Shed Silent Illumination

Formerly brewed at The Shed Restaurant & Brewery
Style: Saison
Stowe, Vermont USA

Sampled draught (half-pint) at American Flatbread in Burlington (listed as "Black Saison"). Opaque stout-black in appearace with a small ring of head retained throughout....aroma is very faint at first, just a hint of licorice but with some warmth a nice mossy-earthy scent emerges, lightly yeasty and dusty....body is earthy and fairly dry, chocolate and licorice present amongst col-like sugars, with light vinous tones appearing midpalate.....soft, fluffy, creamy mouthfeel, like angel-food cake somehow. Not as funky as the Fantome saison that inspires it but pretty enjoyable as is; if the nose were more expressive this would be wonderful.

BA BBF 06. Very dark brown in appearance. Aroma: dark malts, spicy yeast, maybe a touch of funk but not too much. Taste is dark malts, dark fruits, spicy, with peppery notes. Full on the palate, with a slight alcohol warm in the finish, but overall well hidden. very interesting beer for sure.

15.07.06 One of the real highlights of BCTC, it’s great to see a brewer working with this infrequently seen style. In the vein of others of it’s type, this beer is a dark cola brown, not viscous in appearance, sporting a medium-brown and lasting head of larger bubbles that break down unevenly with a rustic look. The aromas are inviting with burnt roastiness behind strong notes of dark soil, savories (licorice, alspice, sage), and traces of dry cocoa. But despite the stark and earthy tones that dominate, there is a subtle and sweet fruitiness that takes root with raisin and sour black cherries, maybe touches of molasses. These sweet notes only slightly noticable in the aromas come to the fore with the first sips, perhaps too sweetly so, but luckily pass quickly replaced by peat, roast, and barnyard funk. Little or no bitterness behyond that of the malts, finish with a slight slickness.

Sampled from hand filled bottle from the brewer via weeare138 (thanks!). Poured a dark, dark and cloudy/muddy brown color with an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of spices, black pepper, anise, yeast, and some dark fruits. Tastes of spices, citrus, dark fruits, anise, and some chocolate.

Much thanks to grassrootsvt for this hand filled bottle... Appears a cloudy dark brown with a lush tan head that never truly fades out. Leaves scattered spots of lacing around the glass. Smell is of a bit of funky pils infused with barnyard funk yeast, hard candy, cocoa powder with brown sugar and anise. Taste is of the same aromas. Nice, nice brew. The Shed should bottle this permanantly as a year round brew. Mouthfeel is of a creamy, smooth dessert that is rum like and warming in a sweet tiramasu kind of way covering the entire palate and finishing sweetly. I really wish I had about 10 more bottles of this!

Poured a muddy brown color with a small, light tan head that left some lacing on the glass. Aroma of cherries, green apples, dark grapes, coconut, light roast and yeast. Taste of chocolate, cherries, yeast, roast, lychee, black pepper, spices, dry yeast and alcohol.

Two draught tulips at the brewery on 3/11/2006
Inky, near-black pour is completely opaque with only a trickle of beige head that fizzles away to bubbles and then nothing, no lacing. Some deep brown-violet tinges are all that can be discerned, on the edges, when holding it to the light.
The nose packs in a sharp punch of dark, sour concord grapes, very light roasted barley, giving almost a coffee/composty sort of feel, and further deepening/sharpening the nose. But a subtle and lightly sweet chocolate? malt note, with some soft honey and other light sugars begin to balance. Soured plums, a light mineralic quality and very little hops that I can discern finish the complex and puzzling nose.
The flavor begins with a mix of chocolate tipped cigars, lightly sweet raisins (special b malt buffeted by chocolate malt???) and a nearly lactic note of acidity on the finish. Comforting malt body, however, softens the blow, and it really isnt sour, just tart and fruity (purple fruits). As it breathes and warms, light chocolate and honey malts emerge, with a little bit of grittiness thanks to the extremely unfiltered nature. Still can’t find any hops, in bitterness or flavor (maybe just the faintest bit of green, leafy hops). Alcohol marvelously masked, and the carbonation very low.
A little muddled and rough around the edges, not as clean and well-executed as McKenzie’s Dark saison, but what it loses against that one, (I think) it gains in just a pure unadulterated weirdness.
If you are curious to know what the saison-heads I travel with would think about it, I bet they all generally dislike it and give it a 2.5-3.0 range of scores.
But I thought it was unique and, excusing the mineralic quality inherent in their beers, a charming little drinker. Maybe not much of a saison, but then, I’ve never been one to rate much to style.