Heavyweight Saison de la Soeur Black

Formerly brewed at Heavyweight Brewing Company
Style: Saison
Ocean Township, New Jersey USA

750 from HimerMan - thanks, Brian!!! Man, am I a sucker for all things HW. Another fine entry in this mini-series, it pours like a lively Belgian black, with abundant carbonation (though not a gusher) and a fast-rising head. Malts are everywhere, with a kind of primal, earthy quality coming from the whole rather than any one particular flavor. There’s also a strong tart and funky aroma, not surprisingly. This is very prominent in the tasting, but there’s a strange - and not unpleasant - custard taste in there too. I suppose I’d like it to have been slightly more spicy for a bit of balance. But I dig, I dig.

Bottle courtesy of the overflowing surplus of Dickinsonbeer’s apartment. Poured dark brown with a massive fizzy frothy tan head. This one was a gusher, but thankfully I was able to catch it. Inviting aroma of lemon, roasty malts, a bit of funky yeast. Flavor follows, though the flavor combinations seemed less successful than the aromas had prepared me for. Notes of roasted coffee and chocolate battle lemon and funky cheesy yeast. The flavors separately are good, but I’m not enjoying the combination as much. It doesn’t know if it wants to be filling or refreshing, and I wish it would just pick a side. Overall a decent saison with well crafted components, but yet another example of a style that I don’t think benefits from the use of dark malts.

Bottle from Dickinsonbeer. Almost black colored, foamy head. Pepper, cinnamon, raisin and chocolate in the aroma. Thin with an upcoming apple sourness. pepper and cinnamon in the flavor. Apple, pear and raisin. perhaps a bit overaged, but a very nice beer, a pleasant and tasty surprise.

750 ml bottle courtesy of a trade with notalush. Pours black with a monstrous tan head that continues to grow after the pour. Very pleasant aroma of chocolate, malt, and lightly sour fruit. The flavor is equally good with malt, chocolate and a bit of yeast along with just a bit of sour goodness. There is an ever so slight metallic taste to the funk, which I thought enhanced the flavor. Nice smooth moouthfeel and lightly tart at the finish. Really good despite its age.

Courtesy of Degarth. It pours very dark with explosive tan head. Good size aroma of sour berries, sweet berries, tartness and mild funk. The taste is lively with sweet berry fruitiness, a mild sour note and mild tartness. Beyond midway I get faint oxidation that doesn’t interfere at all with the experience. There’s also mild red wine fruitiness and tannin tartness.

Thanks to drewbeerme for this beer. Pours a brown black with a tall fluffy beige head. Spicy sour aromas with red fruit. Dark fruit with sour and nutty flavors. Finishes with a drying chocolate and red fruit. Body is a little thin, but otherwise very tasty.

Thanks Drewbeerme for another and I mean another retired beer on the "Drewbeerme is a badass because he shares all his retired/awesome beers with me" tasting. Basically opaque black with huge and I mean huge beige head with some lacing. A little aged notes in the aroma with dark fruit, malt and spice. Sour and dark fruit flavor with earthiness, and grain. Great aroma, okay flavor, crazy carb..

750ml bottle thanks to dickinsonbeer for this. pours dark brown w/ tan head. nose of mocha, some roast and caramel, slightly grainy. flavor sweet grainy, roast, sweet grainy notes along with a good touch of sourness to it. watery mouth feel. highly carbonated but long vigirous swirls takes the fizziness out. the hops have really faded out at this point. decent stuff, probably past its time. I was expecting more.