Hopfenstark Saison Station 10 (Bière Sure)

Brewed by Hopfenstark
Style: Saison
L’Assomption, Canada

Bottled, by hand? A golden beer with a thin bubbly head. The aroma is sweet with citrusy notes and a bit of acidity. The flavor is sweet with notes of straw and citrus, leading to a lightly tart finish. Nice.

Bottle @ Volo courtesy of Hogtown Harry & tupalev. Cloudy, beige with no head. Bretty, woody nose with some light malt and a hint of pedio. Captures the essence of buggy beer really well. Sweet, slightly spicy body. Sweet-tart in the finish with light brett. Fun stuff.

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.

<i>My Bottom Line:</i>
A tart spurt transports intelligent candy and doughy yeast to marvelously unpredictable grapefruit groves before endearing sourness establishes itself on your gums. This half Witbier, half Wild Ale is so engaging and idiosyncratic it sparkles.

<i>Further Personal Perceptions:</i>
-A veil of foam covers the cloudy pale straw.
-The link between this beer and their Framboise Forte is quite obvious.
-When you taste this beer without the yeast shot, its sourness perks up and its lemony character seems to double, making it even more quenching.
-This is dangerously drinkable and refreshingly different.
-The cereal character is quite wheaty.
-There is a light bubblegummy phenolic presence which turns into candy at times.

<b>Bottle.</b>

500 ml bottle. Very pale straw-yellow colour. Lots of suspended yeast. Aroma is just great, bright lemon citrus aroma with a bit of coriander, leather and light funkiness. Flavour is quite bright and acidic. Fairly tart and citric with a long lingering acidity. Some nice wheaty character along with the light refreshing tartness.

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.

Bottle 鸴ml). Shared with blankboy, GregClow, jerc and tupalev, courtesy of Fred from Hopfenstark. This one’s for you, Dany! (heh heh heh). Cloudy light gold, solid creamy lasting white head. Amazing aroma - wow, I love this - lemon-sour malt, candy fruit malt, incredibly rich spice and yeast saison pungency - terrific. Taste - WHY can I not buy this beer in Ontario!??? WHY!!!!? - equal parts sour malt, lemon, lemon grass hops, thick pungent fresh spice, alcohol, all of it managing to blend well and even finish dry and crisp. Nearly perfect body - acidic, dry, moderately thick, long shifting malt/sour/spice/yeast finish .... I bow to you, Fred. Another 4+ from Hopfenstark.

Enjoyed at Mondiale 2008. This upcoming brewery is coming on strong, and this is another style it excels out. Between various saisons, the yeast is great and felt, in this version sourness dominates. Sour like a cantillon, so other versions will likely be more popular. Transparent, small head. Spicey aroma.