Black Raven Pour Les Oiseaux Viognier Barrel Saison With Brettanomyces

Brewed by Black Raven Brewing
Style: Saison
Redmond, Washington USA

Serve in Tulip

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Tap at Fiddlers Inn. Listed as Les Oiseaux but strong Brett character makes it pretty clear this was the w/ Brett version.

Powerful Brett aroma and dryness atop a white wine-infected saison base. Elements of Orval but little of the synergy.

White wine, poopy bretty, a little hay, and lemon. Pours hazy light orange golden, thin white head. Flavors of hay, lemon, white wine notes, and a good deal of poopy brett. Fruity white wine lingers as well as light belgian yeast esters. Dries out in the finish. Interesting. Too poopy for my total liking.

Bottle: The aroma consists of lemon, white wine, and a touch of floral notes. It pours a transparent dull yellow w h a small white head. The flavor starts with a quick dose of lemon grass. The finish has moderate floral notes, light lemon, and a touch of white wine. It’s light bodied with somewhat soft carbonation and mouthfeel.

Pours a rich copper color with a finger of fizzy foam that settles quickly. On the nose its got some nice barnyard brett, tart fruit and earthy yeast. The palate follows with ripe apple, tart vinous notes, spicy earthy yeast and a slightly musty barrel backdrop. The mouthfeel is where this beer falls a bit short... slightly watery and thin with a quick finish... but still pretty good.

On tap at the brewery. Pours a clear, lighter gold colored body with a finger-width, frothy and creamy, white head that dissipates slowly and leaves a nice lacing. Aroma is somewhat fruity with white grapes and florals, a good amount brett, grainy wheats, a light rye spice, and some hay. Flavor is similar. Grainy wheats and a good amount of spicy yeast as well as a nice white grape fruitiness and brett funk. A light rye spice, touches of wood, hay, a hint of toast, and a light tartness as this finishes clean and dry with a light bitterness. Lengthy aftertaste following a light body and a crisp, moderate carbonation. Overall, a really well done beer. Grainy, somewhat spicy, fruity with lots of white grapes and florals, and a nice brett funk. Good one.

On tap at Old Town Ale House, pours a clear golden with a medium white head. Aroma of brett yeast, some lightly fruity esters and floral hops. Flavour is quite citric fruity, with a medium tartness, some floral notes and some crackery malts in back. Refreshingly tart and highly drinkable.

750, capped. Pours a clear burnished medium amber with a nice fizzy white head that falls quickly away. Mild tangy nose, some overripe banana with white pepper. Creamy medium body with lively carb, but not quite enough of it. Caramel, bananas, white pepper, and some oak on the mid palate. Mild buttery notes from the wine in the background. Soft finish. Not quite the show-stopper we might have hoped to find.

Huge thanks to Matt (mfavoino) for sending this guy my way. 750 ml bottle served in a Lost Abbey teku glass. A: Pours a dark gold color with a pure white head forming on the pour. It recedes slowly to a thick cap and leaves some splotchy lace behind. S: Definite white wine presence up front. A subtle white grape tartness with a green grape and yeasty sweetness. Mild peppery yeasty and smooth oak. The subtles T: There’s the Brett! Big funkiness, some wet hay and a little blue cheese up front. Smooth oak, light white grape tartness and some pale malt sweetness on the finish. The yeast is in there ever so slightly with some fruity esters and middle clove, but the wine barrel and brett are the main stars here. M: Light bodied with a clean and dry finish. Nice medium-high carbonation level. O: I really liked the addition of the Brett and the barrel aging, although I feel like the base gets a tad lost. Overall it’s a very nicely crafted BA saison and wouldn’t turn it down in the future. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 09-09-2012

UPDATED: JUN 9, 2012 Clear golden body, moderate size white head, just a few stray whisps. Prominent brett character, rye, spice, and faint white grapes. Similar flavor but rounded out by a tannic component that adds a bit of astringency. medium bodied, as noted above there is a tannic-astringency that isn’t properly complemented with an assertive enough fruit component... too much spice and brett. a few tweaks and this could be a pretty solid beer.

Big thanks to G311 and Damico for this one. Served in a mini tulip. Pours a nice golden color with a pretty good white head and a bit of lacing on the way down. The nose carries some background Brett and earth notes along with some yeasty spice and a touch of white grape. The flavor adds in a bit more grapes with some nice earthiness through the finish. Fairly dry and crisp. Really nicely done.