McKenzie Farmhouse Saison

Formerly brewed at McKenzie Brew House
Style: Saison
Glen Mills, Pennsylvania USA

Wet, doughy yeast, apricot fruitiness and sharp citrus aromas. Tan-copper coloured body is topped by generous, fine-bubbled, bright white head that lasts nicely and laces well. Orange/lemon citrus and herbal hop flavours with a fairly sharp bitterness and lightly sour fruitiness. Medium body with moderate carbonation that engages the tongue. Bottle enjoyed with ClarkVV, MartinT, muzzlehatch and Rastacouere.

The Lure:
Great head retention atop the low-carb grapefruit sorbet. Meringue and doughy yeast garnish the appealing although light dessert.

The Festivities:
Herbal hops and citrusy zests dry out the ending and thus create a quenching, authentic saison feel. Mouthfeel is excellent, flavors are well-presented but shy, this is surely a different concoction than that which my friend Joris had the displeasure of encountering.

Transcendence:
The fluffiness, simplicity and relaxing nature of a non-perfumed bubble bath.

Nice foamy white head, very cloudy caramel golden hue. Appealing foresty wet sand aroma. You immediately know what you’re dealing with. Perfumey and peaky (sorry for not thinking of a better word, but I find it evolutive, expressive on various levels). Smells of dry fruits, tart and sprucey. Rather authentic taste, very doughy, yeasty, citrusy thirst quencher. Larch reminiscent noble hops, hinting yet not reaching vinegar, but getting pretty close to lime. Gentle woody undertones contribute to the enjoyment, but the overall balance and complexity is not up there with the finest takes on the style. Heavily dry, moderately bitter. Initially biting body, fading out a bit and leaving a slightly blank moment when it flattens out. This remains a remarkable beer, a worthy effort on a difficult style to master. Thanks EyeDrinkAle!

I was expecting to be underwelmed by this beer since I got it by mistake instead of their "super saison" however I was pleasently suprised. It pours a clear orange with a fluffy white head. Aroma is of strong barnyard with a light citrus undertone. Flavor is a very nice blend of barnyard, peppery spice, and light citrus. The palate is sublimely creamy. I drank this in the same sitting as the gold standard of saisons (Dupont Saison) and in comparison this one is more "meaty". Not that it tastes like veal cutlets, it just has a heavier flavor and palate then the light and crisp Dupont. This makes it no better or no worse just different. In less I am forgetting something huge this is the best american saison I have head to date.

Bottle thanks to jeffin7: Well after the heavyweight biere d’art exploded a few nights ago, my guard was up for opening this beer. I crack open the top, wait 5 seconds, then take a timid whiff - smells spicy. I stare at the bottle for another good 5 seconds just to make sure this one’s not going to explode. Nope, appears safe, so I turn around to grab my glass. In the time it takes a man to turn 180 degrees and grab a glass, beer sprays out of the bottle and all over the only counter not soaked by the heavyweight. I get it to the sink as quickly as possible, my socks and the floor once again the only casualties. This time the sink, floor and counter smell spicy. I’m getting sick of these 750ml bottles exploding in my kitchen, I much prefer to be in Argo0’s for that. Pours to a very cloudy light golden yellow that fades from pale up top to almost amber near the bottle of the glass. Lots of yeast in my glass. Light-medium bodied. Aroma: lemon grass, wheat, citrus, spice, banana, cloves, coriander, light caramel. Taste: slightly more watery than expected at first with a mild citrus taste. It opens up more towards the middle with citrus, spice, coriander, orange, pepper, barnyard, sour yeast. Finishes with a sour banana & yeast taste.

Poured a cloudy golden yellow with a white head. Citrus, orange aromas and tastes. Some flowers as well. Overall not bad.

Visited their booth at the GABF and was saddened to find both the porter and imperial stout were gone, and this was on a Friday. So I sampled this one... had a slightly cloudy gold bosdy with a large white fluffy head. Sweet all around, fruity with oranges, other citrus, then turning to a mildly sour, milky flavor near the finish... that isn’t right... the finish is bland and dulling on the tongue... this one went downhill. Overall it present itself fizzy and boring.

Pours a lightly cloudy pale golden with a large frothy white head. Aroma of mild caramel, citrus, coriander, and Belgian yeast. Body starts lightly sweet, turning more dry and grassy toward the finish. Needs a little more thickness and complexity to it to rival something like Fantome, but a nice American rendition nonetheless. Thanks to slob for this one.