French Broad Saison

Brewed by French Broad Brewing Co.
Style: Saison
Asheville, North Carolina USA

(Brewgrass08) Cloudy amber body with minimal off-white head. Aroma is medium sweet, caramel, dusky. Taste is medium sweet, caramel, light dusky, orange. Medium body, minimal carbonation.

Sampled at Brewgrass 2008. This was a rather understated interpretation of the style, with a unique caramel note in the aroma and quite a bit of citrus flavor and a light but flavorful sicy finish

This one was brand new by them so I wasn’t sure of any of the specs. Anyway, here goes. Poured a hazy orange with a one finger creamy tan head. From what the brewers said it was so new that the yeast hadn’t had time to flocculate out, so it was quite hazy. The nose was spicy, peppery, fruity, yeasty, some hops come through in the nose. The flavor was also pretty spicy, white pepper, orange peel, yeast, a nice hop presence. Nice carbonation and a smooth grapefruit rind bitterness.

On draft at the Federal, Durham. Very nice pour, glowing pale orange. It’s got a pretty sizable carbonation, at least compared to what I was expecting, and the lacing/retention is decent too. Aroma is quite yeasty and spicy, comes on just a bit too strong in a sense. There’s a little bit of diacetyl in the taste, but it’s balanced out by some spice and warming hops. Overall a solid effort.

Pours a slightly hazy light copper color with a white head. Aroma is slightly musty, peppery, clove, some banana, and a slightly earthy hops. Flavor is clove, slightly musty, peppery, caramel, crystal malt, and a bitter earthy finish.

Not bad for style. Clearish amber with thin light tan head. Aroma is like a hefe. Sweet with a farmhouse flavor.

[November 7, 2008]
On tap at the Thirsty Monk. Pours pretty darn red with virtually no head. I get assertive spiced Belgian esters on this with loads of clove and coriander along with a background of cherries and funk. The palate is quite full and borders on sticky. The emphasis here remains on a clove spiciness with a hay-like dryness in the finish. Fruity flavors are secondary. This is a full bodied and competant Belgian-styled ale, though lacks some of the nuances of a more traditional saison.

Sampled at the brewery. pours a hazy orange gold with a thick creamy head. Nice peppery, fruity Belgian aroma. Nice complexity. Has a nice peppery taste with hints of citrus and yeast. Nice and refreshing saison.