Hopfenstark Saison Station 10 (Bière Sure)

Sweet hay, and lemon meringue pie in the nose with a slight underlying sour note. Opaque, viscous, deep blonde-tan body is topped by a very shy and short-lived, fully diminishing white head. Tropical fruit and lemon citrus fruitiness blend well with a sweet malt character that underlies an almost gueuze-like sour note. Tart wheat character is lingering in the aftertaste. Medium-light body with very low carbonation that just didn’t work that well for me. I hate to be the low rater and maybe it was simply a case of a bad bottle. Hope to have the chance to resample this if there are still any bottles available... Tulip glass. Cellar temperature. Bottle (bottle conditioned, low fill) purchased at the brewery in mid-June 2008.

Bouteille de 500 ml, achetée à la brasserie. Arômes de levure présentant des notes lactiques, de pomme verte et de framboise. Robe saumon et trouble, légère effervescence. Goût très équilibré aux notes sûres affirmatives mais qui ne prennent pas toute la place. On note également la présence du blé et on assiste à une finale citronnée légèrement amère. Excellent et original par rapport aux bières brassées au Québec.

How: Sample at Mondial de la Bière 2008
The look: Clear yellow-blonde body with a short-lived white head
In long: Intriguing nose presenting tropical fruits and some staple-like funkiness. Taste is less funky than the nose but the beer still maintain a wild character in the mouth. Lots of cereals and lots of yeast here. Upfront fruit flavours with pineapples, apricots, lemon juice and even some bananas coming through. Medium sourness intensity. I though the carbonation was a bit too soft for the type of beer it is but given its “homemade” bottling nature this may vary from bottle to bottle. Finish is pleasantly dry. This is Quebec’s answer to Cuvée de Castleton. We also have an answer to George W. Bush but he’s institutionalized.

Bottle 500 ml. Pale straw color with no head. Incredible aroma of cake (quatre-quart) and citrus. Great acidity for a saison, lemon flavor and really refreshing.

Objectively speaking: Brilliantly executed sour, wild Saison that has to be the finest example from Québec up to now.
I like: Excellent wheat aroma brings all the necessary freshness in the nose. The rest is a playfield for the successful yeast. Rather exotic funky fruits (pineapple, lemon, litchi) are caught in a whirlwind of sourness. Growingly dry as the sip advances. Very perfumey. No spiciness. Remarkably drinkable.
I dislike: Unfortunately one of the rarest Hopfenstark.