3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Just found some notes for this scrawled on a scrap of paper. Pretty sure I had it the second time it was available, probably at Rhino around the same time as Harry’s rating below. Bright golden with a slight haze; aroma of pineapple and mango and other tropical fruit with a twinge of spice; flavour follows, with not-too-sweet tropical fruit, a bit of orange peel, a dusty yeast edge, and an interesting bitter hint that might be from the goji. Good stuff, but then I love the regular Black Oak Saison, so I was bound to like this.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Ah!! lovely, a fleeting rating makes another appearance and I trek halfway across the city to get it. It was worth it!! (Pint, on gravity cask, at Rhino June 19, 2010 - preceded by Black Oak Summer Saison - yumm - and Black Oak Ten Bitter Years pints --- lovely stuff, all). Very cloudy amber-gold with a great looking and unusual large, creamy and lasting frothy/creamy off-white head (4+). Aroma is ... well, I don’t know Goji berry, so I’m sure that’s in there, but what I picked out was cardomon, pungent tropical fruit (overripe mango?), just a hint of dry soapy floral bitterness - pretty solid though. The taste is refreshing, different, and thankfully not terribly sweet - it had the spicy dry & yeasty/fruity flavour profile of a Belgian witbier with the body and mouthfeel of a German hefeweizen- and some dry floral aspects and overlying that the pungent tropical "green fruit" that I assume is the goji. Is thick, astringent, cask-still, quick-finishing with a nice tart bitter aftertaste (where there was something also that made me think "amonia") but not unpleasant; overall good, I would have it again; a green fruity wit with the body of a hefe - nice.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
[2504-20090928] Cask. Mild fruity orange peel is mostly the saison with a bit of a twinge. Hazy, bright orange body with a big long-lasting foamy head. Initial dry hops flavour continues with muted fruity bitter hops. Medium body has a lingering dryness. Fairly drinkable, subtle nuances like orange and heather and hints of spices make it interesting.
(@ Rhino; Toronto, ON)
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
On cask at Rhino. Pours a slightly hazy golden-orange with a small diminishing white head. The aroma and flavour are sweet and spicy, along with yeast, fruit and light hops. The goji berries add a mild tangy flavour to it. Average bodied. Very refreshing, I had four pints of it!
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