Millstream Saison

2007 Great Taste: Quite grassy, with orange and lemon, coriander and cloves. Smooth in the beginning, sharp in the end. A little fuzzy feeling on the tongue. That is to say, not quite smooth but in no way harsh.

GTMW 2007. Poured a nice hazy yellow-light orange color. Head was tall and foamy with good retention and lacing. Attractive aroma of light clove, citrus, and malty cereal grain. Moderately acidic on the tongue. Earthy and tart with citrus, mixed spices, grass, a touch of ester, and subdued cider vinegar.

I’m on my Millstream kick. Had this at the Great Taste of the Midwest ’06. Poured a cloudy light straw with a moderate off white head. Aroma was tangy orange, spices and fairly yeasty. Flavor was very tart and acidic with all the aforementioned aromas coming through in the flavor. Light bodied with soft moderate carbonation. Very citric, but pretty good.

GTMW ’06. Hazy yellow body, big white head. Herbal-hop spicy aroma. The flavor takes on a tart citrus alongside biscuit malt and those herbal hops.

On tap at the brewpub. Pours the color of morning’s first evacuation. Hazy with an oil slick atop each glass. Frothy head with a strong yeasty and sour aroma. A citrus sweetness without the hop content. An orange bitter treat. Long mellow bitter finish. We drank a pitcher of this while sitting outside in front of the brewery on an absolutely perfect August friday afternoon. The people at this brewpub are about as nice and gracious as humanly possible.

Draft, at Millstream. Of course, I have to think back to the Avery Twelve Saison I had just a few weeks ago. While the Avery went for an extreme version of the stye, this one is more subdued, like its farmhouse ale origins. Pours a light straw color with a white head. After an initial impression of hay, I find a nice balance of malts shaded toward the Vienna side, lending it a bit of a caramel tinge. A perhaps northern German hop character. Then a sweet spiciness that seems to come more from saison yeast and a warm ferment than any additional spices. Perhaps a touch of white pepper on the side, then just a little sourness. Again, not extreme, just a happy little beer that raises the standard for lawnmower beers.

Pale gold. Nose flowery, mildly funky, some minerals. Sweet taffy fruit up front, then a bit of funkiness, a fair amount of spice. Lots of hops at the end. Rather grassy and outdoorsy, good stuff.

Straw lightly hazy white head that vanishes. Spicy, light alcohol, fruity, citrus, goodness. Quite hoppy. Even spiciness throughout. The malts are a bit fimer than I had anticipated. Quite quaffable and very enjoyable.