Free State Coeur de Saison

Brewed by Free State Brewing Company
Style: Saison
Lawrence, Kansas USA

On draught at brew pub. At first I had this in a sample glass and then just had to get a pint. The server said it was “Dry Hopped” wit hibiscus. It cloudy pale gold in color with a fluffy white head and lacing. Hibiscus and some floral hop in the nose. Medium sweet malt flavor with notes of bread, light hibiscus, and subtle spices in the finish. Very well made beer.

Draft: Light bronze. Wispy foam collar. Fruity belgian yeast aroma with mango, sage, unripe banana, candy sugar, honeycomb, and fennel seed. Wet, rounded body with fuzzy carbonation. Opens with a salted herb flavor over a strong foundation of toasted malt. Yeast softens the body whilst lending hints of bubblegum and more fruitiness. Saltiness adds a gritty edge to the malt. Borderline cloying at times due to the low attenuation. Sweetly peachy, too, but with plump mango and husky malt notes diverting the candy sugar sweetness and paving way for a push of alcohol and a medley of herbs and spicy esters which augment the dryness. Coarsely alcoholic, but incessantly soft all the same, with a honey sweet finish backed by firm toasted malts and floral hop softness. A respectable stab at the style, but this is basically just another Americanized saison where the flavor suffers from being too yeasty, oversweet, wet, by not being refermented in the bottle. Moreover, the finespun esters in the aroma go largely unnoticed due to the candy sugar.

As usual, Indra beat me to this one, I had it last night, but didn’t enter it in until today. On tap at bar. Golden orange color with a small off white head. Aroma is sour and spicy with citrus and estery notes. Flavor is tart, wheaty?, fruity, and estery. Finish is dry with some fruity tartness. Had a nice mouthfeel. It "felt" like a wheat beer. 2006 Edition O.G 17.5°P/1070 Hops 25IBU. On tap. Hazy orange/gold color. Orange/citrus, mild pepper, spicy aroma. Taste is herbal, citrusy, white pepper and spice along with some yeastiness. Finish is spicy, herbal, and satisfying. Nice mouthfeel. I gave it the same score as I did the last time I rated it. I sat at the bar for a couple hours the night I rated this and was mildly surprised to find this a very popular beer, I guess that is why I love Free State, because the customers (a lot of them) know beer and like, or are not afraid to try, Saisons.

Sweet, fruity and lightly spicy aroma, some flowers and honey along with touches of orange zest and bubblegum, perhaps a vague hint of alcohol. Attractive lighter orange-amber color, mostly clear, with a fine, slight head. Fruity, sweet flavor throughout, some juicy citrus present, and with a bitter, spicy, peppery finish. Some pleasant, lingering maltiness as well. Mildly complex and oddly drinkable. Smooth but moderately acidic mouthfeel with a medium-full body. Overall, quite interesting and tasty, much like a spiced Tripel. Not quite appropriate for the shaker-style pint glass it’s served in, but given a chance to warm sufficiently, this is a good one. Was not able to confirm but would estimate this is a little over 7% abv.