 kepano (239), Meudon, France
Mar 13, 2008
I’ve had bad luck with Saisons thus far, perhaps it isn’t the style for me. Dupont gave it a shot before, without success. Was it the smoky bar? My inexperience? I owed it to myself to give one of Belgium’s traditions another chance. After all, Belgian styles have never betrayed me, why should they start? Still, that impossibly dry mouthfeel and caustic carbonation didn’t sit right last time around. Nonsense! Here comes the pour. Les Voeux could hardly have started more beautifully. Golden as a mirabelle, its dense orange fog is set aglow by the light behind it. Pillowy, the dazzling white fluff laces lazily across the glass. A subtle aroma arises, light but fruity, and spicy too. Peach, apricot, nutmeg and some grain successively appear. The penetrating fragrance of Charentais melon plays jubilantly off of estery hints of bubble gum, banana and pineapple. Orange peel, clove and imperceptible coriander zest the concoction. In the background, a definite chalkiness and slightly sweet hint of funk are the hallmarks of authenticity. With renewed ambition, I take a confident sip. Funky – surprising and different – a dry cheesiness like a nutty Parmesan. Buttery hazelnut flavor is apparent throughout. The fruit is more subdued than I expected but despite copious alcohol none appears on the tongue. The frothy carbonation is pleasant, allowing for the sweetness of bubble gum and pineapple to really boogie. Finishing dry, a funky grainy thyme flavor leads to a somewhat salty aftertaste hinting at apricot. I am positively dying for a morsel of Parmigiano Reggiano, that addition alone would propel me to heaven. I’m glad I followed my instincts, Dupont has crafted a wonderful brew. (14/04/2007)
TrefwoordPunk (502), Leiden, Netherlands
Jul 2, 2009 Bottle 50 cl. Pours a cloudy light orange with a medium white head and a striking aroma of various spices, pipe tobacco, yeast, syrup and ripe fruits. The taste is really complex, with spices, herbs, caramel, lots of hops and some sourness and cream. A nice sour and hoppy finish. A very nice beer.
Rodders (105), , Norfolk, England
Jun 24, 2009 (Half Pint On tap at Fat Cat, Norwich) Have to say I’d already had a few when I got round to this one but was drinking water so palette not affected. Looked cloudy yellow with a small white head. Smell flowery, with some yeast and citrusy fruit. Taste follows through with some initial sweetness and little sourness. Hops prevalent. Medium carbonation. Not bad, not had many Saisons (the only other one I’ve had is Saison Dupont) but definately interesting.
andersand (146), Malmö, Sweden
Jun 16, 2009 Lovely looking bright yellow with fine yeast particles floating around reminding you that this is a true belgian. A fine head white head with lovely lazing is also present. Aroma is very refreshing and inviting of sweet fruit such as pears and pineapple with some alcohol coming through if you stick your nose down too deep. The mouthfeel is light to medium with low carbonation. Flavour is similar to aroma with allot of esters and a dry fine finish similar to a white wine. No doubt best wishes.
gerome (13), France
Jun 15, 2009 Excellent saison. Pours golden with a thick head. Aroma is an assult of fruit and yeast. Flavor a very striking bite of rotten fruit and strong aromatic herbs. Great beer on tap.
vtafro (212), , New Jersey, USA
Jun 12, 2009 Bottle. Picked up this bottle when i saw this the all season saison is great, this beer however has less aroma. Wish i had this brew during the winter it definitely could fit a need. Overall great beer.
Diogène (471), Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
Jun 8, 2009 This is one of my favorite, I had it numerous time, here I will try to do an honest rating. Bottle. Hazy yellow with a thin foamy white head with average retention and good lacing. Aroma is yeast, apple, sugar. wheat, spices, alcohol, current and malt. Flavor is yeast, apple, barley sugar, yeast, spices, malt, sugar, hops and alcohol with a bitter and sweet finish. Full body with a creamy mouthfeel. This one is full of flavor, drinkable and hides its alcohol very well. I don’t know how a saison could get any better than this.
SFLpunk (132), South Burlington, Vermont, USA
Jun 7, 2009 750mL green glass cork-finish. Most recent release.
Appearance: Poured into a tulip leads to 3 fingers of off-white creamy rich head. Hazy amber yellow with lots of streaming tiny bubbles.
Nose: Rich and sudsy Belgian yeastiness. Some light spiciness. Some lemon juice too.
Palate: Sharp and spicy right from the go. Tip of the tongue spicy. Lots of spicy yeastiness, mixed citrus and lots of general "fruitiness." Clean but creamy at the same time. Lots of layers of flavor here and a nice acidity balances things out right before the finish which is long.
Notes: A great food beer! A perfect match for spinach, mushroom and cheese filled crepes!
Frovigalning (156), , Sweden
Jun 7, 2009 275 ml bottle. It poured a hazy golden liquid with a small foam that still left allot of lacing. The liquid also had lots of yeast in it. The aroma was sweet with hints of fruit and some bread. It was very easy to drink and I couldnt really feel the alcohol. It felt round and lean in my mouth and the aroma was sour, yeasty with a hint of bread.
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