TURDFERGUSON (1594), Carrboro, North Carolina, USA Jan 16, 2007 Bottle from HogtownHarry. Thanks. Pours a cloudy, almost opaque orange with a small white head that fades. Aromas of oranges, honey, and yeasty spiciness. Flavor mimics nose, with a nice balance of tastes. Medium bodied with quite a bit of character for its low alcohol content. Not as funky as many of the saison I’ve had, but still a solid and very drinkable saison. Well done. ross (1709), weddington, South Carolina, USA Dec 27, 2006 Bottle from Blankboy - thanks. Pours out an orange color without much of a head. Smell is some orange, and spice. Taste is sweet and pretty smooth. Perhaps not really what I was expecting from a saison, but it does the trick. A pretty good session beer really. Boutip (2334), Gatineau, Quebec, Canada Nov 14, 2006 Bottle courtesy of Hogtownharry: Poured a deep golden orange color ale with a big foamy head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of funky east with some orange and other spices. Taste is dry with some floral malt and a long yeasty finish with layer of complexity. Body is a bit light but it doesn’t hurt the beer too much overall. I got too admit that I wasn’t expecting so much from this one and was pleasantly surprised. StompBrockmore (300), Toronto, Ontario, Canada Nov 6, 2006 Updated: Jan 4, 2007341ml bottle - pours hazy golden orange with a thick, pure white head. Citrusy, spicy aroma, very crisp and welcoming. The flavour is beautiful and much more complex than I would have expected - initial light fruity punch of orange, clove and yeast, followed by an earthy, peppery hit that is quickly followed and finished by a subtle hoppy, refreshing bitterness. This is a beautiful, flavourful Saison that I drank quite a lot of this past summer. Black Oak is a gem, one of our best Ontario brewers.
Update, January 2007 - Just did a back-to-back comparison between this and the Saison Dupont, and this blew it out of the water in terms of robust flavour and aroma. Definitely fruitier and hoppier, and more to my taste than the famous Belgian farmhouse ale. I love this beer! Quevillon (1518), Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec, Canada Oct 28, 2006 Bouteille de 341 ml par HogTownHarry. Jaune foncée et mi-brumeuse, bon collet assé épais avec de la dentaile. Bon arome de blé avec de l’agrume et un peu d’épice. Goût de blé assé bien, un peu d’herbe et d’épice qui suit. kwoeltje (1313), Manchester, Missouri, USA Oct 11, 2006 (draught at Volo) medium amber with small off white head. Mild spice aroma. Flavor is some malt and hops, lots of spice, especially clove, some pepper, and yeast. kipdynamite (11), Canada Sep 25, 2006 A very tasty and refreshing saison on tap (Volo) and in the bottle (purchased at the brewery). Great aroma and a well balanced flavour. Another high quality product from this brewing company. VeloVampire (483), Parkdale, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Sep 20, 2006 Updated: Oct 29, 2008341 ml bottle - Pours a hazy orange with a nice thick head which lasts through the entire glass, and leaves some of the thickest lacing I’ve seen. Like Pepto- Bismol in it’s coating action. Aroma of hops, citrus and coriander, also a bit of pepper, all of which are delivered greatly in the taste, along with yeasty and banana notes. A complex, flavourful beer that’s low in alcohol for the style (4.1%), making it an excellent, refreshing summer session ale. I only hope it gets bottled earlier in the summer next year. Beautiful work, Black Oak. Update: had this year’s (2007) version on tap last night at the Magpie, and the beer is even better thanm last year! More pronounced coriander (but still subtle and well integrated) and a fuller body. More wheat malt as well. Beautiful, beautiful beer. I want this on hand all summer long.
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