down, to categorize, and to understand. That's their beauty and indeed their point in many ways. Then from time to time you get one that defies even that 'logic'. This is one of those. Golden body with a nice, relatively finely bubbled white head. Some lace, and a thin film across the surface of the beer. Looks strong. The nose offers some light, lemonade shandy notes, with a very slight hint of something else in the back end. That...
Silly
Saison
330 mL bottle. Chestnut brown color with lovely, red highlights on the pour. Nose is malty as one might expect from a Brasserie de Silly beer, but not at all consistent with a (contemporary) beer that has "saison" on the label. Tastes are very malty as one would expect for the brewery, but for a saison? I don't know what the history of saisons is (at least not in all of its glory), but this beer is clearly not in-line with anything contemporary within the style. Plenty of toffee and caramel,...
Fantôme
d’OR
lot 08 07 22 best before à consommer avant fin 2026 14° Plato. Mid-range orange pour after an encouraging pop on removing the cork. Beautiful, beautiful pitted head, Stunning retention and lace on the second and the third pour. Oh my gosh. Initial impressions are that of a great mellow bitterness, smooth and easy drinking, some light spice and oddly reminiscent of a Rochefort 6. Eventually the spicy notes and bitter bite do build, but it takes a while and prior to that the beer feels very...
Fantôme Desert Ghost Sonoran Saison
Capped and corked, the usual Fantôme 750 mL presentation. Clouded, deep orange body with a fizzy initial head that disapates immediately to leave no film and no lace. Light carbonation remains in the mouth. Not great looking, but no panic, it’s Dany! Nose offers not much more than a sweet, light citrus tone; little else. No bad, just not complex. Tastes start with a herbal note up front that fades pretty quickly. This is then replaced by the citrus elements. There’s a floral note about the...
Elder Brett
22oz bomber (a relative rarity these days shamefully), $11.00 from Brew Ridge Beer Hub Waynesville, NC. Label somewhat confusingly adds the moniker Season-Brett Golden Ale. Release #2 (or maybe 3), the text is smudged, and that seems confusing in terms of dates as well. Anyway, maybe DEN#3275 has some meaning. Pour is a straw golden body with a fizzy head that dissipates to nothing immediately. Nose and tastes follow a single, sour, tart formula, with clean green apple edges and not much else....
Saison
Pale gold colored body, close to complete clarity (tiny amount of haze), with a moderate head; little to no lace. Nose has clean Belgian yeasts and not much else. It's good, but fairly simple. The beer opens with a decent splash of bitterness, followed by more of those yeasts that were apparent in the nose. There's not much funk here, and the description that sits on the can of a peppery-dry finish is a perfect one. The bitterness that opens in the beer and finishes in exactly the way...
Thiriez EXTRA (dry-hopped French farmhouse ale)
750 mL bottle purchased at Knightly Spirits in Orlando, FL, USA. Capped. This beer was distributed in Atlanta for years and years during the mid 00s, and I am pretty sure that I've had it before, but apparently never took any notes so here we are. This is likely an older bottle, but there is no way to tell. As such I was concerned because this is a low ABV beer as well, so the expectations were low. Opens with an encouraging pop. Good. Pour is dull, light brown/straw/gold, not particularly...
Saison de Pipaix
Wow, an old, old friend. Very surprised I had not reviewed this, but also I haven’t seen it for years and years. Probably haven't drunk it since the mid-00s back in Atlanta when and where it was pretty widely available. 750 mL, capped from Belgian-Style Ales online. Lively pour, slight gusher. Mid-orange color with a very generous head. Lacing excellent. Nose has a high level of farmhouse funk. Some of this is reflected in those first tastes, but at the outset there is a fairly distinguishable...
Waypost Bière
De Coupage 2022
1 pint bottle directly from the Brewery last month. 2022 Vintage. Orange golden pour. Almost a pinkish hue at the edges. Head is average, drops off quickly and little lace. Nose has plenty of farmyard horse manure, not funk as such, but some oak barrel notes. Quite dry with the barrel-aged part of the blend definitely coming through most strongly. The younger beer doesn't bring a lot in terms of life, and the beer takes on plenty of apple, and other cider-like notes. Carbnation is low, but the...
Saison Du Bois
1 pint bottle from the brewery last month. Pale golden color with a simple, white head. Nice lace. Lovely, wine-based nose.The nose also has a surprising level of sweet, bready malts. This is carried through to the tastes which initially feel very sweet indeed. This backs off pretty quickly to reveal a vinous, oaky note (as expected). Light and quick in the mouth, with some fruit elements. Quite floral. There's almost an artificial ester note too, which sounds like it might not be good, but at...
Fantôme Cocoa Ambreé
Fantôme & Fermentery Form adorns the label. Capped and corked, the usual Fantome presentation. Lively pour with a light, high, fine-bubbled head that is good effervescence but that fades pretty quickly. Body is a lightish brown, dark butterscotch heading toward orange affair. Cloudy. The body of the beer is not particularly attractive TBH. Nose is mainly a relatively non-descript, yeasty bread note with a touch of something fruity. Light tartness (very light), with similar almost...
Saison tremist
750 mL, corked and caged, a recent purchase from Belgian-Style Ales. A new beer to me. Looks like it has had some distribution in the US for about 3 or 4 years at least. Excellent pop on opening, good head, decent film retention, and some nice lace. Lemon colored, clouded body, all is in order. Yeasty acidity in the nose, and off the top in the tastes. Smooths out evenly with a little citrus funkiness. Mild funk, but all in order. Pretty dry from start to finish. A touch of candied fruits...
Fantôme Dark Spiritus Winter Project
I’m pretty experienced with Fantôme, so I know what to expect (i.e., the unexpected), but lately I’ve had a couple of less than stellar experiences. This beer gets me back to more familiar territory of the brilliant madness. Pour is a slightly reddish, brown pour, with a creamy, light tan colored head. Nose offers a lovely, deep bready, yeasty note, with a little herbal element. Mouthfeel is lively. Nice. The tastes are a mid-sweet, very lightly herbal bitterness with a paradoxically dry...
Saison du Rosier
375 mL bottle, corked & caged. Tavour purchase. Lemon colored, lightly hazed body with a decent white head. The fades quickly, and is fizzy rather than anything else. Nose offers plenty of acidity, and not much else. Yeah, this isn’t really a saison. It’s way too sour to fit snuggly into that category, and it isn’t even that tart. However, it IS the acidic and the tart that overrides any type of funk. When I say ‘override the funk’, I mean there is none. Anyway, some light citrus fruit, a...
Fantôme Rock The Farmhouse
750 mL, corked and capped, the usual Fantôme presentation. Big gusher, with a ton of very light, wispy foam cascading from the bottle. Needs a very quick inversion toward a glass to save the good stuff. Mmm … pour is frankly, ugly. It has a butterscotch haze and resembles the thing I most hate in my (beer) life right now, a NEIPA. Ugly, ugly, ugly appearance, that looks like a glass of orange juice. I can’t tell you how much I hate the appearance of this. Looks like the wort, or perhaps more...
Fantôme Sante 23!
750 mL, capped and corked bottle. Pour offers a frankly unattractive, murky, reddish-brown body with little to no head. Some acidic fruit on the nose, and a bit of malty bread. The first couple of gulps are full of ethanoic acid and it burns a little. As the beer warms and the palate adjusts, there is a slight backing off of that initial assault, but to be honest it does linger down the whole glass. The finish is dry, but the acidity hangs around, and in the end this basically drinks like a...
Fantôme Red Spiritus Automn’ Project
750 mL, corked and caged. There’s very little information about this beer, I’ll have to ask Dany. Lot 03 b 21 best before a consommé avant fin 2025 A pinkish head that is huge sits a top a reddish-brown body after a tremendous pop on opening. This looks special. There’s some mild fruit in the nose, but not much. As it warms, that increases. This is lovely. It drinks like a fruit beer, with lots of strawberry notes, and almost no sweetness up front. It’s balanced, has a light herbal note, and...
Abbaye des Rocs’s Saison
33cl bottle, yellow cap. Lovely mid-golden pour with a half-inch head. Average retention, some nice lace. Nose offers simple grains, a touch of hops. Plenty of fruit in those initial tastes with a lot of citrus. However, it’s not sharp or tart, but has a lemon sweetness about it. Dry start, and the beer is highly drinkable at 5.4%. The dry element continues and builds, and it’s then that the hops truly kick in. Ultimately, a decent hop note, and one that I wasn’t expecting. Some yeasty tastes,...
Saison du Meyboom
33 cl bottle, imported from Belgium. 2021 Vintage. Dare I say it? It looks a little like a NEIPA. Hazed, light orange body with a fluffy, large head that creates decent lace and retention. Nose offers some light hops, and a grassy freshness that feels lightly rustic. Very slight soapy bitterness, and a little light citrus, but not much. Finish is pleasingly, lightly bitter. It’s very soft, light, and airy. The beer opens up on warming with further orange experiences, including a touch of zest...
Fantôme Silos and Summits
750 mL capped and corked green bottle. Pour is a clouded orange, with a medium head that fades quickly. No lace. Nose offers a kind of diluted orange notes, and little more. This is odd, and not great. Some orange notes up front, with a bitter, drying, finish. The spices seem bitter, and obviously the hops are old. I believe that this was brewed in 2019, and it’s showing every inch of its age. Touches of oxidation, plenty of cardboard, and not much else. I hate the fact that I’ve come to this...
Blaugies Saison D’Epeautre
750 mL, corked and caged green bottle. Pops with pleasing vigor. Hazed, light butterscotch body. Huge head, but lacing and retention only slightly above average when considering the initial foam; likely because the foam was so wispy and light. Nose offers light bread, not a great deal else. Any funk and spice comes in upfront, and to be honest there is not a lot of it. The beer backs away pretty quickly, and becomes an easy drinking, smooth, sweetish, light fruit experience. Oddly, in contrast...
Blaugies la Vermontoise
375 mL, corked and caged green bottle. Imported form Belgium. Light golden, hazed lemon colored body with a very nice, aggressive fizz on the pour. Not surprising, as it opened with a delightful, fierce pop. Nose has light acidity and some wheat notes. Perhaps a touch of lemon, but that may be just a trick that the color and the appearance are playing on the senses. The tastes start by carrying through those initial citrus notes, and there is plenty of bitterness here as well. The bitter...
La Moneuse
375 mL, corked and caged affair. The classic heavy, green, dimpled bottom glass. Pour gives an excellent head that becomes more modest quite quickly on standing. Not much lace. Mid to darkish orange, lightly hazed pour. It looks like a beer with real depth. Nose takes a while to open up with temperature. When it does it give a generic bread note, but also toasted malt that’s although similar to the bread, is quite distinct. Almost a wheat, cereal note. Weetabix anyone? Mouthfeel is lively....
Brewers’ Bridge
If the truth be known, I didn’t even know that this beer had been brewed back in 2019. That was a period in my life when my finger was OFF the pulse of the beer scene - so it’s not that surprising - BUT the consequence is that when I came across it in a random, Fort Wayne, IN store, I was pretty shocked and pretty delighted! $5.49 for the 11.2 oz bottle. As someone commented in the Belgian Beer Board Facebook group, “Allagash & Brasserie DuPont, what could possibly go wrong?”. Well, sure,...
Fantôme Blanche
In the absence of any other information I am going to assume that this is the same (or at least a similar) beer to the De Hotton Witbier that was last seen about 5 years. I’ll try to get the word from Dany on this. Pour is a hazy orange body with a HUGE head with pleasing lace, and decent retention. The color I’m not mad about, but the beer as an entity in the glass looks magnificent. Nose offers a lot of dry lemon notes. There’s some promise of some white pepper too. The initial tastes offer...
Saison
Second time I’ve had this, from a brewery that’s just a few miles away from where I used to live. 500 mL capped bottle, purchased from Total Wine, Atlanta (Akers Mill). Pour is a well carbonated affair, but it’s a little fizzy (as opposed to something with any depth) for my liking. White head, poorly retained, some lace. Everything sits on top of a honey-orange body. Mouthfeel is prickly, and a touch thin. Nose has some acidity, and some mildly funky cheese. Light soapiness starts the beer...
Fantôme Macaquincoing
Occasionally one will come across a beer where there is a single, overriding experience that dominates just about all other aspects of it. It doesn’t necessarily make the beer one-dimensional, because at the time the subtleties may be possible to discern, but the further removed you become from the beer, the more singular the experience becomes. This was one of those beers. Bitterness. That’s it. Now that bitterness was not an American, IBU, hoppy assault, but rather the far more predictable...
Fantôme (The) Coffee Ruby
I’m generally not a fan of coffee based beers. I love coffee, but as usual with my beer, I have little or no need for a bunch of adjuncts or any extra, infused flavors. Having said that, I’ll never, ever pass up a chance to try a Fantôme that I’ve not had before. It’s always a thrill. Pour is a pretty, brown body beneath a solid inch of light tan brown bubbles. Better looking than I was anticipating. The nose offers a hint of the promised coffee, but the dominant element for me is a lightly...
Mystic Farms (2021)
When a brewer/brewery owner texts you and says that there's a beer coming on in a few days that he thinks that you'll like, you pay attention. When Tom Carpenter is that brewer, who has had to suffer my bitching and moaning about some of the beers that he brews (in particular the recently re-released Cereal Killer series), it adds a certain urgency. He knows what I like, and more pointedly, he knows what I don't! Mystic Farms is a French Oak Chardonnay barrel-aged Saison with Brett. Tom has...
Fantôme Strange Ghost
A special beer. Label declares, ‘1 brew Dark Triple Version’, lot 02 f a 21, best before end of 2024. Pour offers a chestnut brown body with a deeply impressive, mocha/tan colored head. It’s rich looking in every aspect of its appearance. Nose almost seems like a lightly spiced Christmas beer. The aromas are not especially strong, but they are easy to pick up. A bit of cinnamon, some mace, maybe a touch of nutmeg? Then the taste … WOW! Essentially it’s a herbal explosion of many elements...
Logsdon Two Rivers Noir
I love several Logsdon beers, I generally enjoy a wine influenced beer, and farmhouse funk is certainly part of my ‘favorite style’ profile. All good, things seem set fair here, then … or is it? Head is that of a soda. Fizzy but disappeared entirely almost instantly. Slightly cloudy, raspberry colored body. Large cheese funk on the nose, but that’s not carried forward much to the tastes. This is way too fruit forward for me. When look at the blend it is essentially 75% fruit beer, and it...
Fantôme Vertignasse
Additional notes: 10/02/2022 In late 2021 I found a few of the older (presumably 2017) vintage bottles languishing at Little Five Bottle Shop in Athens, GA, and although I knew I was taking a huge gamble I went for it anyway. A mistake (usurpingly), as they had all gone completely after 4 years of sitting around, and resembled a murky algae ponds and were completely undrinkable. Fast forward to a new shipment that recently came to the USA, these notes are associated with lot ac 6 21 best...
Sonnet
Southern Tier is a real Jekyll and Hyde brewery for me, with a range of beers that I have simultaneously enjoyed (Creme Brulee and Krampus), hated (Imperial Cherry Saison) and felt largely indifferent about (Phin & Matt's and 2XIPA). As such, I tend to be ambivalent toward them, and with so much beer available to me these days they are a brewer that has gone from a regular in the rotation to an almost forgotten player for me. It would appear that they have a slightly new look for this...
Saison Blanc
$5.49 for the 12 oz corked and caged affair. Yellow dot-matrix date is obliterated on the neck. Brewed with 'Golden Raisins' (that I think is American for sultanas) and white pepper. Potentially a beer that I am VERY interested in. VERY. Always holding my breath with carbonation and Lost Abbey - medium to low pop on opening . No gun smoke. Lovely, hazed golden color. Light, musty citrus in the nose, Intensified in the mouth with a real satsuma peel and juice note. Tasty. Wow! A beer to...
Fantôme
Fantôme Saison
Extremely surprised to see this back on the shelf at Green's in early August of 2012 - extremely. Distribution to GA seemed to have stopped for quite a while, amidst rumors of Dany Prignons' demise. $12.99 for the 750 mL corked and capped bottle. The usual Fantôme cork is extracted. Batches of this beer are basically impossible to date, and there can be such variation that oftentimes comparisons are extremely difficult to make sense of. I suppose this is a relatively recent batch unless Adam...
Cucumber Saison
High, fluffy, large bubbled and wispy white head sits above a mid-orange, slightly clouded body. Nose has a light, floral element with some icy, apple notes. Clean. Tastes are much like the nose but with the floral element jacked-up, and a slightly tart character coming through. It's very clean. Occasionally, as one takes a gulp, there is a really large cucumber presence and it's fantastic. I really like this. The slight acidity on top on the clean edges works fantastically well, and rather...
Tank 7
Farmhouse Ale
Additional notes 06/17/23 Since those original notes from 11 years ago I've come to adore this beer. Put simply, it (along with Saison Brett) is one of the great beers brewed in the USA. Original notes 01/21/12 Part of the usually tremendous, Smokestack Series, the beer pours with a magnificent, bright, golden orange marmalade colored pour with a huge head in the Duvel chalice. Looks wonderful. Smudged dot-matrix 'Best By' date on the neck is unreadable, along with another illegible number -...
De Proef Brouwerij
Broederlijke Liefde Saison Ale
750mL, (plastic, meh) corked & caged bottle in the usual Brewmaster's Collaboration Series presentation. This one comes with the added moniker on the label of being associated with Philly BEER Week. This is the fifth in the collaboration series. Pour is a bright orange with some cloudiness. The head is small but nevertheless fairly well formed and the retention is absolutely tremendous. The nose is strong. Funk is fully formed with a few floral notes. Tastes are particularly floral even...
Saison Cazeau
I spent an hour or so chatting with Crawford Moran (the genius brewer at 5 Seasons Westside in Atlanta) yesterday, and really enjoyed drinking his Provence Saison that is brewed with Lavender. Coincidentally I had picked this up at Hop City next door, just a few minutes previously. Both of these floral saisons seem to dovetail beautifully with the very hot weather that has hit Atlanta in the last 36 hours or so. The pour is an interesting one for a couple of reasons. Firstly the beer appears...
Existent
American Farmhouse Ale
750 mL capped bottle with matt, black foil on the neck with a brooding sepia and black label with additional Nietzsche quotes. It's all trying a bit too hard for my liking. Anyway ... I was excited to see the words 'Farmhouse Ale' on the label since I generally love a good Saison, but frankly I should have taken more careful note of the word 'American' in front of them. In this case this stands for (as it so often does), 'fucking about with'. Why oh why do we need 'black' Saisons? Pour gives a...
Urthel Saisonnière
11.2oz bottle. Surprised to see this at The Beer Dispensary in Apex, NC, USA. Not an Urthel beer that I have ever seen in the US before. Pour gives a pretty standard, honeyed, hazed, lemon color with a nice creamy white foam on top. Some nice lace as the beer sits in the Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs goblet. A significant, sweet earthiness permeates the nose of this beer right from the get go. Organic feel about the beer. In typical Urthel fashion the tastes are a little reminiscent of a...
Terrapin TomFoolery
22 oz bottle, $7.99, #14 in the Side Project series. I'm immediately put on the defensive by the idea of a 'Black Saison'; as a traditionalist and a person that really loves a great Saison this doesn't really fill me with a lot of inspiration or hope. Jet black body with a small, creamy head. Some nice lemony, citrus notes in the nose, and a simple replication in the tastes. Some nice, sharp orange peel and a few light spices and white pepper in there too. Very, very minimal roastiness (which...
Saison Du BUFF
12 oz single from my Secret Santa 2010 - thanks to finewinemike. This is the third in the series for me, and I had pretty poor experiences with the Stone and Victory versions (the Victory was especially awful), so my hopes are low for this one. Having said that, this kind of things is something that DFH is likely to pull off better than the other two breweries involved so there is more hope. Nice golden pour, with some attractive cloudiness that is appropriate for the style. Impressive, fluffy...
Sea Bass
750 mL capped bottle, part of a recent booty haul from Jacksonville, FL. Pour is a dark, dank looking reddish brown with some rocky, impressive looking head. LOTS of sticky lace too, a nice looking beer. Aromas and tastes match very well. There is a VERY strong vinegar element to this beer that pushes the very boundaries of the style, and not really in a good way for me. The ethanoic acid notes are dominant, and although they diffuse over the course of the bottle, they are without question the...
Guava Grove Saison
750 mL capped bottled. Pour is a seriously hazed, butterscotch orange color with a persistent, thin film that sits atop the beer with some scant but pleasing lace. The nose has quite a lot of ethanoic acid and is sinus clearing. The tastes are very acidic - at least at first. It is difficult to know where this is coming from. Is it the Guava? Is it some kind of Brett infusion? Is it just a function of a farmhouse/Saison brew? The longer the beer drinks, it seems more likely that the fruit is...
Saison Du BUFF
12 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA. $2.99 I *think*. Nice looking pour with a very attractive golden color and plenty of head. Some retention, a little lace. Solid looking. The aroma gives a little white pepper and a few sinus clearing elements, but nothing out of the ordinary for a Saison. HOWEVER, this does not set me up for the taste! The taste is a garlic laden, herbal assault that is difficult to get to grips with. It's abusive up front, but fades a bit as the beer warms....
Saison De Dottignies
11.2 oz bottle, recent purchase art Green's, Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. Always delighted to get a new beer from a favorite brewery and this beer seems to be right in the wheelhouse of De Ranke. A cloudy, honey orange body with a lovely, fluffy head which produces some super lace. Looks nice. Nose has a light, soapy aroma which some small hop character. The tastes largely reflect the nose, but the hoppy notes, soapy taste and light grapefruit are all exaggerated when compared to the aroma....
Ground Break
12 oz single from the brewery. Slightly murky golden color with an impressive head that lingers. Some lace. The nose and tastes are VERY organic and quite aggressive. Lots of serious grass and hay and a lot of bitterness. Some medicinal phenols to that come thorough in bursts, repeating the grass and organic feel. Lots of rustic notes her that build in places to give quite a bitter beer. In other parts the beer drinks with a little more subtlety, but to be honest the beer is generally quite...
Saison Du BUFF
12 oz single from a recent trip to NY. The pour is a very bright orange color with a fizzy head that fades quickly to leave no lace but some thin film on the surface of the beer. The nose is very strong. It's a sweet, citrusy, herbal mix with the emphasis on the herbs. This is something that I usually enjoy, but this seems unusually aggressive and wears a little. The tastes reflect that nose, but here the orange-like citric notes come much more into play. There is also a soapy bitterness that...
Brooklyn Sorachi Ace
750 mL corked & aged beer from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Always very excited to try a new beer from Brooklyn, especially one in one of my favorite styles. The pour has a beautifully rich, butterscotch, lemon yellow hue, but to be honest the head, lace and retention are not all that great. The nose delivers the lemongrass aroma as advertised. Quite attractive. The taste is where things start going a little awry for me. There is no doubt that the Sorachi Ace delivers an absolutely unique...
LongShot Lemon Pepper Saison
12 oz single as part of the Longshot sixer. Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. Crystal clear, lemon-yellow color. Head is good initially but fades quickly with poor retention but conversely leaves some nice, sticky lace. Mild, earthy funk in the nose but it's pretty light, simple and not big at all. Tastes are where there is a touch more lemon citrus than the nose would suggest. Nice creamy balance is in the mouth and the beer comes together well. Some nice round malts. There is an...
Wooden Nickel 5th Anniversary Saison
1.0 L swing-top bottle. Thanks to PittBeerGirl for the chance to try this one. Impressive presentation. Pour yields a hazed orange body with wispy head. Darker than expected. Retention and lace are not huge, but are sufficient. Nose has an acidic, citrus twang with a touch of mild funk and an organic feel. Light carbonation dances on the tongue to give a lively presence. Acidity is quite large but in keeping with the style. A bright, lemon and soap taste combines to give a heavier feel than...
Saison – Brett
750 mL corked & caged bottle courtesy of PittBeerGirl as part of Secret Bunny 2010. Batch number 2009-1, bottle 00220 out of 11925. I loosened the cage on the bottle, turned around to get a glass of water and 30 seconds later the cork flew out and hit the kitchen ceiling. Good level of carbonation! Beer gives a light orange, mid-butterscotch pour. HUGE head that sat there like an ice-cream. Super looking. Nose is true to the description of a Saison with Brett, but quite mild. Tastes reflect...
De Ranke H.O.P. Flower Power
750mL bottle that came from Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. In the $14-15 range. As expected, a very interesting beer. The beer pours a very nice, deep orange color with a decent head that is well formed and leaves some nice lace. Nose has a very distinct aroma that to me, is not especially hoppy. It's more of a sinus clearing white pepper effect. Tastes are very dry with a distinct pepper note and a definite soapy presence that reminds me (strangely) of a Courage Best Bitter from years...
Pays Du Soleil
750 ml, corked and caged, usual St. Somewhere presentation. Pretty interesting beer to say the least that pushes the boundaries of what I'm comfortable with. Pour is an usually dark color for a Saison and takes on an orangy, peach hue with significant cloudiness. Looks like sweet tea. Head is good initially but becomes spotty quite quickly and lacks much retention or lace. The nose is aggressively floral and estery with massive pear, peach and pineapple notes thrusting through the nasal...
Saison De Lente
750 mL capped bottle. Recent addition to The Bruery line-up in GA. Pour is a resplendent, butterscotch yellow with a creamy looking white head that looks dense. The nose has some light Brett that does not really manifest itself in the tastes which suits me just fine! In fact, I'm happy that it does not come into the picture too much in terms of the palate. the nose is further enhanced with some serious Belgian yest character. VERY nice. The mouthfeel is a VERY strong part of this beer. Deep...
Sofie
Delighted to pick this 22 oz bottle up from Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati. Presentation is great with the green gold and white label adding a classy touch to the beer. The paper is a little higher quality too, with that slightly textured, cotton effect. Bottled on Oct 23, this is a 2009 vintage. Pour is a beautiful, rich, yellow golden body with a nice, bright white head. Lace and retention are very good. Smashing looking beer. Nose has light straw amongst the mild funk and barnyard notes. Some...
Carnevale
Notes added 12/12/21 Fresh bottles (Vintage 2021 printed on the back label) sourced from Craftshack. Image is from that batch. Golden pour with a white head. A LOT of apple and cider notes that create a delightful, dry effect. Almost has a touch of champagne in the overall experience. The nose catches a lot of that feel too. Drying finish. Original notes, 12/25/09 750 mL corked & caged bottle from DrDogBeer as part of my Secret Santa 2009 gift - thanks Tom. Beer opened with an encouraging...
Jack D’or
Bid "UP'S" go out to Dr DogBeer as part of Secret Santa 2009 - thanks Tom. 22 oz bottle. May 2009 bottling, Batch Five. Delightful, cloudy orange pour with a super head, retention and lace. Lovely. Dry in the nose with some very light white pepper, but to be honest the nose is not this beers' strength. Tastes are those of light citrus marmalade and then some increased (compared to the nose) white pepper. Plenty of gentle herb and medicinal like hop presence and a sweeter-than-one-would expect...
Helios (V Saison)
22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. This the same beer as the now retired V-Saison and is retailing around the Atlanta area for a very reasonable $2.99 in some places. Body is a golden clear one with some nice persistent carbonation. Head is high and huge. Quite a large dose of lemony funk in the nose with a touch of soap too. Tastes are milder than the nose might suggest. Sweeter notes combine with the soapy citrus flavors to even things out a bit. Finish accentuates the soap...
Saison Rue
Happy to have the opportunity to drink some of The Bruery hyped beers in ATL, doubt they will live up to the hype (it would probably be impossible to do that), but I'll make my own mind up. 750 mL bottle from Mac's, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour gives a slightly burned orange color with plenty of floaties and some murky character. Nose reveals a little funk which is magnified in the taste. Head, lace and retention all poor. No gusher here as others have reported, perhaps earlier carbonation issues...
Saison
750 mL corked and caged affair courtesy of thirdeye11 - thanks Chad. Pop on opening is encouraging with a good amount of gunsmoke. Proper carbonation in these beers is vital to their success. Pour gives a fairly standard (but good looking) appearance with some white, frothy head and some decent lace. Body is a clouded, orange marmalade hue with a little chill haze. Light pepper, low funk and some Belgian yeast in the nose. The beer is very dry indeed. Not much funk at all, and the white pepper...
Allagash Fluxus 2009
Review re-written after the Oct 5th 2009 BA crash. I'm on a bit of a budget for beer at the moment (very unusual) but I didn't hesitate to drop the $12.99 for the corked & caged 750 mL bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA, despite the fact that the sweet potato element makes me raise my eyebrows! Pour gives a bright orange body, nicely carbonated with good clarity and some excellent, rocky, high head. Smell gives lots of peppery bitterness a touch of alcohol and...
Weizen Bam
Jolly Pumpkin and Ron Jefferies remain a huge enigma to me; I just DON'T want funk in styles that shouldn't have funk! It makes no sense and it's an abuse of styles. Of course, this is a beer where it will be somewhat/definitely appropriate, so I have high expectations. 750mL bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Batch 411/412. Pour is a lovely, yellow, light butterscotch body with a bit of disappointing head (in terms of height, retention AND lace). Nose has some light funk, light...
Fantôme Pissenlit
Additional notes 09/09/2022 (bottle pictured) I have no idea on the age of this bottle, but it's well carbonated with no oxidation. There's a really sweet, herbal nature to it, absolutely unique as ever. This has no tart, apple or cider character that was evident in the 2009 bottle reviewed below. In fact, this bottle is unrecognizable in terms of what's written below. I *think* this is an older bottle, so maybe it has evolved over time (I think it came form the 2:1 offer at Knightly Spirits...
St. Feuillien Saison
OK, so I see that this has just made it to Atlanta (and possibly the US) and that it is $7.99 for the 750 mL corked and caged bottle. Pretty good value I thought, but I decided to pass the first couple of time that I see it. Anyway, fast forward a couple of days and Taco Mac on the East West Connector, Austell, GA, USA has it on tap. I order one and ultimately find out it is $9.50 for the small pour! TERRIBLE value. Anyway, back to the beer.... ...pour is slightly clouded and is on the orange...
Wayan
$13.95 for the very attractive, 750 mL presentation from Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg, VA, USA. Blue foil and strange kind of cap completes the picture. Many Italian beers have been a crapshoot for me, and the combination of varying quality and somewhat expensive prices have led me to be a touch wary. From time to time I'll break down and get one, and this is one of those times. Pour is initially extremely carbonated but this fades fast. A thin ring around the beer and some surface froth leaves...
Terrapin Maggie’s Farmhouse Ale
22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. The usual presentation for the Side Project Series. Pour is a hazy, orange/yellow that seems closer to a Wit rather than a Saison. Nose has light clove and bananas, again, replicating a Wit rather than the Saison style. Tastes are a sweet and sour combo with some lemon notes and some "bitterish" orange peel. As others have noted, there is a bitterness about the beer that one might associate with the rye. It has a dry, slightly hoppy note that I...
Fantôme Chocolat
750 mL, capped and corked bottle. Green's, Ponce de Leon, Atlanta, GA, USA. Slight gusher on opening but nothing too great. Fantôme is usually pretty interesting, and I don't suppose that Chocolat is likely to be any less! Bizarre color on the pour, it looks like liquid Butterscotch, with a murky thin body (that's why I gave it a "5", not because it was particularly "good", but because it was "exceptional"). The initially vigorous head does fade but leaves a thin film of foam on the surface of...
Scratch Beer 14 – 2008
12 oz single bottle. Bright yellow body, fine sediment and creamy head and lace. Clouded. Pretty good representation of the style in terms of looks. Light clove in the nose with a touch of overripe banana. Taste replicates the nose but give a bit more alcohol. Prickly carbonation seems a bit above average for the style but still maintains its creamy nature. Finish is noticeably dry, somewhat unique and enjoyable. It adds to the overall experience. Has what I would call some "French, vinous...
Avery Anniversary Ale – Sixteen
$8.49 for the 22 oz, gold foiled bottle from Charleston Beer Exchange, Charleston, SC, USA. Very interested to try this, as I have a few of the Twelve Saison left. The Saison re-birth in the Anniversary series should prove interesting and the side-by-side tasting should prove enlightening. Pour is a hazy, light lemon affair with initially a high head but it disappears quickly to a spotty film and little or no lace. Nose is floral (I guess from the Jasmine) and there is a little acidic tartness...
Muse Farmhouse Ale
Delighted to get the chance to snag this one at Charleston Beer Exchange, $4.79 for the 22 oz bomber. Another of my favorite styles from a very respectable brewer, hope it's good! Pour is a fairly dark, orange one with a decent amount of head, lace and retention. White foam on to of the hazed body. Looks good in the wine glass. Light spice notes in the nose. Taste are more dense than some Saison's with some citrus, marmalade tastes and a delicate notes of mace (or something similar). The...
Red Barn Ale
Pictured 09/27/13 Original notes 06/28/09 750 mL, olive green, corked and caged bottle. Very healthy pop with plenty of gun smoke on opening - a "Lost Abbey based" sigh of relief. Beautiful, honey hazed, orange pour with a tight, white head. Lace is superb - dense with complex patterns. Some of the best I've seen in the Gouden Carolus chalice. Nose has creamy fruits and white pepper. Tastes are very mellow. Light touches of white pepper, some spices, gentle, ripe summer fruits like sweet...
Fantôme La Dalmatienne
Additional notes: 10/02/2022 (Pictured) - Lot Nr 12 F21 best before end 2026. This is 6%/14°, and not the original review's 8.0% Well, when you look at the notes below, and you consider that some people have considered this beer almost a Tripel in the past, this 2022 version has almost no resemblance to that at all! As you can see from the ABVs as well, this is now a different beer to what it used to be. As pretty as ever (pictured) this is very bitter. Good, but bitter, and it appears to give...
Sierra Nevada Brown Saison
16 oz pour, Summits Wayside Tavern, Woodstock, GA, USA. I've been fairly critical of SN in the past for over-hopping their beers so that so many of them taste so similar (The Harvest series, SNPA, Anniversary series, Torpedo, ESB, to some extent even celebration etc., all seem like clones of the same, hoppy-based beer to me with little or no imagination), so I always approach their beers with a degree of skepticism to say the least. However, on this ocassion we got a really nice brew. I'm not...
Imperial Cherry Saison
Absolutely do not understand this beer in the slightest. Firstly there is a huge reference to cherries from the name through to the picture of the giant fruit on the bottle, and secondly there is the oaking of the beer which, even before I tasted it gave me some serious reservations as to why one would be trying to combine that with a fruit infused saison. I was just afraid that it would not come together at all well, and I was right. Pour is a hazed orange; fairly typical for the style, but...
Southampton
Cuvee Des Fleurs
Decent pop on opening the corked & caged 750 mL bottle. No gun smoke and not much carbonation. Pour is a mid-orange that lacks much head unless the pour is pretty aggressive. Seems a touch under-carbonated to me. No lace. Aroma is, errr....floral! No surprises there, then. Tastes are floral yes, but ultimately it plays out as a floral based, sweetened grapefruit. It reminds me of a Dandelion & Burdock, which again is hardly a huge surprise BUT is an enormously nostalgic moment for the...
Colette Farmhouse Ale
Review #1900. Somewhat surprised to come across this at Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA. $7.99 for th 22 oz, gold foiled bottle with the new style Great Divide label. Bottled on April 15th 2009. Poured into the Southampton Weizen glass the beer produces a pretty decent head. It lacks much creamy density but it is well formed (if light) but does not produce much lace. The body is a surprisingly thin, bright yellow macro-like pour but has some cloudy presence. Nose has some acidity...
Fantôme Brise-BonBons
750 mL capped and corked bottle. $12.99 from Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. I don't really know why, but for years I've just not bothered to pick this up, but having been told that the Fantôme distribution in the USA is becoming increasingly spotty (something I've informally noticed for a long time), I thought I'd better pick one up before it disappears for good from the market. Golden orange pour with some nice snowy white, fluffy head. A few yeast floaties come with the first pour....
Saison Deluxe
750 mL corked and caged from the "750" series! Not much pop on opening and it's not a gusher, but the carbonation is huge and quite annoying on the pour. The head is not at all dense, rather it is very light and fluffy with large bubbles. Body is a very golden, yellow color with the emphasis on yellow as opposed to gold. Lace is broken, extensive but wispy has opposed to sticky. Nose has the requisite funk, but it also has an alcoholic edge almost like an imperial Hefe. The nose strays into...
Rabbid Rabbit
I've been on the look out for this for some time, and on a recent trip to Indianapolis, IN, USA I picked it up at Kahn's. I want to say $10.99 for the bomber but not positive on that. I was a little bit wary because I thought that FFF might go a bit overboard on a style that, IMO, needs to be handled carfeully. Let's find out. Quite a dark orange pour in the Duvel tulip, this beer forms a large head wirh some lace but not great retention. Spotty, white film forms on the surface of the brew as...
Bière De Miel Biologique
$8.95 for the 750 mL corked and caged affair from Green's on Ponce. Very odd that I have never bought or reviewed this since I love Saison Dupont, and I have passed over this many, many, many times. Finally snagged it. A decent pop and a touch of gun-smoke on opening. Honey orange pour, with lots of floaties, a thin head and some lace. A light touch of antiseptic funk in the nose. Taste has a little funk and some sweet and sour notes. Not really any honey that I notice. Perhaps a bit in the...
CynicAle
Thanks go out to swnicholson for the chance to try this one. 16 oz can. Not much pop on opening the ring pull. Slightly hazed, golden pour with good carbonation and a high rocky head. Bubbles continue to stream from the bottom of the Pilsner type glass. Head has pretty good retention and some very nice lace. Rocky, ice-cream like top. Looks very nice. Nose reveals some hard fruits - apples, pears but is pretty light. A touch of sweet and sour tartness and perhaps a hint (no more) of funk....
Lectio Divina
Having had the opportunity to first try the Saison by St. Somewhere, and being VERY impressed, I was excited to try this one especially as this beer has been given even better reviews by BA's. Unfortunately, I disagree with many of those reviewers! $8.99 from Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. 750 mL corked & caged with 2008 and St. Somewhere printed on the cork. Nice pop on opening. The beer pours much too dark (for a Belgian Pale) for my liking. The color is a dirty, clouded brown and...
Saison Athene
Blimey - wasn't expecting this! $8.99 for the 750 mL corked and caged bottle at Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. Huge pop on opening wih some great gunsmoke - a good sign! Nice presentation, enjoy the label(s). Pour is SOLID in the Duvel tulip. Cloudy, honey pour with a great head (superb retention) and some solid lace. This IS a FLORAL Saison - no doubt, but it pulls it off superbly. BIG floral notes are followed by the same in the taste. Light, and without real funk, this is an different...
E. S. Bam
750 mL bottle from Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. Batch 278. I'm always in two minds about JP; I generally like the beers that they brew AS LONG AS the style fits the funk. When I get a "stout" for example that has funk, then I'm annoyed. For that reason I am hoping that this beer will be a beer that I feel good about. Decent gunsmoke on opening and some serious head. In the Terrapin snifter the rocky, snow-capped head and lace is gorgeous, but the body is MUCH darker than I was...
Avril
Pretty new entrant to the GA market. Picked up a 750 mL at Greens on Buford, Atlanta, GA for $7.95 or $8.95 (can't remember), and then ran into it again a few hours later on tap at the Brick Store. This is a review of the bottle; corked & caged, 2.008 on the cork, L08081B 10:23 on the bottom right hand corner of the front label. A professed, Biere de Table. I bought this thinking that I was on very safe ground from the point of view that a Saison/Farmhouse produced by Dupont was unlikely...
Fantôme Spéciale De Noel
$10.99 for the 750 mL bottle that is capped and corked from Cheers in Carrollton, GA, USA. Bottle has dates for notching but no notches! This pisses me off a bit. If they are there why not use them?? Poured into the Duvel tulip after an initial promising pop, the body is a slightly murky, reddish chestnut brown. Head is large initially and looks deeper and richer than it actually turns out to be. Fades quickly with no lace on the glass to leave a fine, mocha foam on the surface. Nose is a...
Fantôme Saison
D’Erezée – Printemps
Picture is from sometime in 2014. $9.99 for the 750 mL capped and corked bottle from Cheers, Carrollton, GA, USA. Massive cascading streams of bubbles on opening that continues into the glass. Head slowly recedes to not much, and the lacing is scant. A dark orange, chill hazed body that looks like a classic IPA. Nice sweet, horse-blanket funk in the nose, with plenty of grass notes. Light mouthfeel is cut across by a definite acidity and a lingering, sweet and sour finish. A cleanliness about...
Seson
On tap at the Brick Store, Decatur, GA, USA. Golden, mildly hazed pour with some cloudiness and yellow highlights. Good lace on top of the smallish head. The usual funk character, but a very earthy note to this. The organic nature seems to make this beer feel a little rough; almost like a homebrewed Saison. Here the emphasis is definitely on the Farmhouse side of things. The earthy taste was almost literal, with a hint of soil being in the taste! Strange. Actually it drank better than my...
Saison Imperiale – Belgian Farmhouse Ale
$8.99 from Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA for the 750 mL corked & caged bottle. Synthetic cork which I am simply not a big fan of - takes away the authenticity a little for me. Opens with an encouraging pop. Poured into the Duvel tulip, this is much darker than I was expecting. Nice, dark metallic copper hue with a great head and nice lace. Head is well maintained, and is creamy/dreamy - thick. Unusual color for the style. Nose has light citrus funk, against some more aggreesive vinegar...
Saison Style Ale
On-tap, Taco Mac, Marietta, GA, USA. $4+ for the 16oz pour. Nothing special to look at - in fact it has the appearance of a macro lager. In that respect it does not reflect the style very well. I'm looking for a big, fluffy head in my saisons, some nice lace and some cloudiness in the body. Given the style it purports to be, I was disappointed. Some funk in the nose but not much. Rather than funk being the predominant taste, I get a sweet Belgian fruit blend. It's not unpleasant but it seems...
Saison Noire
On tap, Deep Ellum, Boston, MA, USA. What a great beer. Poured into a large snifter, the beer comes out almost completely black. Nice full head, lace and general appearance. Looks robust. I get plenty of licorice and aniseed. Tasty mild funk too (to give a nod to the Saison moniker), but it is muted and light in terms of presence. Good body, and a beer that feels authentic to me. Malty. I really enjoyed this very much, and the idea of mixing the darker malt base into this style really pulls...
Smuttynose Farmhouse Ale (Big Beer Series)
=== Updated Review 08/09 === 22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. $5.99 (I think) for the bottle. Poured into an oversize wine glass that I picked up in Raleigh, NC a couple of weeks ago. Pour is a vivid mustard, clouded body that sits underneath a really high, rocky head. Lace is excellent. Good looking. Nose reveals very little other than a sweet, alcohol laden honey note. This is still a really hot beer, especially when you consider the style. It continues to drink every inch of...
Saison
$5.99 from Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. The 1 Pt 0.9 fl oz bottle has the classy, usual Nogne label. Very interesting and enjoyable beer. Poured into the Dogfish Head palm glass. Slightly cloudy golden yellow with a bubbly, soap like head an some great lace. Looks super. Very mild funk in the nose with some alcohol. As it warms more funk comes on. Very mild tatrness, very mild alcohol and a slight hop bite add to the taste sensation. Slightly oily, slick mouthfeel with a little pils...
Bam Noire
Thanks go out to nlmartin as part of Secret Santa '07. Delighted to get this, as I would probably not be buying this myself. 12oz bottle. OK, I've been critical of Jolly Pumpkin in the past because of the constant Brett profile of ALL of their beers - I KNOW this is their "thing", but it has got very annoying to pick up something labelled as a stout or a Belgian, only to find the funk TOTALLY taking the beer out of style. This is a Saison, so I am HAPPY to have the funk/sourness. IMO there's...
Schlafly Saison
Thanks go out to Vancer for the opportunity to try this as part of CEO/Old Farts BIF. Schlafly is a brewer that is hit and miss with me; sometimes decent, often average and from time to time even below average. I was delighted to find that this was one of their better efforts in my book. 12oz single bottle, bottled (apparently WITH LOVE) on Aug 17 2007. Dark, butterscotch colored pour with some good carbonation. Nice, pillow-like, dense head with some nice rings of lace. Yeast dregs fall out...
Le Merle
750 mL, corked & caged bottle, $6.99 from Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. Poured into the 500 mL Tucher Weizen glass this looks good. Cloudy honey colored body, good carbonation, great head and retention. This is certainly sweeter than many traditional Saisons, but still maintains and retains some funk and a little, sweet citrus orange and lime twang. The sweetness is tempered in the finish with quite a large dose of bitterness. I'd even go as far as to say that there is a tiny bit of...
V-Saison
A hazy, honey colored pour from the 750 mL corked & caged bottle that came from Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. $7.99. Head is perfectly formed. Small but dense, not much lace. Light sweetness in the nose. Mild spice, a little clove and all spice but it is muted. Quite sweet, a touch of citrus. This beers beauty is all in the finish. This is where the acidity and funk settle on the tongue and palate. This part of the beer reminds you that it really IS a Saison. Light and easy drinking,...
Heavy Seas – Red Sky At Night (Saison Ale)
12 oz bottle, Taco Mac, East West Connector, Austell, GA, USA. Best before Oct 07 notched on the bottle. Bright yellow pour, but plenty of haziness about the beer. Some floaties. Aroma has a VERY strong funk and to be honest it seems reasonable to assume that this will be replicated in the taste, but it isn't. Relatively mild horse balnkets, and only a hint of apple cider. A bit of an easier Saison to stomach for the inexperienced. Crossover potential. Alcohol VERY hidden. A mild and...
Bam Bière
I'm not in love with JP beers by any stretch of the imagination, mainly because when they classify a beer within a style I only crack it open to find a beer that is full of funk and therefore OUT of style. Of course with this being labeled a Saison, the funk is appropriate and I will score it higher accordingly. $6.00, 12oz bottle, Taco Mac, Marietta. Pours a golden hazy color with a good looking, rocky, large head. Ice-cream like on the top, but much less dense at the bottom of the head with...
Saison D’Erpe-Mere
Additional notes 01/29/23 (Pictured) This 11.2 oz bottle is marked at 6.5% rather than the original 6.9. Sixteen years between notes, and very little to add to what's below, at least very little that is much different. The head is pretty wispy and light, but does leave the lace noted below. Still light, incredibly refreshing and hoppier than many a saison. The absolute off the charts drinkability remains a feature, and the tasty lemony, punchy lightness is still a feature. The hop presence...
Saison Voisin
Updated notes 11/06/22 Since my original notes 15 years ago, I basically haven't seen this beer since! I suspect that this bottle from Knightly Spirits in Orlando that was purchased in July 2022, may be a bottle that's been hanging around that long! Having said that, it drank OK. Still carbonated, and still essentially NOT a Saison! It looked fine, with good clarity and and an Amber body, and basically that's how it rank in 2022 - like a slight malty, yeasty, standard Amber Ale of some...
Fantôme Saison D’Erezée – Hiver
750 mL bottle shared with BA brickstoredave and Miles at the Brick Store. Poured into a small goblet the beer has a very Dubbel like appearance. Very cloudy and typical brown, I'm afraid that is not at all attractive. Aroma has a LOT of herbal content. It reminded me a lot of the Cinzano Bianco dry vermouth that was so popular in the 1970's. That drink has a number of herbs and spices listed as artemesia, gentian root, clove, and cinnamon mixed with notes of agrumes. The beer has a very...
Foret
750 mL bottle, $7.50 Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. Also previously on draught at the Brick Store, Decatur, GA, USA. Sweet looking champagne style, corked, caged and dimpled bottled. Rustic and organic looking label. Nice clouded yellow appearance with plenty of cloudy sediment. Very light particulates, make this a cloudy gem. Good head and some nice lacing. Great pepper undertones. The mild pepper spice is the undoubted strength of this beer. Refreshing and drinkable, a smashing beer....
Wild Dog Colorado Saison
Michael's, Marietta, GA, USA. 750 mL Corked and caged part of the Flying Dog limited release series. Just got this in GA. HIGHLY carbonated. Enormous initial head that fades very quickly to virtually nothing. Head and lacing is thin and light. Butterscotch clouded yellow. Alcoholic pepper in the nose. Aroma is consistent with the style. Mouthfeel is the missing component here. Too thin for the style and a little too sour. It lacks the depth and the funk of many similar beers, and in that...
Fantôme BBB Dark White
Fantôme BBB White, $9.95 Green’s Atlanta, GA, USA. 750 mL corked and capped. Nice orange, slightly clouded pour with excellent high head in the Duvel tulip. Head retention and lacing is not great, but OK. Aroma is very peppery and this is a pre-cursor to a MASSIVE pepper flavor. There is a mixture of mild funk, light grapefruit, slight hops and perhaps a little cilantro but the white pepper is what prevails. It’s a very prevalent taste and feature of this beer. It even extends to the...
Avec Les Bons Vœux
Pictured 4/30/23, 2022 vintage Original notes 11/18/06 750 mL corked & caged bottle. Dimpled bottom, Champagne style. Green's, Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA, USA. 2006 vintage. Extremely interesting beer. Lovely pour with mountains of frothy, deeply pillowed head, and a light golden hazed body. Lacing is superb. Nice looker. OK, here we go with an explanation of this beer. The best I can offer is a "hoppy, thick Saison". All the characteristics of Saison Dupont with a much hoppier edge....
Lagunitas #10 (aka #9)
Lagunitas just made it to GA a few weeks ago, but this was NOT one that made it from California just yet. Received as part of Blue Max BIF (48) from BigLove. 22 oz bomber. In terms of the style this is not a typical Saison and it is appropriate that it was poured into the Duvel tulip because this is somewhat reminiscent of that great beer, and it drinks much more like a spicy Belgian Pale or Wit than a Saison. Fantastic clarity and color. A deep golden body (really beautiful), a big head, some...
Fantôme Saison
Additional notes 02/25/23 (pictured) Fantôme is of course, a confusing 'thing', period. So many highs, the occasional low, the journey is ever interesting, never dull. When things go up and down so much, it's great to get back to basics with Saison, It's such an amazing beer in terms of its simultaneous complexity and simplicity. The pour is second to none with the orange body and the rocky head. Soapy funk permeates every pore of the beer, and the bitter and sweet backbone compete for ones...
FestiveAle
A really simple beer to review and talk about in my opinion. This has the aroma of a classic Saison, perhaps is a little too dark but I can live with that, and gives a Saison taste for a few seconds and then guess what? Well, as is SO often the case, the over-hopping bitterness of Rogue cuts across and through absolutely every redeeming quality. It simply does not work. A Saison is unlikely to be a brew that Rogue can pull off, and this confirms it. They appear to have attempted to combine a...
Silver Jubilee – 25th Anniversary Ale
Orange, gold cloudy pour, with a good initial head and some decent lacing. Slightly above average appearance, and it's nicely in line with the style. There's much more grapefruit and citrus notes here than in others of the same style that I have encountered. There is some real acidity in the drink that goes beyond the usual "funkiness" for the Saison. A bit sour in fact. Still remains drinkable and tasty, but a little on the tart side for my liking. The Saison style can still be determined,...
Avery Anniversary Ale – Twelve (Saison Ale)
=== Updated Review 05/09 === Delighted to find a bottle of this marked down from $6.49 to $3.99. Why not take a chance? Carbonation is still great which was my first worry. Nice lace. The beer still drinks with a degree of peppery harshness, AND reamins bitter just like four years agao, AND remains at the edge of the Saison category, but now it has developed a real, distinct and delicious lemon note. Light spice, light acid and a touch of funk, it finishes with herbal sweetness. Delicious,...
Saison Dupont
Pictured 11/17/22. NOTES ADDED: 07/02/21 11.2 oz L19271B 15:49:10, $4.99, Gays, Angola, IN. Golden clear pour before the sediment. Modest, rocky head. Clean and bitter with the anticipation of dry malt. The bitter bite at the back of the tongue is pronounced, but it clears quickly. Clean as a whistle. And then the yeast notes … unyielding, constant and repetitious. The beer sets a marker. ORIGINAL REVIEW: 02/27/05 Delicious example of the style, well balanced, easy drinking and a treat to...
Southampton Saison
My first serious venture into the Saison style. First impressions are all about the appearance. A golden orange pour with a magnificent head. The head was huge, and beautifully white and rocky - a real treat. The aroma and initial taste is a cross between cider and champagne. There's a lot of wine like aroma too. A real apple scent is present. The beer starts with a prickly carbonation. The classic acidity and tartness of the style is evident throughout and until the beer warmed up a little in...
Ommegang Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison)
Additional notes 07/07/23 12oz bottle with the newer blue and purple color scheme. Head and lace still great, that distinct, mustard color. See, Ommegang can still do this right. Who knew? Pictured 03/20/21 Original notes 08/14/04 $4.69, 750 mL, Greens Beverage, Ponce de Leon, Atlanta, GA, USA and subsequently $6.49 at Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pours a golden "mustard" color with substantial rocky white head. Looks superb, with an attractive amount of head retention and lacing on the glass....