Back Road La Porte Saison

Brewed by Back Road Brewery
Style: Saison
LaPorte, Indiana USA

Growler via BBB63

As usual Mike is being an evangelist for a small town brewery of which word has yet to get out. If they happen to make it to the Great Taste of the Midwest I’ll definitely be stopping by their tent. If not, I may have to make a road trip and stop there in the near future. This is my second sample and again they did a good job. While it didn’t blow me away it is very solid for a saison.

Aroma / Appearance - Peach, wheat and sourness create a distinct farmhouse aroma. Dense and fruity, it feels the senses with enough scents to warrant further inspection. The body is cloudy orange with lacing that clings to the sides in thin sheets.

Flavor / Palate - A dry sourness fills the palate on the first sip. It does not relent until the glass is empty but morphs into wheat and stale cherries. It is thick, chewy and very filling. I find this to a fun interpretation of the style and one that I wouldn’t mind another sample of if it happens be available at the brewery whenever I stop by.

Growler via BBB63. The beer pours to a hazy peach caramel colored body with a thin white head. The aroma is heavy with lots of Turkish apricots, light spicy fruity hops, and pale malts. The flavor is Turkish apricots, sweet pale malts, spicy hops, nice fruity golden raisins. Very balanced. The palate is sweet and spicy and moderately bodied. Very creamy and velvety.

Growler. Head is initially small, frothy/fizzy, off-white, fully diminishing. Body is hazy dark yellow to light amber. Aroma is lightly to moderately malty (toasted grain, cookie, caramel), lightly hoppy (herbs), lightly yeasty (cobwebs), with notes of sour apple, lemon/orange zest, clove, candied fruit, hint of pepper. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, watery texture, lively/soft carbonation, lightly alcoholic. Not bad. It’s a bit sweet and caramelly-appley-fruity for my liking, and the tartness seems odd (again, kind of fruit-juicy) but there are some pleasant characteristics as well. Immense thanks to Mike for sending me this! I may be pretty picky about the style, but I always love sampling them.

Growler from BBB63- Pours a bright slightly hazy golden color, small to no head. Aroma is traditional, very balanced and a great fresh brew. Flavor is refreshing and tasty, a strong grassy hop flavor dominates. This is tasty and i could drink alot of it. Possibly my favorite from BR

On tap at the brewery. 10th Anniversary Brew
Bright yellow with some white head. Nice pear or apple aromas, along with some perfume or floral character. Light perfume flavor with a peppery bitterness. Very mouth filling with lots of carbonation.
Well done, Chuck. Here’s to 10 more!

Initial release on tap at brewery and served in a chalice: Just transferred so it is still very cloudy and is topped by a small ring of foam. The nose is very estery with heavy banana and pear vapours along with noticeable hop spice (a little like coriander), grassy tones and a classic Belgian yeast character.

The taste profile is wonderfully complex and sublime with a fruity and yeast driven note and a minor noble hop bite. Minor acidity is found throughout before leading towards a wheaty background and hop-spiced finish. This beer is dangerously drinkable as the alcohol is completely hidden and the mouth feel is medium-bodied, snappy and refreshing.

Chuck outdid himself for this is quite stylistic and a tribute to the Classic of the genre. I dig it and to steal a line from someone else at the brewery, it is almost too good to share with friends. (I hope Ernest digs this too).