garthicus (559), Toronto, Ontario, Canada May 24, 2008 Sampled at Jans Saison tasting! Thanks! Appearance: Slightly murky orange/red colour with zero head. Aroma: Honey and malt, ginger and spice. Flavour: Under ripe watermelon, spice, pepper and a finish of malt,
illkarate (53), Bloomington, Indiana, USA Oct 12, 2008 750ml, purchased at Brasserie Beck in DC (Thanks Thor!). Brewed in 1994, bottled in 1995 and consumed October 2008. Needless to say, there was a lot going on with this Saison. Poured a nice, light, orange/amber color, almost no head. My first sip... uh oh, vinegar. My second sip, much better, tasted more like a geuze or lambic than a saison. Really complex, major sour notes, combined with a wide variety of spices: ginger, pepper, coriander. They had mellowed quite a bit, but definitely detectable. Had this with a nice trout dinner and this beer made an excellent companion. Perm (141), Tryon, North Carolina, USA Sep 28, 2008 Enjoyed this one in my new Caracole tulip glass.
Appearance: a bronze-pumpkin color, intriguing and beguiling. A very thin white lace of foam around the edge, and quite a few bubbles rising up from the bottom.
Aroma: Mystifyingly enticing. Very fragrant. There is definitely a touch of "Flemish Sour Ale" notes here, and the most prominent characteristics are of leather, an earthy floral-ness, and something I can only describe as "forest floor."
Taste: Complex, especially for 6.0% ABV, but not quite as complex as the nose might lead one to expect. Tangy, sweet-and-sour, with burnt-honey and grapefruit, and a green-apple finish.
Palate: Ever-so-slightly oily finish on the roof of the mouth, and that apple finish lingers. Zippy, zesty, and thirst-quenching.
Overall: It’s an odd one, but strangely satisfying. Definitely a dinner (or lunch) beer, rather than a session pint on its own.
Try it with Jambalaya or Shrimp & Grits: the cayenne pepper and other spices in the food bring out a *hop* profile previously understated. It’s *almost* not strong enough for the Cajun, but it definitely works wondrously when it’s all said and done.
For all of its tart profile, sour complexity, and earthy depth (think geuze rather than saison -- or perhaps the love-child of the two), I find something strangely homey and comforting about this beer: perhaps that, more than anything is the soul and root of the "farmhouse" style. FatPhil (2367), Espoo, Finland Sep 22, 2008 750ml bottle (Punavuoren Ahven, Helsinki, Belgian Weeks) - shared by Mirjukka - thanks!<br />
Not much aroma. Earthy and apple-like taste. Pleasant carbonation. Slightly black peppery too. A bit flat and dull. Soft grainy finish. As well as apple there’s also cabbage. The palate veers towards sourness as it warms. Some woodiness in the finish. Yeasty dregs were more sour. Odd mish-mash. DandyWolfFloyd (254), Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, USA Sep 21, 2008 A nice beverage, has a woody alcohol aroma combined with a real county aroma. Appearance is a dark brown color, with little head retention. The flavor is complex, with a woody alcohol taste, a little spice, with some country flavors. It’s a nice beverage, a real body warmer. Aftertaste was very warming. mirjukka (436), LOHJA, Finland Sep 21, 2008 bottle 750ml 6,5e shared at Punavuoren Ahven Helsinki Color:amber Taste:dissapointment. Tickling hops bit malty but in my mouth aftertaste was vineqar. Maybe I have to try again later on but this is not spring beer will be my opinion
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