White Birch Saison

Brewed by White Birch Brewing
Style: Saison
Hooksett, New Hampshire USA

Pours a cloudy, pale golden-yellowish ripe banana color with golden yellow hues when held to a light source and visible carbonation bubbling up the glass. Frothy, bubbly three finger white head that quickly fades into a lasting ring that leaves sporadic spots of lacing. Slightly funky earthy aroma with lots of bready yeast notes, citrus, ripe banana, peppery spice, lemon zest and crisp light fruit. The nose on this beer is really complex with a delicate blend of earthy, sweet and spicy scents. Soft carbonation of front with a slightly spicy, bready/yeasty medium body. Slightly tart with a bit of earthy funk to it and some nice peppery lemon zest spice up front. Hints of light fruit, mostly apple and pear with a good bit of ripe banana, bread and crisp spicy peppery finish. Slight alcohol presence. Pretty odd tasting with a lot of weird flavor with sour/earthy funk notes bouncing off of the bready fruity character.

Bomber #94 of 102, batch 1, botled August 31, 2009 and consumed fresh. The pour is mostly clear, with just a slight haze. A small but dense head of pure white foam is lasting, leaving a thick, frothy wash that dries to jagged, diagonal flares of lacing. As nice as it looks, things take a turn for the worse. The nose is quite vegetal, notes of celery and dirty, earthy potatoes fouling up the underlying sweet cereal grain and mild lemongrass spice. Flavors too seem very dirty, like unwashed vegetables just from the ground were thrown into the mash. Dusty, stale grain proves sweet and earthy, while faint glints of citrus and grass show in the background. The palate is medium bodied and on the sweet, sticky side for a saison. Overall, it’s just to dirty and sweet. I’m learning to keep my expectations low for this brewery.

Bomber at CL Flaming Fury release. Wow- I want to cry this stuff is so bad. Pours hazy milky straw yellow with a fizzy white head. Aroma is isovaleric, nasty sour lactic bomb (sour mash gone too long), spicy phenolic, and crackery malts- some solvent and paint thinner. Flavor is bad but not as bad as the aroma- grainy, citrus, lemon, grass, acetaldehyde, sour apple, more rotting spent grains, Parmesan cheese. About the same as that Belgian pale but not quite that horrid. Damn this brewer is on crack I think.

Batch 1 39/102 Pours gold with a white head. Smells of coriander, peas and dry malt. Tastes funky, dry, appley and lightly spicy with a peppery finish.

(Draught at BA’s BBF) Poured yellow and hazy with medium sized white head. Spices, coriander and sourness were the aromas. Palate was light bodied with quite high carbonation. Tasted of spices, coriander, fruitiness and bitterness. Finished spicy.

Cloudy dark gold color small head. Aroma is odd, a bit dry and moldy. Flavor is sweeter, malty with yeast and citrus. Slightly soured.

From Berts Better Beers. Hazy straw pour with a medium sized white head. Aroma is lemon, citrus, yeasty biscuit dough, and clove. Flavor is semi-dry, and loaded with citrus and spice- a slight alcohol note follows behind. Lots of attenuation, but still slippery on the mouthfeel. Palate is medium bodied, dry, and mildly effervescent. Finish is quite dry. Excellent offering from a new local brewery.