Back Road La Porte Saison

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

Name: Saison
Date: 06/21/2007
Mode: Growler
Source: Tasting, Pre-RBSG

opaque orange, fine head, drops of lace, big sweet fruity aroma with an array of spicy quality, creamy body, lots of fruity malt flavor, lots of spicy character morphs into a long bitter finish, nice bitter orange shows after a while,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.7/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Growler sampled at the Pre-RBSG ’Tosa gathering on 6/21/07 courtesy of BBB63: Pours a hazy orange bronze with a wispy-lacing white head. Aroma of sweet, lightly toasted biscuity Belgian malt and some grassy hops. Body starts with a mild earthy bready sweetness and some toasty caramel balance toward a drier, more bitter finish. A nice saison.

Ala BBB63. Lightly hazed golden color with a smaller white head. Aromas of dough and light spice. White pepper, dry herbs, lemongrass and touch of attic all in the mix. Light wheat sweetness mixes with mild light fruit. Lightly acidic to help keep it from getting too sweet. Finishes with light cloves and pepper. A nice domestic saison. Thanks Mike for sharing.

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.

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).

Growler thanks to BBB63! Poured hazy medium orange with a short-lived white head. Aroma picked up sweet light fruity notes with heavy white pepper and cloves.. bit of an aged hop aspect to it (which Mike confirmed!). Peppery spices led the flavor department.. sweet apricots in there as well.. nice spicy finish. Very good balance to it, and the old hops worked wonders. Thanks Mike!

12oz from BBB63, thank you Mike. Shared with my gf Cyn. Pours orange with a 2 finger tan head. Nose is sweet and spiced. Taste is spicy with touches of citrus and a bit of hoppy bitterness. The citrus bitter but also lemony. Can’t quite place the spices, but this is certainly a tasty saison.

Courtesy of BBB63

Bottle:The aroma consists of yeast, apple, and spice. It pours a hazy orange with a small white head. The flavor starts with yeast and apple and finishes with a big floral bitterness with faint spiciness.