Black Oak Summer Saison

Brewed by Black Oak Brewing
Style: Saison
Etobicoke, Canada

341 ml bottle - Pours a hazy orange with a nice thick head which lasts through the entire glass, and leaves some of the thickest lacing I’ve seen. Like Pepto- Bismol in it’s coating action. Aroma of hops, citrus and coriander, also a bit of pepper, all of which are delivered greatly in the taste, along with yeasty and banana notes. A complex, flavourful beer that’s low in alcohol for the style (4.1%), making it an excellent, refreshing summer session ale. I only hope it gets bottled earlier in the summer next year. Beautiful work, Black Oak. Update: had this year’s (2007) version on tap last night at the Magpie, and the beer is even better thanm last year! More pronounced coriander (but still subtle and well integrated) and a fuller body. More wheat malt as well. Beautiful, beautiful beer. I want this on hand all summer long.

Probably my first one. It has very strong taste of spices, which is good. A little alcoholic in taste too and fruity.

Draught at Volo. Pours an almost clear bubbly golden-orange with an average size lasting white head. Sweet and spicy aroma with yeast, fruit and light hops. Flavour: Wow! I had this in bottles a few years ago and it didn’t taste this good, what a pleasant surprise. Nice blend of hops, sweet malt, fruit and spices -- very refreshing and flavourful. Body’s a little light but it suits the beer. This is one of the best Saisons I’ve ever had -- great job Black Oak!

Draught @ TFOB: Pours a beautiful cloudy orange with a thick white head. Great aromatics of pepper and spice, yeast, hops, and some sweet citrus. Taste surprised me, perhaps expecting far less hops than I got. You’ll find that peppery yeast as that first sip rolls over your tongue, but it doesn’t take long for the patented Black Oak "Hop Bomb" to snag you on the way down. It fit well, here, though, separating it from other wheat beers I’ve sampled in the past.

Fantastic blend of Wheat Beer with Corriander. Nice and smooth on tap with a smooth hop. First Tasted at the Toronto Beer Festival (Aug. 06)

Draught. At Volo. Slightly hazy amber, a solid, lasting, creamy white head - REALLY made me want to drink it. I had this a couple of years back, it wasn’t all that great - this is the stuff, though! Sharp, dry yeasty/herbal hoppy aroma, spicy - reminded me of a Blanche de Chambly with way more herbal/hop character, the mildly grainy malt character comes through as it warms. Taste is wonderfully bitter and spicy, some fruitiness - this would be a great gateway beer to the saison style - plenty of peppery yeast but it never loses its fresh grain/malt character. Decent body, bitter and astringent on the palate, I found this both very refreshing and quite complex - very well done, anyone who tried the earlier version might want to re-rate.

No label? No head? Not much aroma. Flavour is bland although there are hints of saltiness, cloves and pepper. Subtle maybe, but disappointing.

2004 bottle from a trade with Sammy, thanks man! Consumed on 8/17/2005. Aroma of light vinousness, raspberries, cherries, tart plum juice. Cola and black pepper. Bottle-conditioned fine bubbles. Inky black beer with a ruby-garnet highlight when held to the light. Big, very well-retained yellow-tan head. Pepper, lemongrass and ginger. Yep, ginger, lots of ginger. Flavor begins with black licorice, ginger, deep rooty, chewy herbs and plant roots, maybe some opium-like notes as well. Ginger/anise really stands strong, though not overpoweringly so. Awesome mouthfeel, unfiltered, smooth and lightly tingly. Plenty of lacing. Starts with very dry maltiness, but then ginger and chewy licorice emerge. Retronasal earthy, peppery yeast and figgy notes. Deep traces of coffee. Very fluffy texture on the end. Very dry and attenuated flavor on the end, though, with a bit too much ginger/anise for my liking. Love the mouthfeel though.
I’m a little bit concerned that no one else mentions a deep, dark color and heavy ginger-anise influences. . .